“And who the hell authorized all this?” Ryker demanded.
“I did,” Swanny said calmly, bracing himself for the fallout that would likely ensue.
Eddie and Raid gave him puzzled looks before Eddie finally found his voice again.
“Why was I not consulted? I’m her family. I should have at least been kept in the loop, and I damn sure should have been the person to grant permission for any treatment or surgery. What the hell do you even know about this surgeon? Did you research him?”
Swanny held up a hand, his harsh expression stopping the tirade in its tracks.
“I love your daughter, Mr. Sinclair.”
He included Eden’s brothers in his gaze as it swept over Eden’s family.
“And she loves me.”
At that, shock registered in her family’s eyes. Eddie’s lips parted as though he were about to say something, but Swanny ruthlessly continued on. He wanted to draw the line in the sand right here and now just in case Eddie got any ideas of taking over and leaving Swanny out. Like hell that was going to happen.
“I made the decisions. I told the staff I was her husband. I may not be right now, but I certainly plan to be if Eden will have me.”
He fingered his scar, purposely drawing attention to it, something he would have never done in the past.
“You see this? Is this what you really want for your daughter? Your sister? There is no way in hell I’ll ever put her through having her face permanently carved up and scarred. Her career is important to her, and I’d never do anything to take her choices away. It’ll be up to her what she wants to do afterward but by God, she’ll have choices.”
There was grudging acceptance in Eddie’s and his sons’ eyes.
“How long has she been in, and do you know when she’ll be out?” Ryker interjected.
Swanny sighed, frustrated because it had already been hours. And there was still yet another issue he had to address.
“They came out half an hour ago and said she was still in surgery but doing well. The surgeon is taking his time and being extremely careful to ensure there will be no permanent scarring. After she’s taken to recovery, someone can go back to see her. And just so you know, that person’s going to be me.”
He stared down Eden’s family unflinchingly, as if he dared them to argue.
“When she’s moved to a room you’ll all be able to see her,” he said.
Eddie looked like he wanted to argue. There was obvious conflict in his eyes as he weighed the matter and decided whether he wanted to protest.
Then he looked up at Swanny. “You love my daughter? And she loves you?”
“Yes, sir,” Swanny said without hesitation.
Eddie’s shoulders sagged a bit as if all the air escaped him at once.
“All right. I won’t object to you going into recovery. But I’ll want to see her as soon as possible.”
“There’s another thing you should know,” Swanny said as Eddie took a seat in one of the chairs. “Eden knows everything. I told her the night her vehicle was attacked. I needed her to understand the magnitude of the danger to her, and she deserved to know what the hell was going on when her car was blown up, killing the driver.”
Eddie buried his face in his hands, emotion overcoming him. His voice was thick with tears.
“God, this is my fault. All of it. I swore nothing would ever touch my children. And now Eden is paying for my past sins. I don’t know how she’ll be able to ever look at me now.”
Swanny softened at the older man’s obvious grief.
“Sir, there is one thing I’ve learned about your daughter in a very short time. She has the biggest, most tender, forgiving heart in the world. Yes, she was upset and shocked at the time. But I have no doubt she will not be angry with you, nor will she refuse to see you. She loves you, her entire family, too much. And that’s not who Eden is. She isn’t one to hate. To harbor resentment.”
“You do indeed know my daughter well,” Eddie said quietly.
Swanny jerked around, forgetting all about Eden’s family and the other occupants of the room when his name was called by a nurse who’d just entered the waiting room. He rushed toward her, hoping for news about Eden.
He was greeted by a broad smile.
“Miss Sinclair is out of surgery and in recovery. She’s awake but still a bit groggy and confused. You can come back to see her now. She’ll remain in recovery for forty-five more minutes before we transfer her to the floor. We just want to make sure her pain is under control and she suffers no nausea from the anesthesia.”
“But she’s okay?” Swanny asked, holding his breath until he was light-headed.
The nurse smiled again. “Yes, she’s just fine. Come now. I’ll take you back to see her.”
Without a backward glance at the others, Swanny hurried after the nurse, eager to see Eden for himself. To reassure himself she was okay and awake. Because then he had to address the subject of whether she could ever forgive him for allowing this to happen to her.
The nurse showed him into recovery and motioned toward Eden, who was being monitored by a nurse at her bedside.
Swanny slowly approached the bed, his stomach clenched as he took in all the bandages covering her face.
“Is she awake?” Swanny whispered to the nurse at her bedside.
The nurse smiled and nodded and then gestured for him to take the seat on the other side of her bed.
“Eden? Eden, honey, can you hear me?” Swanny asked in a low voice.
Slowly, Eden turned in his direction, her eyes instantly going warm as she registered his presence.
“I knew you’d come,” she whispered hoarsely. “It was the only thing that kept me sane. I knew you’d come. I was so scared I’d never see you again.”
Tears clogged Swanny’s eyes, and the nurse attending Eden’s vitals discreetly stepped away.
“How can you even look at me, knowing that I failed you,” he choked out. “It’s my fault you were taken. I never should have left you alone. I don’t know that I can ever live with myself.”
Weakly she lifted a hand to his cheek and gently caressed his face with cold fingertips.
“Not your fault. I was too trusting. I should have known but it was too late by the time it dawned on me she shouldn’t be there. You taught me better and I didn’t listen.”
Swanny reached up for her hand, pressing her palm to his lips as tears slid soundlessly down his cheeks.
“I brought you here and insisted on the best plastic surgeon Paris had to offer. I couldn’t allow you to live with constant reminders of what happened to you. I know how important your career is to you. So I made the decision to have the cuts to your face repaired. The surgeon said that in a few months, and with additional procedures, you’ll look good as new again.”