Page 228 of Lawless Sinners

She turns her head toward his voice, blinking to focus on him before her forehead creases ever so slightly. “You’re hurt...”

The breath he releases almost becomes a laugh. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Where’s Sera?”

“I’m here.” I move closer. “Do ya need anything?”

Her gaze finds mine, blurred by anesthetic but awake enough to understand. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did.”

“There were flames everywhere.”

Saint’s eyes drift to mine but his expression gives nothing away.

“I was trapped,” she croaks. “Sera got me out.”

Saint presses her knuckles against his mouth and holds them there for a moment. “I won’t forget it, Sera.”

His gaze slides from me to Fionn and travels to the dressing visible at his side, then drops to our joined hands.

“You should go, Harrington,” he says.

My fingers close harder around Fionn’s. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“Sera,” Saint warns. “Ma’s body is lying at home, Rafe’s missing, and we’ve no idea if the Crowes took him. I’m not doing this shit with you.”

“You know that makes you a hypocrite, right?”

He places Keira’s hand carefully on the bed before rising.

Saint closes his hand around the metal rail. It rattles beneath his grip before he releases it and rounds the foot of the bed.

I hold my ground beside Fionn, our fingers still locked while Saint takes in the united front we present.

“Those men shooting at us were Harrington soldiers.”

Keira tries to push herself higher. “Saint.”

“Don’t move, princess,” he says over his shoulder.

“Lorcan brought them,” Fionn says. “After my father fed him a story about his mother.”

Saint steps around me. “Do you think that makes ya different from him?”

Fionn holds his ground. He’s pale beneath the bruising, his spine straight even though he’s in pain. Nothing in his face gives Saint the fight he wants.

“I know exactly how different I am from my father.”

“Do ya?” Saint’s voice lowers. “Because I love your sister. I would’ve died before I let anything bad happen to her, while you’ve been sneaking around with mine to prove some fucking point.”

“Your sister has never been a point I needed to prove.”

“Was she just another Tallon ya could fuck with?”

Fionn’s expression hardens. “No.”

“Then what the fuck is she to you?”