Page 59 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
“Morning, Bro. What brings you here?” I look over to North, and he is sitting there smiling like the sun.
“It’s so good to see you, Brother. So good.”
We chat for another hour or so, and the sun is starting to come up.
“I need to get back in to see Sutton. You okay for a bit?” I ask.
“Erm, no. I’m not okay. I’m coming with you. I need to see for myself she’s okay!” He’s trying to get out of the bed, so I call for help, and, somehow, he convinces them to put him in a wheelchair, charming bastard that he is. The arguments spill out into the corridor outside Sutton and Kara’s room whilst I’m pleading with him to just let it go while they are asleep.
“Fine, I’ll just sit here and wait. That’s okay isn’t it, nurse?” he asks, flitting away like he’s not just been shot.
“Yes, as long as you’re quiet and you don’t deliberately wake those girls.”
I laugh inside. North just got roasted by the nurse! But this is no time for laughing. A buzzer just went off in Sutton’s room.
Chapter 46
Sutton
“Surprise!”Northyellsasthe wheelchair is spun round to face us.
“What? How? Oh my God, I can’t believe it. I thought you were dead!” Kara yells.
My hands are over my mouth. Kara has a look of shock and happiness all in one. Neither of us can get out of bed, so the porter pushes him between the beds.
North tells us what he remembers, but neither me nor Kara go any further. It will take time for both of us to get closure and to be able to talk about it openly.
North is taken back to his room, and the hospital agrees that they can be discharged tomorrow with the proviso that there is someone to look after them. Liz is in her element. Three nurses were hired on a temporary basis from the hospital, a doctor is going to be on call, and it’s decided that we will all stay with Liz. I’m not too sure I'm happy about this, but deep down, I do think it’s the right thing to do. But going back to the house will be hard.
“Your Mum’s already been in, West. I just wish you had spoken with me about it before agreeing.” I'm pissed off.
“Well, beautiful, I didn’t agree, but I didn’t disagree either. If you don’t want to go you don’t have to, but the physiotherapist said the pool would be good for your injuries, both you and Kara. Mum organised everything, but I don’t mind telling her no, Sutton. It’s whatever you want. Never again will you have to do anything you don’t want to do.Ever.”
He makes a point of it because he knows I need to know that he’s right behind me, supporting me and letting me make my own decisions. It’s my life, finally, and I deserve to live it how I want.
What if you’re not what he wants?
The thought niggles at me, but I brush it away. The chemistry alone between us will keep us together until we can build a proper relationship.
Chapter 47
West
“Okay,”shesays.Justa simple okay.
“So, is that a yes to staying at the house for a while?” I ask, and she nods.
Kara chirps up, “We’ve already agreed, but hearing you put her first was so beautiful I couldn’t stop you mid-sentence.”
The girls laugh together. As I’m about to leave I bend down and pretend to go to kiss Sutton on her head. I feel her whole body tense, so I bend down further and place a warm kiss on her lips. I flash a quick smirk and a raised eyebrow, and I’m out of the room, walking like the cat that got the cream.
After a few phone calls to Mum and the family, we are all set. I’ve arranged for one of the military therapists to come to support Sutton and Kara in a few days. I’ve made it clear. I don’t want to know what is discussed. If Sutton wants to tell me then fine, but it only comes from her. The police have been back and forth with questions and statements. Apparently, the other girls were all from different countries and didn’t speak English. Fuck, how scared must they have been? They’ve been put in protective custody until after the hearings and trials that will be coming. They will be safe. I’ve made sure of it. It’s my team that is doing the protecting.
Today’s discharge day. As we leave the hospital, a big SUV pulls up and we all get in. It’s a bit easier for Sutton as she doesn’t need her crutches anymore, but North? I should have filmed it and put it on TikTok. You know when you have no strength because you’re laughing too hard? The fuss and moaning from a big, six-foot bloke about getting in the car would have put a toddler to shame. Kara, in the meantime, fussed and cajoled him in.
“Hmm, what’s going on there, then?”a voice in my head starts. I just smile and catch Sutton’s eye, and she’s having the same thoughts.
I thought walking back into the house would be more difficult than it was, but the cleaning crew had been hard at work, and the house looked just as it did when I left. No bullet holes, no blood. Absolutely perfect. Though, I was told this morning that a body had been found on the upper floor with a gunshot wound. It was Ricardo “Rick” Feltz. I still haven’t figured out how he infiltrated our network, but I’ll work it out, find the loophole, and close it. It’s what I do. I fix things.
