Finally she turned back to the others.
“What now?” she asked, including each of the men standing in front of her in her questioning gaze.
“Now that I have the full story, I can use the leverage against the ass**les in custody,” Sean said. “Chances are one or all will sing rather than go down for Castle. We’re going to need their testimony. A defense attorney would shred Rachel on the stand.”
Ethan’s grip tightened on her neck. “I don’t want her to have to go through that.”
Sean grimaced. “It’s inevitable she’ll have some part in his prosecution. It’ll be up to the D.A. as to how large a part. If he can put his case together without her testimony, you can be sure he’d prefer to go that route.”
“First you have to make the ass**les talk,” Garrett pointed out.
“You let me worry about that. In a couple of hours, it’ll probably be out of my hands anyway. I’ll have the feds and the state police crawling so far up my ass I’ll need an enema to remove them.”
A series of chuckles lightened the tense atmosphere.
Ethan leaned over to take the medicine from Garrett. Then he turned to Rachel, his expression guarded.
“You need to take the pills, baby. You’re hurting.”
She hesitated for a moment and then finally nodded. Seconds later, Garrett thrust a glass of water into her hand while Ethan slipped the pills between her lips.
She swallowed them down and then sagged against the couch. She wanted Ethan to hold her. She wanted to go back just two days, to when she hadn’t found those damn divorce papers and remembered that her marriage was over.
She watched the goings-on around her with idle curiosity until finally the medicine kicked in and things went a little fuzzy. Sean left, but the Kellys stayed behind. They seemed to take turns casting concerned looks in her direction.
This was home. This was her family.
She wanted to fight. She didn’t want to give them up.
“Sleep, baby,” Ethan murmured close to her ear. “I’ll watch over you.”
The quietly given promise was a balm to her tattered soul. There was conviction in his voice. There was love.
Was it enough? She searched his face for something she could hold on to. She’d always considered herself a person with a deep belief in good. Optimistic even. Right now she struggled to find some of that faith. Worry and fear overwhelmed her.
She had every confidence in the Kellys and Sean, the police department. They’d unravel the story and put the pieces of the puzzle together. She’d be safe in time. She could go on with her life.
But would it ever be the same? Would she face a future without the one man she’d always known she’d grow old with? How could she face overcoming so much only to return home and see her life disintegrate before her eyes?
CHAPTER 41
RACHEL awoke disoriented and unsure of where she was. For a moment, panic billowed up her spine, but she felt steady, reassuring warmth around her body, and she relaxed.
She blinked to adjust to the low light in the room. It was one of Marlene’s bedrooms. Ethan’s old bedroom. It was nearly dark outside—had she slept the entire day?
Her shoulder ached from the awkward position of the heavy cast, and she tried to turn but ran into a hard chest.
Ethan.
She sucked in her breath as she came face-to-face with the man who’d made such sweet love to her—was it only last night?
The stared at each other, neither attempting to speak. Finally the crooked position of her neck forced her to turn back. Damn the cast. Damn the fact she couldn’t move worth a damn.
She was spooned against Ethan and his arms hung over her waist, holding her close against his chest. Slowly, he moved his arm. The bed dipped, and to her disappointment he got up.
Again she tried to roll over, but she came up short when she saw he was simply going to the other side of the bed.
He climbed onto the mattress and lay back down. This time they faced each other, and she saw the horrible uncertainty in his eyes.
For some reason it comforted her. She could take uncertainty—God knew she was riddled with it. What she couldn’t take was seeing the loss of hope.
He finally broke the silence. “How are you feeling? Is your arm hurting? I have more pain medication for you.”
She glanced down at her arm. It did hurt, but she didn’t want to zone out on medication again. There was too much that needed to be addressed.
“Has Sean found out anything?”
She could start there, avoid the topic of her marriage for just a little while. The mere thought of going back there squeezed her chest so tight it was hard to breathe.
“Quite a bit,” Ethan said. “The FBI is arresting Senator Castle as we speak.”
Her mouth fell open, and her eyes went wide. “Just based on what I said?”
Ethan grimaced. “No, baby. You aren’t the most credible witness because of the holes in your memory. The men Sean had in custody rolled on him. They’re arresting him for conspiracy to commit murder. Your murder. The drug trafficking, the deal with the cartel, his hand in your disappearance . . . that will have to come later as they build a case against him.
“The three assassins all want to cut deals, so they’re spilling their guts. The important thing is Castle will be in jail.”
“So it’s over,” she murmured. “After a year, it’s finally over.”
He thumbed away a strand of hair that had fallen over her forehead.