Resent Reject Regret by Aqua Summers

Chapter 875 You Just Have to Trust Me

Deirdre would never know how much it pained Brendan to see her retreating into the corner like a puppy being bullied. It felt like his heart was being torn into two by

someone's bare hand.

The rage-and his helpless ignorance-at the kind of abuse suffered by the woman he loved was coursing through his veins and animating every single fiber in his body. How he wished he could be the one to suffer in her place!

The pain from his forceful kiss lingered on Deirdre's lips. Quivering, she said shakily, "B-Brendan, I..."

He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Why can't you just- stand up for yourself more, Deirdre? Why?" he murmured, pained.

Deirdre did not know how to react at all. She had never heard Brendan use such a

voice before-never heard him sound so desperate, so vulnerable, so pleading. "I'm... I'm fine..." It took her a long time to force her thoughts back down to comfort him. "Nothing happened. I'm okay. It wasn't so bad, you see? If it were, I would have

told the warden."

Brendan unbuttoned her collar and stared at the bruises coldly. "This is your definition

of 'okay'?"

Deirdre went quiet. She hastily buttoned her shirt again. "I mean, it's better now." Brendan fixed an unreadable look at her for a while before fastening her seatbelt and driving her to the nearest hospital.

Brendan only found out, during the subsequent medication examination, that all of her bruises had been targeted at areas where her uniform would cover. They were all over

her and were made by her aggressors kicking her with the tip of their shoes.

Even the nurse in charge of administering medicine exhaled forlornly." How blackhearted would you have to be to even do such a thing to a pregnant woman? God, the depravity!"

Brendan walked away from them to call Sam, ordering him to show up at the offending police station. He was sure those inmates had not done what they did unprompted-and even if they did, they would not have found the need or desire to

hide their actions.

This had to be the work of some outside forces. By the time he finished his call, the

nurse had finished her task, too. Deirdre put on her clothes, her cheeks a little burning.

Brendan grabbed hold of her shaking hand and did the last button on her collar. 'You can rest easy tonight, so please, take a good, well-deserved rest. I'll be right beside you."

Deirdre raised her head and frowned a little. "I still think you should send me back there." "Why?" "Because I have pretty much recovered by this point. Besides, I'm..... I'm a suspect. If other people learn that I've been sent to the hospital in the middle of my detainment, they will make a hill out of this mound. I don't want to give you another

world of trouble."

Brendan caressed her hair. Hearing her care for him just warmed his heart.

"Don't worry," he replied. "I'm not so powerless that my love can't even get a good

night's sleep. The police have incentives not to let news like that be leaked to the public, so you have nothing to worry about."

Deirdre had wanted to refute him further, but Brendan, rubbing her hair, interjected gently, "You just have to trust me."

He sounded so even-keeled yet undergirded by a quiet, firm strength.

Deirdre was suddenly reminded that this was Brendan Brighthall, the kingmaker-if not

the king himself-of Neve.

Ultimately, she fell asleep in a fetal position at the height of her exhaustion.

A while later, Declan pushed the door. "How is Miss McKinnon?"

Brendan signaled him to lower his voice. Shooting one last glance at the young woman slumbering peacefully, he left the room with his friend.

There, he finally answered, "She's covered in bruises, but it's clear enough that her aggressors were instructed to brutalize her as much as they could without harming the baby. She should be right as rain after some hospitalization."

He did not sound as though he was relieved. In fact, he sounded like a butcher ready to get to work.

Declan could tell his friend had no plans to let those aggressors go, so he cautioned. "Hold your horses. This happened under the police's watch, remember? At least wait until these inmates are released back to society. By that point... Meh, you can abduct them and bring them to the organization. Do whatever you like with them, I won't even give a damn.