Sleeping With the Enemy

Chapter Fifty

"Here we are." I usher Sadie into the apartment, tightly closing and locking the door behind us. Since the moment we got to the hospital, I've been on high alert, and even in the comfort and safety of our home, I don't feel like I can let my guard down. Not even for a second.

With Herrera still on the run, nobody is safe.

I've taken every precaution humanly possible, and turned our apartment building into an absolute fortress, but until that bastard is buried six feet under, I won't be satisfied. Getting Sadie out of that hell hole and to the hospital was my top priority that night, but letting Herrera slip through the cracks will eat at me. He'll get what was coming to him soon enough, and at least for now we have Dante. It's only a matter of time before I get my hands on Herrera, and I'll end this once and for all.

Sadie stands a few feet in front of me, almost frozen as she clutches onto the strap of her purse. Her wide eyes scan the room, taking in every detail of the place as if she's never been here before in her life.

"Everything okay?" I reach for her hand.

She flinches at first, but then squeezes back with a nod. "I'm fine. Just happy to be home."

Home. Jesus, I love hearing her call it that. When she walked out of here eight years ago, I never thought she'd be back, let alone standing in my penthouse calling it her home. And then when Herrera took her... I'd come so close to losing Sadie so many times in my life and I'll be damned if it ever happens again.

"Why don't you take a shower and I'll get something started for dinner? Grilled cheese and tomato soup sound good?" I offer, setting our bags down by the front door. There will be plenty of time to unpack, but right now all I'm concerned with is getting her settled.

"That sounds good. Thanks." The half hearted smile on her lips cuts straight to my heart. Physically, Sadie's okay. Her bruises will fade and her wounds will heal and soon, she'll be good as new.

Mentally, though, that's a different story completely. She's reeling, scarred and confused and trying to make sense of what happened to her. So many times, I could tell she wanted to put on a brave, happy face, but she just doesn't have it in her right now. This will change her forever, and I can see the fear of that in her eyes. She's scared of what she's feeling, and there isn't a single thing I can do about it besides be here while she works through it.

And make sure that Herrera pays with every last breath he takes.

It's killing me not to be out combing the streets for him right now, but if this whole experience taught me anything, it's that my priorities need to be shifted. Sadie has to come first, because if she isn't here, none of this bullshit matters. None of the clout or notoriety or the power means a damn thing without her, and I have to put her and this baby first. There will be time to deal with Herrera, but it isn't tonight.

I hear the shower turn on in our bathroom and start the sandwiches. Just as I'm pulling them off of the skillet, there's a knock at the door. The sound stops me dead in my tracks. No one should be up here. I gave explicit directions to my team downstairs that they were not to let anyone come up tonight under any circumstances, but when I look out the peephole, I realize why they did.