After the doctors were done with Sin I reentered the room. It was just the two of us again. Connor wanted to check in with the doctors on Sin’s recovery while everyone had gone home to give us time alone.

I had spent so many hours, hoping and praying in the room, it was a reminder of how close I had come to losing him. It was something I couldn’t think about with out tearing up.

“You’re frowning,” Sin murmured as he studied me.

The sight of him awake and alert was still enough to make me emotional. I had to wonder if it was the pregnancy hormones that were making me feel so much.

Despite being recovering from gunshot wound in a hospital he had never looked more handsome. I wanted to hold him and never let go.

“It’s been a stressful few days,” I replied moving to sit beside him and take his hand in mine.

His thumb brushed over the top of my hand.

“It’s over now.”

It was. But there still felt like stuff we needed to talk about, I just didn’t know how to start the conversation.

I had spent so much time thinking about Mack and his sister. That I wasn’t even sure if I was ready to broach the subject now.

“I’m sorry Tay,” he whispered, as I frowned slightly in the silence.

“What are you sorry for?” I asked, confused.

“It’s my fault. Everything that happened is because of me. If I hadn’t tried to help Sienna none of this would have happened. I put you and the baby in danger.” He made it sound like he had put a gun to our heads. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.”

I shook my head. “This wasn’t your fault. This was all Mack.”

“But it was Taylor.” He sighed. “I kept seeing the boy I grew up with. The one who was just trying to keep his sister safe. I didn’t see who he had become.” There was a sadness in his eyes that took my breath away.

I couldn’t reconcile the person he spoke of and the monster I had encountered. The one who had put a gun to my face and threatened to take my life and that of my unborn child. There had been no innocence, no conscience.

“I didn’t see who he became until it was too late.”

I held his hand a little tighter. “I know.”

“Sienna was scared of him.”

I nodded. “You did the right thing Sin. The thing any decent guy would have done.”

“But look what it cost us.” His eyes glistened and I had to swallow my tears as my throat burned.

“The thing is going through all of this. It’s made me realize what’s important and what isn’t.”

He listened quietly and nodded. “I love you Taylor,” he said.

I took a deep steady emotional breath. “I know. Words are easy but what you did…” I had to take a moment to try and compose myself. “You put my life before your own.”

“I would have done anything to keep you safe.” His stare was intense and emotional. “Anything.”

“I know.” Biting back the tears. The memory of him standing in front of me when Mack was intent on taking my life was still fresh in my mind. I could still feel the tension in the air and the look in Mack’s eyes.

“I tried everything to stop it from escalating but it wasn’t enough.”

“I don’t think anything would have stopped him.”

“I knew it wouldn’t that’s why I had already started to put a file together. I put everything I knew about his organization. Anything incriminating the cops could use to nail him and sent it to my lawyers for them to release to the authorities if something happened to me or if I instructed them. It was the only way I thought I could keep him away from you.”

“So that’s what he was talking about,” I murmured the thought out loud thoughtfully.

“What did he say?”

“He said something about losing everything if he touched a hair on my head.”

“I threatened him but it didn’t stop him. I should have seen it but I didn’t.”

“He told me he had already lost everything that meant anything to him.”

I swallowed. It was difficult to talk about. It brought all the fear right back like I was standing in front of Mack again with the barrel of the gun pointed at me.

“I think he was too unhinged and out of control. When Sienna walked out, it spun him out of control. He was a time bomb waiting to go off.” I sighed. “It was only a matter of time.”

It was difficult to go back and unpack what happened.

“I was too afraid of how he would react if I didn’t attend the wedding. It’s the only reason I went to his house. Everyone had warned me and I walked straight into the lion’s den without any idea of what he had planned. When I realized I was alone with him it was too late.”

His free hand fisted. “When I think of what he had planned to do, it makes me so angry Tay.”

He inhaled deeply before releasing it. “There was no way to warn you about what I was planning. I thought I had done it perfectly until I found out from Slater where you were. My world stopped. I had no idea he had invited you. If I had known I would have done things very differently.” He paused. “Sienna insisted on coming with me. She believed she was the only who would be able to reach him.”

“No one could,” I said, knowing Mack had been too far gone for any reasoning.

“We were both naive to believe he could be saved.”

“You did everything you could. You gave him every chance. You can’t blame yourself for the choices he made. Sienna can’t either.”

“I don’t know how she is going to deal with ending her brother’s life.” He shook his head.

“Her choice was to save us, not kill him. Maybe that will give her some sort of comfort.” I shrugged. “We owe her our lives.”

“I never thought for a second he would ever harm her but I was wrong.” He rubbed his forehead slightly thoughtfully. “Maybe he was always like this and we never saw it.”

I nodded.

“I truly believed he was going to kill us all. One by one,” Sin added.

I nodded. “He was. There was no doubt in my mind.”

“I had to do something. I couldn’t just stand there and let him.”

He had been brave. When most would have cowered he had stood tall.

“I know.” I nodded.

The silence was emotional.

“I didn’t even see him get the other gun.” He shook his head almost as if to dislodge the memory of what happened next. “I should never have taken my eyes off him.”

I squeezed his hand in mine. “Everything worked out in the end Sin.”

He nodded. “It scares me how close it was.”

I felt the same.

“After everything we have been though, we know what matters most.”

“You and the baby. That’s what matters the most.”

“I have to take it easy.”

He stiffened, holding my hand a little tighter. “What’s wrong?”

I debated keeping quiet about what happened but the thought of someone slipping up and mentioning was too risky for me to keep it from him.

“I had a little scare with the baby.” I shrugged.

“What happened?” His eyes narrowed on me.

“Don’t worry. The baby is fine. I’m fine.”

“What happened Tay?” he persisted, as if he sensed I wasn’t being entirely honest.

“I’ve under a tremendous amount of stress. There was some bleeding but the doctor checked me out thoroughly. Everything is fine. I just need to rest.”

He sat up so swiftly, he gasped when the pain in his abdomen reminded him of his injury.

“Sin.”

He clenched his teeth as he fought a wave of pain. “I would never have forgiven myself if you had lost the baby.”

“The baby is fine. My morning sickness back with a vengeance. The doctor has assured me as log as I keep my stress to a minimum and rest we will have a normal pregnancy.”

“He nearly took everything from me.” He shook his head as he was still trying to process all the details.

“Mack is dead. He can’t take anymore from us,” I murmured, determined to move on no matter what it took.