Authors: Becca Lee,Hot Tree Editing,Lm Creations
A Perfect Love (24 page)
“Your handiwork?” he asked.
I stepped forward to speak when Mace answered, “Yes. He tried to stab me with one of his junkie needles.” He indicated to the ground where a needle lay close by. “He’s breathing and sort of lucid, though.”
David groaned as two of the officers picked him up and cuffed him. As they dragged him past me, I stared into his glazed eyes. I didn’t have anything to say to him. It was over. The fucker would be going down for a long time, and this time Mace would make good on his word and make sure there’d be no early release.
“Okay,” Enfield started. “I’ll need your statements. Someone is already at the hospital taking your wife’s,” he said to me. I nodded and he looked down at my hands. I tucked them away in my back pockets out of sight, knowing they were cut, swollen and bloodied. He stared hard between the two of us and appeared to have made his decision to let it play out as Mace said it did.
We followed him out, Mace at my side. I glanced at Mace, who looked at me. I nodded in thanks and gave a tight smile. He returned my nod and smacked his hand on my shoulder as we walked, giving me a reassuring squeeze.
Thankful it was all really over, I wanted nothing more than to get back to Jo. We could finally get on with our lives and enjoy the last couple of months of her pregnancy. I would find the time to talk to Mace about McKenny, but that time wasn’t then. He’d be reluctant to talk to me, especially after all we’d been through, but I’d make sure he opened up and I would help in any way I could.
He was my brother. He’d proved time and time again how important that connection was, and I’d be damned if he pushed me away when it was clear some crap was about to be laid at his door.
Even if she hadn’t have been lying in the hospital bed, my eyes would have found her immediately, our connection raw and palpable. Tears sprung to her eyes as soon as they landed on me. Ease and calm passed over her face and a sweet smile lifted her lips. Ella was at her side. When she saw me, she stood, kissed Jo on the cheek and brushed past me with a light squeeze on my arm. The whole time, mine and Jo’s eyes never left each other’s.
By her side a moment later, she took my hands and brushed her fingers lightly over my knuckles. Her gaze immediately dropped to them. A frown marred her features before she seemed to regroup and lifted my hands to her mouth. Kissing my knuckles, one of her tears landed on my hand. Tears, which I did not want to spill, filled my own eyes, relief that she was well and the relief that she understood at the centre of my emotion. I loved the woman before me so much it brought me to my knees. Literally.
Slamming down, I pressed my head to her hands on mine and breathed deeply, forcing my emotions back.
“Hey.” Her voice was a light whisper. “Look at me.” She moved her hands to get my attention. Lifting my head and gaze, she smiled. “Kiss me.”
That I could do. Raising myself to her level so she wouldn’t have to bend, I kissed her. That time, I allowed my emotions to pour into her, showing her how much she was loved. She was my life, my family. Breaking away, my lips just an inch from hers, I whispered, “Love you, babe.”
“I know.” She grinned.
I laughed in response and touched my lips to hers, our mouths moulding in perfect sync.
“I love you, too,” she breathed out as she pulled back slightly. “Quick, feel.” She grabbed hold of my hand and laid it on her belly.
My hand shifted immediately under the movement of our child. Lightness and rightness filled my heart and a grin sat on my face. I kissed her stomach. “I love you, too,” I said to our baby. Jo’s fingers brushed through my hair as we remained in silence for some time, revelling in the comfort of the life she was growing. Listening to the rhythm of our child’s heartbeat from the machine connected to Jo’s stomach, I knew with a surety I had never felt before that the battle scars we wore made us that much stronger, leading to this exact moment in time.
“Can you look at breaking us out of here?” Jo asked, interrupting our quiet. I glanced up at her and stretched. “If I don’t cram ice cream, chocolate and vegemite down my throat soon, I’m liable to do someone some serious harm.”
I grimaced. “Not together, as in at the same time, right?” There was nothing of the picture she had painted, that was mildly appetising.
“Maybe,” she said around a smile. “I’m getting pretty desperate. Plus, if you don’t make it happen, I’ll be sure you eat the same.”
That drove me into action as I headed to find out how to organise her discharge. Jo’s laughter followed me out of her room, making me smile in contentment. What we had was far from perfect, but our love, our connection was exactly that. And there was nothing I wouldn’t do to ensure it remained that way. She was, without a doubt, my perfect love.
Epilogue
Mace
I arrived as soon as I received Liam’s frantic call. He’d been on the verge of a meltdown, which I’d tried to smooth over and reassure, before I hopped on my bike and broke the speeding laws to get there on time.
Once I arrived, I was pacing. I’d been greeted by Ella with a hug and a handshake from Preston, while Jo’s mum had grinned and sobbed in my arms. Women. They cried at the slightest thing, something I never quite understood.
After another pace of the waiting room, the doors burst open. It was Liam, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Any wider and I was sure his face would split or some shit. “It’s a girl!” he shouted. Jo’s mum footie-tackled him almost to the ground, making me laugh, and a huge eruption of cheers, hugs and cries were passed around.
Liam was then before me, and I watched as he gulped back emotion. Shit, I could not handle my brother’s emotion. “Mace,” he managed to get out before his eyes filled with tears.
Fuck.
I grabbed him close and took him in my arms. Pansy dick he was, crying over his new baby. He sobbed against my shoulder before I felt him fight for control. I knew above all else exactly where this emotion came from. We had nothing but each other as kids. No parents who gave us love; hell, they barely remembered to feed us. His reaction was that of a promise not to screw up, to be better, the best parent he could be.
Fuck.
My own emotion bubbled to the surface. I had to get out of there. Loosening my grip on Liam, he stepped back and shook off his tears. A look of understanding passed between us. He grinned, knowing no doubt I was about to get the hell out of there and away from all the stupid-arse emotion.
“I don’t think so, brother.” He shook his head and grabbed hold of my forearm. “You have a niece to meet.”
I closed my eyes and nodded before following Liam into Jo’s room. He passed me a bottle of gel and I looked at him in question. “Rub some of that on your hands so you can say a proper hello.”
I froze and looked between the gel and a smiling Jo. She looked exhausted. I then glanced down to her arms and the stirring baby. “Hell, no. I’m not holding her. She’ll break.”
Jo grinned even wider. “Stop being ridiculous. Get your arse over here. If not, I’ll describe to you in detail what it was like pushing her out of my vagina.”
“Shit.” I knew she meant business. I squirted some of the anti-bacteria gel into my hands and rubbed them together before making my way to Jo, Liam at my side grinning like a fool.
“Here.” Jo raised her arms while I looked on in horror.
Liam stepped up and carefully lifted his daughter. He made the whole thing effortless. I expected at least to find a level of fear at picking up something so fragile. Turning toward me, a beaming smile on his face, he held her out. “Move your arms like this,” Liam instructed.
I did as he said before he placed her carefully in my arms.
Holy shit.
She was beautiful. All babies looked the same to me, usually pink and wrinkly, but she was bloody perfect.
Jo’s voice left me short of breath. “We want you to meet Abigail. Abigail, meet your Uncle Mace.”
I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes.
Abi.
Opening them back up, I tentatively stroked her cheek and whispered out her name. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for the baby girl in my arms. I’d make sure to protect her and be there for her as any uncle should be.
My last couple of months had been knee-deep in uncovering the crap surrounding McKenny. Having Abigail in my arms just made that task even more significant.
I’d seen my fair share of shit in this world, and losing my fiancée Abi was just some of it. My mission to stamp out some of the cruelty in this world became more urgent and real, starting with the likes of McKenny.
I kissed Abigail’s head and surprised myself by inhaling her sweet baby scent.
Liam’s deep laugh brought my eyes to his. He smiled in understanding, tears once more in his eyes. “She smells good, right?” He laughed again.
Jo’s laughter made me flick my gaze to her. “She does smell divine. You do know she hasn’t been washed though, right?” She snorted. “That’s the combined smell of gorgeous baby and my uterus you two are sniffing.”
Snapping my eyes to Liam, he closed his and shook his head. “Babe, you had to go and spoil it, didn’t you?” He turned to Jo and kissed her on the mouth. “Seriously, woman, sometimes it would be best if you kept some thoughts to yourself.”
“You got that right,” I added. Still, Abigail did smell all baby-like, which wasn’t a bad smell.
“Okay, our turn.” Jo’s parents stood in the doorway, eager to meet their granddaughter.
Liam took his daughter out of my arms, his eyes filling with love for her and a mix of concern for me. “Are you good? Is it okay?”
I nodded, a genuine smile lifting my lips, understanding what he wasn’t saying aloud. “It’s good, Liam. I think the name is perfect for her.” And I meant it. If my niece grew up anything like the woman whose name she honoured, she would be a strong, amazing woman. I would try my hardest to make sure that happened.
Saying goodbye to my family, I took one final glance and smiled. It was a good day. It was also a perfect day to go and rattle a few cages, too. I grinned as I stepped out of the hospital. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was sure to have a damn good time stirring some trouble.
The End
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