Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
I gag as soon as he removes it. I swipe the back of my hand across my face and try to keep him talking. My throat is dry and scratchy. My vision isn’t quite right but I want to buy Brody every second that I can. “Someone is bound to miss me.”
He waves it away as if it’s not that big of a deal. “Shame you had to call into work sick today. You even texted Tessa on your new phone and let her know that you were going back to North Carolina.”
As he talks, I get distracted by the slight shadow next to the back door. My eyes track the motion and Mr. Davis pushes to his feet. He grabs the gun from his suitcoat and the next thing I know there’s an explosion of sounds. Pop, pop, pop.
The noises are softer than I thought they’d be. Not the way they’re so loud in all of the action movies.
Instinctively, I duck down and do my best to stay low as I can. I close my eyes and silently will it to be over. The whole thing lasts maybe fifteen seconds, but it feels like fifteen years before the noises stop.
I don’t even realize it’s over until I’m being pulled up into a sitting position. “You didn’t get hit, did you? He fuckin’ opened fire. I’ll kill the fucker if you got hit.”
Colt and Ryker are here too. But I barely register their presence. They’re administering first aid to Mr. Davis. His blood is spilling across the floorboards and he’s making a terrible gasping noise that I don’t think I’ll ever forget as long as I live.
Brody’s arms go around me and there’s a sting of pain in my wrists before I realize he’s cutting me loose. The moment I’m free, I throw my arms around him and press kisses to his neck. I don’t care about the tears streaming down my cheeks or that he’ll know now that I love him.
“I’m alive,” I reassure Brody as wonder fills my heart. “You came for me.”
He pulls away from me long enough to cup my face in his hands. “I’ll always come for you, lamb. I’ll be your protector forever.”
Something warm and sticky seeps through my shirt. I look down and horror fills me. There’s blood everywhere.
“You’re bleeding,” Brody says. I’ve never heard this note of panic in his voice before. He’s trained for battle. He’s seen war and yet his fingers shake as he reaches for my shirt. “Where does it hurt?”
I peel the sticky material away from me and glance down at my creamy skin. There’s no pain and no wound. That’s when I realize the horrible truth. “Brody, it’s you. You’re the one bleeding.”
He looks down at his stomach then frowns. “I thought this would hurt more.” It’s the last thing he says before he slumps forward, nearly toppling me over.
“Colt, get your ass over here!” I yell.
“I never got to tell him I love him,” I whisper as the nurses move me onto a hospital bed.
The past hour has been a blur. I was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. I’m not even sure where we are. I’d be freaking out even more if Ryker weren’t here. But he’s been by my side since I was loaded into the ambulance. Even now when the nurses are trying to remove him from the room, Ryker looks to me for a command.
I shake my head. I need one familiar person with me.
Ryker crosses his arms over his chest. In his deep, gritty voice, he growls, “I stay with her, no matter what.”
He turns as they strip me out of my clothes. Maybe I should be embarrassed at being undressed by strangers. But after the last few days, this is the least of the indignities I’ve suffered because of Kyle and his father.
When I’m dressed, Ryker moves to stand beside the bed. He doesn’t move even when the doctor evaluates me. Apparently, I’m “in shock” and need to be monitored overnight.
I beg for information about Brody, but no one seems to know what’s happening. Colt went with him, and I can only hope he’s standing guard over him in the same way that Ryker is watching me. My heart squeezes in my chest.
The doctor tries to insist on anxiety meds, but I don’t want them. I can’t risk being numb or sleepy. Not if Brody might need me. When I know my man is well, then I’ll relax.
He tries to push them a third time, and Ryker growls at him. “She said no. I’ll let you know if she changes her mind.”
I send him a grateful smile as I ease back into the pillows. “You’d make a great guard dog. You’re like a Rottweiler.”
An almost smile crosses his face. “I’ll take that as a compliment. You want to see pictures of mine?”