50. daegan

50

DAEGAN

I feel her lips brushing against mine. I know these lips. They've been engraved into my fucking broken soul since I first touched them. I know every curve and the way she moves when our fleshes collide. I know these lips so well. The way they press, move, and the shape. I know how her bottom lip is slightly fuller than the top. And her taste. It's too heavenly familiar, and I will always willingly get lost in her.

But I can't move. I can't kiss her back. I can't talk. I can't tell her to keep going.

Alessia, please keep kissing me.

Because I want to drown in the way she touches me willingly.

Blood rushes down. My heart beat thunders, and still. I'm paralyzed.

Am I dreaming?

Then, just as fast as this undeserved blessing came, it vanished.

Why the fuck can't I move?!

Frustrated and helpless, I get lost in the black shadows again. The darkness swallows me whole, but instead of having nightmares about the time I was tortured, my dying mother, Dario, blood, and gore. I dream of Alessia.

Her voluminous tits, her goddess body, an angel, a gift, my little valentine. I dream of her and me on my go-to spot on the rooftop. When we watched all the stars twinkle against the night sky, making wishes on C17s and military aircraft.

My muscles, my voice, and my mind come alive. The dream I was in slowly dissolved, and I'm groaning. I feel the soft and yet rough fabric of hospital blankets beneath me. Pagers are going off, nurses are chattering about other patients and familiar voices of the assholes I work with.

"Hey, Creature's alive!" Kane celebrates. He leans on the wall with one foot. His black boot pushes off it, and he sits on the chair beside me instead.

"Damn, Creature. Do you ever die?" Grim stands, his arms crossed, and walks up and down on one side of the room, circling my vitals monitor like he's making sure I don't code. "My paternity leave is over, and I'm already wanting to extend it. What in the fucking world am I catching up on? Who'd you piss off?" He asks, and I groan. I reposition myself and hiss in pain.

Fucking hell, this hurts.

"Your mother." I retort, and Grim stops pacing. He gives me a ‘Really?' expression and shakes his head.

"Are you going to thank me for saving your life?"

I turn to an amused, nonchalant Graves. My step-brother sits in the chair, not bothering to make eye contact with me, and I don't care to either. We're both like that.

"Thank you," I mutter through clenched teeth. "Fuck this pain." I groan and close my eyes, squeezing them tightly shut.

"You look like shit." Graves points out.

"Fuck you." I shoot back. I finally open my eyes after what feels like minutes, when it's only been seconds.

"No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I have a lady. A few, actually." Graves says politely, turning a page in his book casually. "But speaking of getting fucked, you're in hell, my dude. Your ex is here."

My stomach coils, and anger starts to brew in the pit of my stomach.

"I don't want to see Stella. How's Valentine?" I ask.

"La hija del patron?" Lopez scoffs out a laugh. A toothpick twirls in between his teeth, and he smugly smiles like he's proud of me. "Ballsy, amigo. Very ballsy. And this is why you're my favorite on the team. I even know my damn limits but Ravenmores daughter?" Lopez starts to whistle loudly, egging me on. I grab the pillow I'm lying on and throw it at him as he continues to cheer me on. He catches it just in time before it hits his face, and he chuckles.

"Step-daughter, fucker. Wipe that smile off your face, Texas, before I cut it off." I threaten. Lopez raises his hands, surrendering, and I close my eyes again.

"Hannibal! You're awake! Do you need anything? Are you in pain?" A nurse walks in, and I recognize her. Short, light brown eyes, long black hair. It's Grim's wife. She skips over to me, passing Grim as if they don't know each other, and she checks my monitor.

"I'm good, thank you. I would really like to get out of here, though." I concede as my entire body stiffens. A stabbing sensation vibrates where I was shot, and I wince.

"Awesome…well, you'll be in the hospital for the next few days. We have to ensure you're on the right track, and then we can send you home." She smiles, and Grim watches her like he's obsessed. It's the same way I look at my girl. "I'll come back in a little bit to administer more pain medication. I have to check on my other patients, but I'm so glad you're awake."

I nod, raise my hand, and thank her with a salute. She grins innocently, satisfied, and treads toward the door. Grim follows her, and just when she makes it outside the see-through sliding doors, he catches her by the hand and pulls her in for a kiss.

"I think I'm sick, Mrs. Rider. I need an examination, and I need it now, baby." He tells her in a low tone, but it's not low enough because the whole room hears him, and everyone knows he doesn't give a fuck where he "takes" Ari.

All of us turn away with bulging eyes, granting them space. I really don't care to see their public display of affection.

She blushes and pushes him off her chest.

"Damn it, Grim, don't you fucking dare do that again." Rooker scolds him in his fatherly, southern accent. He rolls his eyes, shakes his head, and turns his back on them.

Ari gives him one last goodbye kiss and walks away. Grim walks back into the room and pulls out his cigarettes. "I'm taking off now. I have to go back to my kiddos. They're with Ari's mom." He puts the cigarettes back into his pocket. Then he points a finger at me. "Make a full recovery, Creature. I need the best sniper in the entire military to be on my team. I'm confident we'll find Gabe and the other criminals that are after all of us." He orders me in an authoritative tone.

"Oh, they'll be found alright. I have no doubt about that." Graves whispers darkly with a mischievous smile. He's probably already gotten a hold of them, but I haven't been filled in. I haven't been filled on a lot of stuff, and I need to know where my little Valentine is at, and I need to know right the fuck now.

"And you are?" Grim asks him.

"Just another ghost on the wall. Don't worry about who I am." Graves tells him with a wicked grin.

Grim looks baffled and walks out, and Rooker follows him after we give each other a brotherly handshake. I swallow again, my throat dry and my body aching. Damn it, I hate being injured. I've got a death wish, no doubt about it. Two times already, I've escaped the Grim Reaper.

Kane gives me an unopened water to drink from. I take a huge gulp. "Is anyone going to tell me where Alessia is?"

"She left."

I grow hot with frustration when my ex answers me.

Lopez, Graves, and Kane look at each other, signaling that they're going to head out so I can handle this alone. Why is she here? I thought I changed my emergency contact to Graves when I was in Iraq. I know I did.

"I'm going to head out and get you some lunch instead of the hospital food." Graves closes his book, but he hands me a note instead of walking out. "Alessia made a full recovery. She just has a bruise and a cut on her head, but she's fine. She was discharged, and she's with Mrs. Ravenmore. She wanted you to have this. She said it was important to read it when you get discharged. Not now."

I take a folded small piece of paper and hold it tight. Meanwhile, my ex stares at me with bitter eyes.