SWNOVELS Chapter 95
Grayson POV
My heart aches for her. For the pain she's suffered, for the emotional trauma she's endured. As I walk down the stairs and we leave that room behind, she struggles in my grasp and then stills as though she's grown tired, even as she keeps her eyes wide open, too fearful to close them. Her body is light as a feather in my arms and even though I've covered her in my jacket, the bruises and blood on her body stand out in the light of day while I try to keep my own tears at bay.
This was all my fault. Everything that had happened to her had been because of me. Knox and lan are tight-lipped, their only concern for their sister as they walk silently behind me, their men beginning the hard task of cleaning up the mess. I don't know how they are going to explain all this to the media and I don't frankly care. With the amount of money and power they have at their disposal, it's unlikely to go to court and whatever excuse they come up with will be accepted. Knox and lan catch up with me as we get to the chopper. Ian climbs in first and holds out his arms while I pass him a silent Flair who sits beside him. Knox shoots me a look and then sits opposite his sister, leaving me the space next to her on the opposite side. I stroke her hair as she leans against me.
"She's in shock" lan speaks softly and Knox nods in agreement "She's been through too much. We need to take her home, where she can be monitored by our own doctors."
"I'm not leaving her" I spoke, glancing at them both "So don't even think of asking me to" I warned them.
Knox raised a brow "Calm down, nobody is asking that. She will be monitored carefully at the family mansion where she can rest and recover. Father will want to see she's safe" he pointed out, leaning back against the seat as the chopper began to turn on "and Flair well" he hesitated "there's no telling how this has affected her emotionally."
I glanced at Flair who had put her head on my chest, staring out the window. She wasn't making a sound. I wasn't sure she was even hearing what we were saying or if she was even aware of what was happening around her. She was shivering as though she was cold. lan reached beneath the seat and produced a blanket. "Here put this over her," he said quietly, looking at his sister with concern "She's cold" he added.
I put the blanket over her, covering her. I touched her face and she didn't even wince. Her poor eye was blackened and her lip was split. My hand trembled as I touched her, wanting to make sure she was real and that this wasn't a figment of my imagination. My wife was back in my arms but now she was a shell of the woman she was. My heart was feeling like it was being torn into pieces. I had failed to protect her and this was the result. I had broken her by being lax in my security and believing that I was enough to protect her. I was a fool.
"Stop blaming yourself" It was Knox who spoke, "We failed to protect her as well."
"You're not her husband" I was blunt "This falls on me."
"It falls on us as her family" lan corrected with a growl "As it is, I'm not sure that her coming out at our party is going to be the best idea. I've already had it postponed for a month from now, to give Flair more time to..." he hesitantly looked at his shoulder "more time to recover. She can't possibly attend the party in less than a week now."
"Screw the party," Knox said dismissively "I'm glad you rescheduled. Flair is more important."
"She killed a man" my voice was barely above a whisper.
A quick glance at Flair showed she was still staring blankly out the window "She shot a man to death."
How was I supposed to feel about that? That my wife was capable of shooting a man to death? lan frowned at me "She shot a man who tried to rape her to death. I wouldn't have thought you would be so condemning about that Grayson." "I'm not condemning I'm just, I never thought she would be capable of such an action," I said lamely, not sure how to explain it.
"A lot of people aren't capable of things until they've experienced a situation far beyond their control that causes them to react differently," Knox said wisely "Do you think lan and I just decided to learn how to shoot a gun one day?" he pointed out.
Now that he put it that way, I guess he might be right. "How long do you think it might take her to recover?" I asked softly.
lan and Knox looked pained. "Who knows? There's the physical trauma" lan paused "which will take days maybe weeks to disappear, depending on if anything is broken but the emotional trauma" lan shrugged.
"That could take a lot longer Grayson and you're going to have to be patient" Knox warned, eyeing me carefully "It can manifest in lots of different ways. Nightmares, PTSD, anxiety, depression."
I nodded quietly. Flair's hand quietly went on my chest and she continued to look out the window as she shivered, although the shivering was a lot less now.
Flair made a small noise and shifted on the chair. lan quietly stroked her shoulder. "Flair you should try to sleep," he said "You need your rest."
To my surprise, she shook her head. Her hand clutched my shirt, her fingers digging into it. My arm wrapped around her, holding her. I moved her so that she was sitting on my lap and it seemed to calm her as I wrapped the blanket around both of us. It was like having a child sitting on my lap, her eyes softening as she continued to stare out the window.
When we reached the family mansion and the chopper landed, Flair would not let anybody hold her but me. Knox and lan did not look surprised as they stood back, assisting only long enough for me to climb out and take her back as her father came rushing out, his face grief-stricken. "I know you said you had got her back but I had to come to see for myself," he said, waving at us to follow him, his gaze anxious as he looked over his shoulder, a pained look in his eyes.
"It was no trouble," lan said calmly "Our men are cleaning up the mess."
Mr Grant merely nodded, continuing to look at his daughter as we headed up the driveway. Flair was yet to say another word. His eyes narrowed as he took in the lack of clothing she was wearing. He turned to Knox who was beside him. "Was she raped?" his voice was quiet but I heard it nonetheless as I carried my wife.
"Bastard tried, didn't get a chance to."
Mr Grant looked satisfied but upset as he opened the front door and motioned us all inside. He had medical staff inside the house. Immediately I was instructed to put Flair on a stretcher, while a nurse began to take her vitals. Flair lay there silently, but her eyes continually darted to me so I moved, holding her hand and ignoring the medical staff who looked annoyed by my presence being in the way.
"Grayson," Mr. Grant said, causing me to glance at him "I know that our families don't always get along with the exception of your grandfather," he said with a chuckle "but I don't think Flair could have found a more devoted husband than you. Knox told me how worried you were for her," he said, gazing at his daughter lovingly "and even lan is on your side. As far as I'm concerned, we have no rivalry with your family, not any longer," he told me, and my eyes widened in surprise.
"Sir, lan and I have always been friends," I said quietly "and while I was aware there was a rivalry, now seems as good as time as any to lay it to rest. My grandfather appears to be quite friendly with you" I added as he grinned "and the only one who still insists on this rivalry for some unspeakable reason is my sister, of whom I don't claim a relationship."
He held out his hand to me "Then let us shake as friends" he told me "and I shall refer to you as my son-in-law in private."
I shook his hand feeling overwhelmed. Ian and Knox grinned at each other. Flair's head turned slightly.
She was so pale. She could have been a ghost lying there. There was a defeated look on her face.
"My darling" Mr Grant murmured, coming closer to his daughter and stroking the side of her face, while doctors and nurses set up IVS and machines "What happened to you out there? I should have kept you safe" he murmured regretfully as Flair looked up at him directly for a moment, causing all of us to stiffen as her eyes went clear for a brief moment.
"Daddy" she whispered, and her father made a choking sound as he embraced "Daddy it's you," she said, as tears trailed down her cheeks.
"Yes Princess it's me," he said, fighting back his own tears "You're home now, you're home now and you're safe" he assured her.
But the misery on her face as she looked at him was heartbreaking. "Daddy" she whispered painfully as her brothers and I stood motionless "Daddy, I killed a man" She burst into a bout of noisy tears and her wailing was so devastated and grief stricken that all of us began to silently cry with her, knowing that what little innocence she had left, had been taken from her forever. It took a sedative to lull her to sleep and send her peacefully into the land of nod before the wails and the tears would stop.