“Okay,” she whispers.
I glance to one side where Beckham and Royal are looking on, concern slashing their features, then I notice Echo hasn’t budged, even while I was holding River… and now I see why. My sister’s got a death grip on Echo’s hand. I swallow, then roughly manage to grit out, “This is my sister, River.” My head swivels back to her without introducing anyone else. “I’m going to fix you right up, okay?”
“You don’t have to.” River blinks rapidly, a breath barely skittering from her. “I survived.”
“You shouldn’t have to survive your own damn husband,” I bite out, and the second the retort slips past my lips, I know it was too harsh. Her face falls, making her injuries appear even more severe. My jaw tightens. “I didn’t mean?—”
River releases a desperate sigh. “I know it. This situation isn’t your fault. I know it’s been hard for you to watch and not step in.”
Echo murmurs, “It’s not your fault either, River. Your brother is just upset to see you like this, I think.” Her eyes flickto mine, as if to say,Everything’s going to be okay,with a hint ofCalm the fuck down. “Right, Wilder?”
I heave out one breath, then another, in an attempt to calm myself. “Of course. I’ve only ever wanted the best for you. Brian isnotit, no matter that you’re married. No matter what pretty apologies he gives you. You can’t continue on like this. We can figure out what to do to get you away from him. I think it has to be now.” It’s clear I’ve shocked her, because she stares at me, wide-eyed.
No one says a word, the tension in the room having risen to the nth degree. But fucked if I’ll allow River to stay with that abusive prick another minute. Final fucking straw.
We’re a good ten seconds into some very uncomfortable territory when Royal finally breaks the silence, putting a hand to his chest. “I’m Royal, by the way.” He gestures to Beck with a jerk of his thumb, clearly trying to keep things casual. “This is Beckham.”
“And I’m Echo. We’re all very close to Wilder.” She bites her lip, glancing at us with a shrug. Hard to know how to explain our relationship, and this isn’t the fucking time, anyway.
“We’re going to go find Kara and Chase. Give you some time alone,” Royal murmurs. He gives me a subtle nod, then offers River a kind smile. “Nurse Wilder is on duty. And he’s fucking amazing. You should let your brother help you. I did.”
Her sole functional eye scans over Royal’s heavily bandaged shoulder and other assorted scrapes and bruises. She frowns at the extent of his injuries but says nothing. I wouldn’t want her to take on our worries right now, anyway. She has a heap of her own trouble to deal with.
Royal and Beckham both search out my eyes before I can take a single step.Are you good?,What the fuck?,andAre we kicking someone’s ass later?sum up the questions written ontheir faces. I nod, my expression grim.No,I don’t know, andPotentiallyare my gut-reaction answers.
“I could go with them if you’d rather talk to Wilder in private,” Echo says in a soothing voice. Her brows slowly pinch together as my sister trembles beside her. “Or… I can stay with you, if that’s what you want.”
River’s eyes dart around to what she can see of the Madden home before shifting slightly to peek out the window. Her tongue slides over the painful-looking cut in her bottom lip. “Please… stay.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Echo gives her a reassuring smile, then turns around and flips the dead bolt on the door. “There.”
The sigh of relief River lets out once the door is locked makes me so fucking sad for her… and I don’t have the heart to tell her that if anyone really wants to enter a home—this one, or any other—they’ll find a way. Especially her slimy-ass husband, the cop. The one who is supposed to protect not only her, but this community. Fucking asshole. Anger bubbles under my skin, hot and slick, and my fists clench.
“Wilder.” Beckham lifts a brow when I swing my stormy gaze to his. I read his expression perfectly without any further words. He senses my temper getting out of control, knows me like the back of his hand. Because of this, he’s well aware I’m hanging on by a thread to my sanity over this entire situation. I swallow roughly and nod. “Good,” he says as his perceptive eyes wander over me. “We’ll be wherever Chase is if you need us for anything.”
I release a careful breath. “Okay, thank you.” I watch them depart, before turning my focus fully on my sister and her banged-up face. Fucking hell. I hope I don’t lose it when she shows us the full extent of the damage. My eyes bore into Echo’s with a single message.Help me get through this.
Nodding, Echo murmurs, “Let’s get you taken care of, River. Wilder already has all the medical supplies in the kitchen from patching up Royal.” I let the ladies lead the way, marveling at how calm, cool, and collected our girl is, and also how my sister immediately gravitated toward her and trusts her, even though they’ve only just met. River has no idea who Echo is to me, but there’s something about her that is helping my sister cope. I don’t know why I’m surprised, though—Echo is compassionate and kind. She’s been through enough shit that she can totally handle this.
I go straight to the sink and wash my hands again, then gather the medical supplies and bring them to the table where Echo and River have pulled out chairs and are sitting side by side. River continues to clasp Echo’s hand like it’s a lifeline.
“There are probably a bunch of bags of veggies in the freezer.” Echo points to the refrigerator. “You’re welcome to use one for her eye.”
“Good call.” When I open the freezer, I pick up the first thing I see, which is a small bag of lima beans. I give an exaggerated shudder. “Who likes lima beans?”
Laughing, Echo shrugs. “No idea. Certainly not me. You know where the clean dishcloths are if you want to wrap it in one.”
After doing exactly as Echo suggested, I bring the makeshift ice pack over to River. “Can you hold this on your eye for me?”
She nods, gingerly bringing it to her swollen eyelid. The air she sucks in as the coldness comes into contact with her skin is audible. But instead of complaining, her entire body sags in relief, and she exhales in a slow, steady stream.
Echo whispers, “I bet that feels good on it.”
“Y-yes.” River nods. I hate that I know her signs of being close to losing it, but I do. The stuttering is for sure one of them, as is the lack of eye contact. She’s trying to hold back, butwhether she’s attempting to be brave for my sake or Echo’s, I have no idea. I wish she’d let it all out, go ahead and cry if she needs to.
I squat before her, cupping her cheek as I dab at the dried blood near the split in her lip. My teeth clench hard as I set the damp cloth, stained pink with my sister’s blood, aside and gently ease her hand away for a quick couple of seconds so I can probe the area around her eye with gentle fingers to make sure the motherfucker didn’t damage her eye socket. Thank fuck. “It’s a nasty black eye, River. It’ll heal with time.” I clear my throat. “Echo, could you get her some pain meds, please?”
She nods. “I sure can. One sec.” She gently squeezes River’s hand before letting go. “I’ll be right back.”
