Chapter Nine
“Ah shit.” Aiden pointed to Logan. “Go see what’s out there and kill it if you need to. Be careful about witnesses.
Hurrying back over to Jayden, he leaned down. “Najha, it’s a rogue.”
Her heart sped up, and she instantly gathered her strength. No way could Jayden’s labor alert one of those things this early on. “Aiden, I’m going with you.”
“NO!” he shouted.
Just then, the smell of rotten meat trickled into the waiting area. The rogue lycan was inside the hospital.
“Fuck you, I’m going!” Najha lunged past Aiden in search of the rogue. Running out into the hospital corridor, she witnessed two of their men running toward the morgue.
“Najha, can you handle this without your sword?” Aiden asked
Nodding, she lifted her shirt slightly. “You betcha your ass I can. I have these.” A large knife was tucked into the band of her jeans. On her belt, a Samurai Ninja knife, black dragon throwing stars, and a few triple edge death spike nails made from solid silver.
“Shit, you’re packing. Where’s your gun?” he quipped.
“Don’t carry one, hate the things.” Najha grinned, pushing the heavy staircase door open, she could smell the rogue.
Aiden followed.
She was in her element here, fighting to protect the unborn. “Come on, Aiden, keep up.” She heard him right behind her, he was running on her heels, letting her take the lead was something this man had never done. Now, it worried her, because her father would kill him if anything happened.
She heard Aiden’s chuckle and turned around. “Why you laughing?”
“Because I see the real warrior in you. Since you left and came back, you’re on your way to being an adult. I love it.” Aiden’s voice reflected energy and joy.
Najha turned back in puzzlement, staring at him.
He grinned wide and his eyes were bright. “Move it, woman.”
The stairs and stink led them to the basement. Using caution now, they pushed the door open.
“This way.” Najha waved.
Slowing to a walk, they had to watch their front and back. The thing could be anywhere. Over her phone, she received a text from Logan. ‘Rogue outside the loading dock.’
‘Thanks,’ she replied back. “This way, the rogue is outside. The loading dock is past these doors.” She pushed open the double doors, leading outside to the dock area.
The sun had disappeared over the horizon. Fog rolled in and around the entire hospital and parking lots. Behind the building was the forest and Cascades.
Logan ran up to them. “We chased him up there. Torment and Dante already headed out.”
“Where did you see him?” Najha asked.
“Jayden’s room, Thorn tried, but he needed to stay and protect his wife.” Logan’s voice was cold and exact. Defending her father was his job.
“Of course, he would.” She signaled to continue on, waving her hand over her head.
With no moon and heavy fog, it was impossible to see in front of you. Najha decided to shift once they reached the trees. Using her lycan speed, she could run hard and fast. “I’m going to shift, guys.” Stripping, with no shyness of her nakedness around her people and the men with her, were all like fathers. But they were looking to her for leadership, and it thrilled as well as scared the living hell out of her. Shifting into her smaller grey wolf, she followed Logan’s heavy black wolf and Aiden’s larger white and grey wolf leading into the mountains. ‘Let’s move faster,’ Najha murmured in her mind to the men with her.
‘Dante? You out there?’ Najha searched for her brother.
‘North ridge,’ Dante’s replied.
Najha took the lead, using her nose, the female lycan pushed on. Her body lighter, faster and more agile over the heavier lycan behind her.
They all headed for the north ridge of Shades Run. The teenagers from the town used the ridge for their local hangouts. If the rogue reached them before the lycan did, there was going to be a lot of dead teenagers.
If this thing had been in the hospital, it wasn’t for Thorn. No, it wanted to kill Jayden and the baby to hurt Thorn. Najha then finally realized how her life would change if everyone knew she was Thorn’s daughter.
After they’d ran a few miles, another group of wolves joined in their hunt. ‘Dante, are these wolves your full-blooded ones?’
‘No, that must be Lucien and his men, they’ve joined the hunt. I have my pack with me.’ Dante’s full wolf pack lived with him and ran as a pack, helping her brother keep the citizens of Shades Run safe.
‘Shit, why did they have to come along, and ruin my fun?’ Najha didn’t need Lucien running beside her. He would never know who she was but now, she would have to stay in wolf form and that was limiting, as she wanted this kill badly. The adrenaline kept her bitch from showing the signs of being in her first season.
The lead wolf slowed. Lucien’s large black wolf stopped suddenly, and the rest followed suit.
Najha hung back slightly, as she saw a deep ravine met them.
Below the ridge was a river, waterfall, and a lot of trees. The fog grew denser as the dark of night made their entire track treacherous and now this.
This wasn’t going to end well, Najha could feel it. Waiting for the men to make their decision, she decided to stay back as far as she could.
‘What’s wrong?’ Dante asked.
The rogue’s scent was everywhere. ‘Nothing, just trying to stay out of the way.’
‘Why?’
‘Because father doesn’t want Lucien to know I’m lycan, remember?’
‘Oh, that. Never mind about that, I’ll take responsibility of that with father.’
Dante was crazy. ‘Where are you?’ she asked her brother.
‘Coming up behind you all. The rogue is near, maybe even down in the ravine.’
Najha sensed him before she scented her brother coming up behind them. The rogue’s scent was everywhere. The beast was too confident and a fully matured lycan male. These facts made him extremely dangerous, especially to an untouched female lycan as Najha was.
Up ahead near the ravine, Lucien shifted. He stood up as a full human using his powers and magic, he dressed as the president of an MC, with full leathers. It was added protection against the jaws of a rogue lycan. It was impossible for them to bite through the specialized leather they’d all adorned.
The other two wolves with Lucien shifted and did the same with their clothes. Blade and Kaden stood their ground while facing the opening of the ravine. An entrance to a cave was off to their left.
Lucien pointed, then held his finger over his mouth.
The lycan all chose to stay in their wolf bodies. It was their protection against a rogue lycan. The only way to beat one.
Najha had left all her weapons and clothes back near the hospital. She couldn’t shift now even if she wanted to.
“You fucking coward, come out of there,” Lucien yelled, his voice echoing in the mountains.
Najha could smell the excitement pheromones of the rogue.
Stepping out, they could see the lycan was a much larger wolf than even Dante. This monster was huge. When the thing shifted to human, it was to reveal Lance Andron. A prospect who’d disappeared over ten years ago from the Lycan MC and he had disappeared around the same time as Demetri had. Demetri was one of her father’s closest lieutenants. Her father would kill this thing if he were here.
“Well, if it’s not the great king of vamps. Bloodsucking morons,” Lance taunted Lucien. He didn’t seem to notice the wolves, yet.
Najha tried to back away before this man smelled her.
“Your papa would be proud of the man you turned into, Lucien. Oh, I forgot, he was killed by a brother,” Lance chuckled.
The grating voice of the rogue stirred the other men into a frenzy. But it only seemed to calm Lucien.
Najha couldn’t help but watch, she was impressed with him. He didn’t let the rogue bother him. He was the same in battle as he’d been sitting in the cafe.
“Let’s see if you can beat me.” Lance shifted. Drool poured out of his massive jaws and as it shook, saliva flew around.
Najha wanted to take him down. To threaten Jayden as she gave birth was an unspeakable sin, but to taunt her man, Lucien…
‘Oh God, what the hell woman, you just thought of Lucien as your man? No fucking way,’ Dante scolded her…His voice angry, his words short and simple.
‘I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. Dante, you need to help me. My wolf believes Lucien is hers.’
‘What the hell? That can’t be. I don’t know how…’ Dante’s thoughts went blank.
Najha knew her brother was upset and as confused as she was. They would have to go to Thorn. This needed to stop before someone was injured because of her screaming hormones and emotions.
Staring on at Lucien, he seemed preoccupied, and she didn’t want to interfere and cause him possible danger.
When he stepped behind Kaden, his sudden turn put him to staring directly at her.
Najha backed away slowly, without alerting him as she stepped backward until she ran into a tree stopping her escape. Damn it!
‘Move, Najha, I got this,’ Dante soothed.
“Who is that female?” Lucien shouted out.
Dante shifted to human and held his hand up. “Never mind that, we need to execute this thing.”
“Yeah, then you all better explain why a female is hunting with you.” Lucien’s tone brooked no argument. He was pissed off.
Najha knew he wasn’t going to let this rest. She had to go to her father and explain everything before Lucien figured it out. She spun around and took off at a ground eating pace back to the hospital.
Reaching her destination, Najha shifted, redressed, and went to find her father. She didn’t know what she would tell him, but at this point, she didn’t really care.
Worried over Jayden, she found her father pacing in the hallway. “Najha, it’s good to see you. What the hell happened?”
“A rogue, Lucien and his men showed up. Dante, Aiden, and the rest are taking care of it. I needed to come back to help here.” She omitted the part about it being one of his old MC men.
He nodded. “I see. What’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“First, when did you start calling me, sir? Secondly, what’s the deal with Lucien? I need to know what you’re thinking.”
“Sir?”
“There you go again! Sir, really? Najha, I’m not stupid. If he’s your mate, we need to figure out what the hell we’re going to do.”
“Daddy, I don’t know that he is. I’ve kept the spell on me, and I feel funny when I’m around him, but I promise, once we get through the birth and helping Jayden I need to talk to you. Something has happened, and I can’t keep avoiding this with Lucien.”
He tilted his head. “Najha, you’re a terrible liar. Jonas called me, he was worried about you.”
Kissing her head, he sighed. “I know you’re in season. You’ve been with Lucien in a way with a man and a woman?”
“Yes. It just happened. I don’t know what to do. I know about the laws. But—”
“I don’t need history repeating itself. Let me do some research and look into why the law was put into place in the first place. I’m worried sick about Jayden right now. We’ll talk later.”
Thanks to her brother her secret was out. Maybe her father could help her figure this out. If she was truly Lucien’s mate, then what? She didn’t have time right now to figure all this out in her head. She felt relieved, he wasn’t angry at her, or at least not now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
A nurse walked out of the delivery room. “Sir, your wife would like you to come in. She also said to bring Najha with.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Najha followed her father into the room.
Jayden was resting on her side, still very pregnant. Layla and Taraji were with her.
Najha walked over to her friend. “Hey, Taraji, how is she?”
“She’s resting now. We had to give her an epidural. She’ll dilate a little easier.” Taraji touched Jayden’s forehead.
Jayden looked over at her. “Najha, hey.” Her voice croaked.
“Hi, how are you?”
“Ugh, it hurt so bad, I finally gave in and asked for drugs.” She coughed, holding her hand over her mouth, then grabbed her stomach. “Oh God! Thorn.”
Najha quickly moved out of the way and let her dad in.
“What can I do?” he asked.
“I don’t want to do this anymore. It hurts really bad; the pressure is too much.”
Thorn looked over at Taraji and Layla. “You said this would help her?”
Layla spoke up, “I did, and it will. I’m not sure though. She’s lycan, maybe the drug isn’t going to do it for her. Jayden, try breathing, just relax as best you can.”
After the contraction, Thorn helped Jayden sit up in bed.
Layla reached for the monitors, checking the strip of paper coming out of the machine.
Najha couldn’t help but find it all fascinating.
“I need to check her and see where we’re at.” Layla nodded to Thorn.
“I’ll just step out in the hall. Please let me know what’s going on.” Najha walked to the door.
Thorn nodded. “I will.”
“Thanks.” She stepped out of the room.
Booted feet alerted her to the men returning to the hospital. Lucien was with them this time.
“Hi, Aiden, Lucien.” Najha walked up to them.
“The rogue has been eliminated. No worries there. How is Jayden?” Aiden asked.
“She’s doing okay, lots of pain.” Najha pulled her heavy hair away from her face.
Lucien stepped forward. “Najha, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
He nodded.
Thorn stepped out in the hallway. “Najha, Jayden is asking for you.”
“Okay, see you later?” She turned to Lucien.
“Yes, I’d like that.” He tried to reach for her.
Once again, she spun on her booted heel and headed away from her mate and right into her father’s body. “Sorry.” She rushed past Thorn and into the room.
Then, of course, her father asked her, “What did Lucien want?”
“They just wanted you to know the rogue was taken care of. What’s wrong?”
“Jayden is having problems. They want to do a C-section. She’s fighting them on it.”
“Why?” she asked, pushing open the door to Jayden’s room.
“I don’t know, she’s afraid, I suppose?” Thorn followed behind her back into the room.
“Jayden, what’s going on with you?” Najha stepped close to the bed.
“I’m afraid. They want to take the baby by C-section. Apparently, the baby is turned the wrong way. Can you help me? Layla here said she could possibly turn the baby?” Jayden seemed strong and sure about her decision.
“What can I do for you?”
“I need your magic.” Jayden squeezed her hand.
“Um, I’m not sure.” Najha grabbed her cell phone out of her back pocket and called her mom.
“She’s on her way. Where the hell is she?” Thorn walked up next to her.
“Dad, she’ll be here shortly, give her a minute to get across town. We’re risking too much here, Dad. Come on, what the hell?” Najha wanted to take her frustrations out on her dad. She was too worried about Jayden, and something was wrong with the baby, she could feel it. The C-section was the easy solution but was it the right one?
“We’re afraid she won’t be able to be put under for the surgery. Jayden is having reactions to the drugs. What would happen if they try cutting her and she feels everything?” Thorn asked.
Najha understood a little better, they were right. The lycan had trouble with the drugs made for regular people. They couldn’t even feel the effects of alcohol.
Dialing her mom, she answered on the first ring, “I’m almost there, how is she?”
“She’s having problems with the delivery. She wants me to do a spell to help them turn the baby.”
“Seriously, what’s happening right now?” Myra sounded winded, she must be stressed about something.
“Mom, she’s in a lot of pain.”
“How far is she dilated?”
The sound of a car starting, and her mom revving the motor told her she was moving as quickly as she could. She turned to Layla. “Mom needs to know how far is she?”
“She’s at eight.” Layla was checking Jayden.
“Mom?” Najha spoke.
Jayden screamed and squirmed around on the bed in pain.
“I heard. I’ll be there in five. Hold onto Jayden’s hand.”
Najha did as her mother instructed. Grabbing both of Jayden’s hands, Najha sat down on the bed, she folded her legs underneath her and moved as close to her as she could, without taking up too much space. “Mom, I’m holding her hands. Now what?”
“I need you to close your eyes. Join with Jayden and me, we need to all be together to have this work.”
Her mom’s soothing voice helped her relax and work her magic. Closing her eyes, she joined them in Jayden’s mind. ‘Hey, beautiful, you with me?’
‘Yes, I’m so scared. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I know, just be patient. Mom?’
‘I’m with both of you. Jayden, sweetie, what we need to do is send Najha outside her body, and she’ll go to the baby. We need to keep him safe, she’ll hold onto him and keep him alive. His little soul will want to move to the next world. We’ve lost babies before to this tragedy. I don’t want to lose yours.’
‘A lycan I thought was strong.’ Jayden was frightened, and she tried to sound brave.
Najha wanted her to fight. “Jayden, listen to my mom. She’s a powerful healer and has helped others. Mom, I’m going to the baby, so guide me?” Najha closed her eyes, her hands on Jayden’s stomach. “Get my Dad in here.”
“I’m here.” He put both of his hands on her shoulders.
Najha gazed up at her father. “Daddy, I can do this.”
“I know you can. I love you, daughter.”
The tear that slipped free from her strong leader of a father tore her up. “Don’t worry, I got this.”
He nodded unable to speak.
‘Mom, what took you so long? I called you from the coffee shop?’
‘I had to take care of a few beat and injured lycans who came to me because the other healers have been with you.’
‘Oh my God, I’m sorry, Mom. I totally forgot about the rogue. How are the men?’
‘They’re fine. Don’t worry so much. I’m in the parking area. I’ll be to you in a minute. What room?’
Jayden answered, ‘Two zero two. Please hurry, Myra. Thank you. By the way, you said he?’
‘Yes, I did. This babe is a strong male. You will make a wonderful mother to him, Jayden. Please have faith. You’ll be just fine.’
‘Thank you, Myra. I trust Najha, she is my best friend.’
‘Yes, she is a beautiful and strong, courageous woman who will be here and keep him safe, that I promise you.’
Najha was braver because her mom and dad believed in her. If something happened to this baby, it wouldn’t be because she didn’t try hard. With her mom here, they would have a very powerful lycan with a special talent for healing and keeping a lycan alive, like no other had been able to. She would make sure this baby survived the birth.
There was a commotion in the room. Najha concentration was slightly interrupted, as she hadn’t quite made it to the baby. She shook her head trying to concentrate, but something told her she was needed elsewhere. She opened her eyes ready to kill who did this. She witnessed her mother, Myra, coming in the room. Najha exhaled a breath of relief.
Thorn stepped out over to Myra. “Thank you, Layla and Taraji wanted to do a C-section, but they don’t think Jayden will be able to use anesthesia.”
“She probably won’t. Most lycan can’t use drugs, their body pushes the toxins out before it actually does the job. Thorn, you need to stay up here by Jayden’s head. I want you to hold onto her. If she moves at all during this, it could prevent us from moving the baby.” Myra sat down on the other side of Jayden.
Jayden’s eyes were open and she was crying. Tears ran down her face.
Najha felt saddened by the young woman’s worries. “It’s going to be okay. I got him. Let’s get this done with. I want to meet my baby brother.”
Jayden nodded.
Myra was right there with them. “Okay, daughter. Jayden, are you ready?”
They nodded.
Najha squeezed Jayden’s hand. “Let’s do this, babe.”
“Okay, I trust you. Thank you.” Jayden looked up at Thorn.
He smiled. “I love you.”
Jayden nodded. “I love you too.”
Najha, Myra, and Jayden joined hands. Closing her eyes, Najha let her body relax and her mind join with her mom and Jayden. ‘Okay, Mom, go ahead and do what you need to do. I’m going down to hang with my brother. I will help you turn him. This will work? Right?’
‘Yes, Najha, just assure him the turning will be very painful, but he needs to be strong. His father is an Alpha lycan, he needs to be as his father is, strong.’
‘I will tell him.’ Najha didn’t wait for her mom, using her skills as a healer and warrior, she traveled down to the baby in the womb. She saw immediately he was struggling with no space left for his body, he’d basically been forced into a fold at an odd angle. His life cord was twisted and completely compromised, no longer giving him oxygen or nutrition. His butt was in the birth canal, and his head was up in Jayden’s ribs.
‘Hi, little one, I need you to meet your mommy and daddy. They already love you very much. I want to help you, but for me to do that, you must hang on and trust the people who are here. My mom, she’s going to turn you. We need your head to be there.’
His tiny hand reached out to try to grab her, as her being was just a small orb form.
Najha moved toward the narrow opening where her baby brother needed to have his head in. When Jayden’s body contracted it squeezed the baby tightly, Najha hung on to the baby’s soul trying to keep him alive. Suddenly, the body of the baby was flipped and turned. He kicked hard against the wall of his world. Another contraction hit hard, pushing the baby further down, his head was crammed into the tightness of Jayden’s hips and cervix. Najha hung on helping him stay alive. His heart struggled with every beat. No oxygen meant he would die soon. ‘Get him out now!’ she screamed to everyone in her mind.
She could feel and hear the chanting of her strong gypsy mom, and other women were joining with them.
The baby relaxed as Jayden’s body stopped contracting for a moment.
Najha connected with Jayden’s mind. ‘Jayden, your ancestors are here with us?’
‘Yes, my mother is here in the room with us. Myra, Layla, Taraji, Mom, and Thorn are joined, they are chanting a healing spell. How is my baby?’
Najha didn’t want to worry Jayden. ‘He’s struggling; the next contraction you have to deliver. I’m not sure how long he’ll hold on.’
‘Oh God, here it comes.’ Jayden groaned.
‘I will stay with him, to help him, keep him safe, I promise.’
Jayden abruptly disconnected from everyone.
Najha knew this was it. Inside the womb there was no room left at all. She assured the baby, ‘It’s time little one.’
‘Push!’
The contraction hit hard, Najha helped the baby move further down.
When the contraction continued on, the baby kicked hard on the ribs of his mother. He was a strong male lycan. Najha had to draw away from him, as he headed out and into the cold world, as a strong baby boy would do.
*****
Thorn couldn’t believe these women and how powerful they were when joined together. He held onto Jayden’s hand up near her head. He helped by lifting her off the bed to push even harder and to ease their son out into the cold world. Another strong son.
Myra had turned the baby with her hands as Layla and Taraji were now coaching Jayden to push.
He watched as his son pushed himself free of his mother and into the world. He felt proud of his mate, she was a wonderful being.
Jayden yelled out, “Someone, help Najha!”
Thorn lunged and grabbed his daughter before she fell off the bed. His daughter, completely drained of energy, was lying in his arms, unconscious. She’d held his son to this earth and just about killed herself. He was proud of her but worried at the same time. “Myra, she needs you.”
“Lay her over here.” Myra ran to the couch where he laid her down.
“Is she going to be okay?” he asked.
“She’s exhausted, but she’ll be okay. I need to give her some of this tea.” Myra trickled a bit of the healing herbal drink inside Najha’s mouth.
After a few sips, Najha moaned, then opened her eyes to look up at him.
Thorn smiled. “Hey, you. You know you gave me quite a scare.” Joining with the baby had taken all his daughter’s energy from her, but it hadn’t stopped her.
She waved her hand. “I’m sorry. How is the baby?”
Thorn managed a tight nod. His eyes burned from the tears he held in. “He came into the world announcing his arrival with some loud screaming. Can you hear him?”
She nodded. “Let me up, I need to go to him.”
Thorn shook his head. “You lay here for a few more minutes. They’re cleaning him up.” He glanced over his shoulder and could see his son moving, his hands and feet in the air, and all the women were working on him. “Najha, he’s a strong male pup.”
She nodded. “He is. I’m proud to call him brother.”
Layla had delivered him, handing him to Taraji who took him to the nurses waiting for his arrival.
“You’ll be okay? I need to get back to Jayden.”
“Yes, I’m good. Thank you. Mom, this tea is amazing.”
Thorn left Najha in the care of her mother and walked back over to Jayden. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You did good, momma.”
She nodded, her eyes damp from tears. “Is he okay?”
Layla glanced up at them. “He’s perfect. Let me get you fixed up here. Jayden, I’m so proud of you. Myra, without you, I don’t know what would have happened. Thank you.”
“Layla, you’re amazing yourself. I couldn’t have asked for a better doctor to assist me in what we had to do to bring him out safely.” Myra stood. She leaned over and kissed Najha’s forehead. “Thorn, you have a beautiful baby boy. Do you have a name picked out?” Myra smiled, kissing his cheek.
“Yes, we do. His name will be Chase Adam,” Thorn announced the name.
Jayden nodded, she reached up for Myra. “Thank you so much for all your help.”
“You’re welcome. Glad I could assist and thank you for letting me be a part of your son’s birth.”
Thorn was thankful for this wonderful woman’s talent. She made him proud and Najha who was trying to hold onto her mom still looked exhausted but was upright on her feet. He knew Myra would make sure his daughter made it home safely. “Myra, will you please help Najha home?”
“Of course. Come on, let’s get you home.” Myra tugged on Najha’s hand.
Najha had made her way over to the baby. He was getting cleaned up, wrapped in a blanket, and had a little blue hat on. Chase was a big baby, and he was still crying. “Dad, he’s beautiful.”
His lungs told Thorn he had a healthy son. He walked over and joined them.
Najha stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”
When they pulled apart, Thorn heard a hiss and a growl. Over by the door, stood Jayden’s father, Eric—and Lucien.
The vampire had heard her admission.
“Daddy? What the hell?” Lucien asked.
Thorn knew his secret was out and there was nothing he could tell Lucien to cover for his deceit. “We’ll discuss this another time, Lucien. Please allow Najha and her mother to leave. They’ve helped my wife deliver our son. Without them, I’m afraid we might have lost both.” He had to command his voice. His betrayal to his best friend ate at his soul. But the relief he felt was greater. He hated the lie being between them.
Lucien nodded, his face betraying nothing of his emotions, though he kept staring at Najha.
As she walked past him, Lucien reached out and touched her arm. “A lycan, it’s a surprise, but you still won’t be able to change my mind. You’re mine.”
“Lucien, please let my daughter pass. She’s exhausted. She’s also told me what has happened between you two. We need to find a way. If not, I won’t take the chance of losing my daughter, nor my best friend.”
“I agree. She’s my true mate, and she has deceived me.” The lasting words of Lucien rang truth to Thorn. He didn’t know how but he had to find a loophole and make this better for his daughter. If he hadn’t made her hide the fact she was lycan maybe this wouldn’t have happened between his best friend and daughter.
“That may be the truth, but I told her to hide the fact she is my daughter. If anyone is to blame it is me.” Somehow he’d taken the blame for these two not knowing.
“Then let you and I deal with it later.” Lucien nodded his head to his two men, and they walked away from the hospital without looking back.
Thorn knew he’d screwed up with his best friend and daughter. How could he make this right? He’d have to find a way around the law and make it up to them.