Read Shattered (Dividing Line #5) for Free Online

try to…” She sighed with frustration, unable to bring herself to say it. “That poor little boy saw his dad like that. I’m frightened of what its done to him.”
    “He’ll be okay, he’s got lots of loving supportive people around him. I want you to concentrate on yourself, let me worry about everything else. I’m going to find Sabine. Is that okay?”
    “Yes. I’ll feel better when my promise has been kept.”
    He kissed her fingers one by one. “I’ve arranged for you to be transferred to a private hospital as soon as your doctor says you’re strong enough to be moved. You’ll be away from Alex and the press and we can keep security much tighter, then you can recover in peace.”
    “Okay but I meant what I said before. I’m in.”
    “And I meant it when I said we’ll wait for you. So it’s important you get fighting fit as soon as possible so we can eradicate the bastard once and for all.”
    “As long as you don’t cut me out.”
    “You know me better than that.”
    Another memory returned, something Beth had told her and her face crumpled. “Thomas,” she whispered.
    “I know, Beth told us. If it wasn’t for Alex…”
    “He’d be alive now.”
    Ryan nodded and pressed the back of his hand to his eyes. Every time he thought of Thomas he recalled his tiny body in his arms, he’d looked like he was sleeping but he was dead, murdered in a botched abduction attempt. The grief inside Ryan was now manageable but it would never leave him.
    “How could one man have wrought such devastation on one family?” Ryan said quietly.
    “I wish I knew,” she said, a single tear sliding down her cheek and staining her pillow. “He killed Martina too.”
    “We know. She didn’t deserve that, she was a good woman.”
    “I’m glad Danny and Frank are dead, so they’ve not had to see Alex like this.”
    “And therein lies the paradox. If they were alive none of this would have happened.” He kissed her hand. “And we wouldn’t be together.”
    Her tired brain couldn’t think of a reply, so she chose not to say anything at all. Ryan took this as proof that his statement was correct and it made him sad. If Danny hadn’t died she’d still be with him.
    “You look tired, get some sleep,” he said, trying not to let his hurt show.
    He helped her settle back into bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and gave her a gentle kiss.
    “Wait,” she said, grabbing his hand when he turned to leave. “There’s something else you need to know. When Alex was trying to get me to admit we had an affair I realised something.”
    “And what was that?”
    “That in a way he was right. I might never have cheated on Danny physically but I did in my head over and over. When we set you up and you ended up back inside Danny wanted to have you killed in prison but I wouldn’t let him. I tried to tell myself it was because we needed you onside, that we couldn’t be fighting the Laws, even though we knew we could crush Jez on his own. Now I realise it’s because I was in love with you, even then. Its always been you Ryan, from the moment I saw you standing at the bottom of the church steps on my wedding day. I realised all this just before Alex cut my throat and I was so sad because I thought I’d never get to tell you, so it’s important to me that you know. So you see, even if Danny was still alive, me and you would still be together now.”
    Ryan was elated. He leaned so close to Rachel their lips almost touched. He released a long contented sigh and gently stroked her hair. “I’m glad you’ve said that because you haunted me from that very moment. All other women were nothing in comparison. You saved my life, in more ways than one. I will love you till the day I die and no one else.”
    “Even though I look hideous?”
    “You’re always beautiful to me, even now,” he said, kissing her damaged face.
    “I’m different inside, I feel it.”
    “You’ve been through a very traumatic experience, of