23

Jager

I breathed in and out slowly as Will drove us to the hospital. My emotions were high, and I tried every tactic I’d learned in the army to control them. This ordeal wasn’t over. I needed to be strong for Bianca and not lose it in front of her.

Will called Christian and Jake and told them what had happened. Khan was sending police to Towers’ office and an ambulance, too. I would sort through that mess later. Now, I just needed to see her, feel her, andknow that she still breathed the same air as me.

Inhale. Exhale. One… two… three… four…

By the time Will pulled up to the emergency room entrance, my breathing was steady, and I felt every nerve in my body spring to life. The numbness was gone. I wanted to feel everything now.

“I’ll see you inside after I park.”

“Thanks for driving.”

I sprinted up the concrete pathway to the automatic glass doors. A man pushed awheelchair with a woman holding a baby, and I pivoted to move out of the way. My gaze was focused on finding Khan. I knew he had to be here.

I found him near the back of the room. “Khan!”

“Jager, hey.” He rushed toward me. “They took her in a little while ago. A doctor is seeing her now.”

“Can I go?”

He shook his head. “The nurse said we have to wait here.” He looked around the room. “There are some empty seats down there.”

“I can’t sit, Khan. I’ve got to see her.”

I walked over to the nurse’s station. “The police brought in a woman a little while ago. Her name is Bianca Rimoli.”

“Yes. She’s doing fine. The doctor has seen her, but we want to keep her for further observation.”

I closed my eyes when I heard that she was fine. “I’ve got to see her, please.”

“She needs her rest.”

“I won’t say a word, I promise. Just let me see her for a minute.”

I waited, hoping she would understand. She rolled her eyes. “Son, you’ve got five minutes, and don’t make me come in there.”

“Thank you. I promise.”

I hugged the woman and nearly kissed her, too.

“She’s in room 105,” she called out after me, chuckling. “Man’s lost his mind.”

I did. I lost my mind and my heart, too. It belonged to Bianca and started beating faster the closer the numbers got to 105. Running past the other rooms, I stopped abruptly when I found hers. My heart thumped in my chest and all the hard work I’d done in the car to keep my emotions in check went out that emergency room door when I saw her.

An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth and an IV jutted from the vein in her left arm. A consistent beep sounded from the monitor next to her bed. A blue and yellow light flashed but nothing seemed urgent. The room smelled stale, not pungent, but it made my stomach turn. That and the paleness of her skin next to the white bed sheets. She looked like a ghost and my breath caught at the thought that she was not asleep but…

No. The monitors worked quietly. She was not dead. She was alive and here with me. My eyes stung, and I sniffed once.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Pulling up a chair next to her bed, I covered her hand with mine and watched her sleep.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Her hand was warm and felt as soft as velvet. I looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes. Thank you .

So many times in my life, my world took an unexpected turn that I’d almost expected this scenario to turn out differently than it did. But it hadn’t.

Footsteps came up behind me, and then I heard Will’s voice. “The nurse said she’s going to be alright. They will give her oxygen for the rest of the night and will wait until she wakes up to make sure there aren’t any side effects from the drug she’d been given.”

I swallowed the fury that rose in my throat. “What about Tagert and Walsh?”

“Chaudhary has them both in custody. We are going through all the video surveillance and computer records now.”

That was usually my job. “I’ll work on it later tonight.”

“Go home and get some rest. You don’t want to be a mess when she wakes up.”

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet? Is Towers awake?”

“He’s in and out of consciousness.”

“She hasn’t moved.”

“She is resting. She’s been through a lot.”

I nodded, but wasn’t convinced.

“Go home. Get some rest.”

“No. I’m not leaving until she wakes.”

Will put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll keep you posted as soon as I have some news.”

“Thanks.”

I listened to his footsteps as they receded down the hallway. Then I closed my eyes and dropped my head onto the bed rail. “Sleep, Bianca. You need your rest. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

I caressed her hand with my thumb and listened to her breathing, the sounds of the room dulled my worries.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Bianca

It was hard to breathe. My lungs burned as I gasped for air. Darkness engulfed me like a thick veil over my eyes, and my body shivered from the cold.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it felt like days that I’d been laying here in the dark. My body ached and my throat was clogged, robbing me of breath.

Then my body relaxed, and the chills subsided. Warmth emanated from my hand, up my arm, and throughout my chest. I no longer felt alone.

Someone else was breathing beside me, and despite the heaviness of my lids, I struggled to open my eyes.

I’d expected to see darkness, but instead, a blinding light from above forced me to close them again. Ow, that hurt . My head throbbed, and my mouth was so dry it felt as though I’d eaten sand.

The breathing beside me grew louder, but I wasn’t afraid. It was comforting.

Other sounds vibrated in the air next to me—machines beeping and distant voices.

Despite the discomfort of the light, I tried opening my eyes again.

I squinted as my vision adjusted to my surroundings. At first the white walls, fluorescent lights, and pock-marked ceiling confused me, but then the multi-colored curtain and bed rail beside me clued me in that I was in a hospital room. I wiggled my toes and fingers. I could move my toes and right hand without a problem, but there was something heavy on my left hand prohibiting any movement. Turning toward it, I smiled at the headful of light brown hair covering my hand. His face was turned away from me, but I knew it was him instantly. His breath tickled my skin, and I closed my eyes again.

A surge of emotion grew inside my chest. Dawn was just breaking outside my window, and I knew he must have stayed with me all night. I couldn’t remember what happened exactly after Walsh pulled the car over at the pier. I remember yelling at him frantically, and then he stabbed me in the neck with something sharp—a needle, perhaps.

The next thing I remembered was being lifted into a small space. I saw Walsh’s face briefly before everything went dark again.

Until now.

I was safe—better than safe—I was loved and I knew it because he had stayed here with me. He didn’t leave me behind. It was the silliest thing to think of when I had no idea what was going on, but the only thing I cared about was that I was alive and Jager was here with me.

My heart raced as the tears pushed through. It was difficult to breathe with this mask over my face, so I tried to lift it, but my arm was too weak. The beeping beside me grew louder and Jager’s head snapped up.

“Nurse!” he shouted as he frantically stared at the machine. “Nurse!”

I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry, and this darn mask was too big.

Someone raced up to my bed and checked the machine. A woman sighed. “She’s fine. But she’s struggling.”

Jager’s face appeared in front of me. His eyes were red and swollen, and frown lines etched around his mouth. “Bumblebee?”

Despite the lights, I forced my eyes open and blinked rapidly.

“B,” Jager fell forward slightly, relief evident on his face.

I smiled, and I hoped he could see it through the mask. I tried to speak, but it only fogged up the plastic cup over my mouth.

Jager frowned, and then he reached for the mask.

“Sir, you can’t do that. The doctor hasn’t given us permission to remove—“

Jager didn’t stop. He lifted the mask off my face and over my head. I inhaled deeply, relieved to have it away from me.

He watched as I gulped in breath after breath and when I smiled he closed his eyes briefly before dropping his head and pressing his lips to mine.

“You’re okay,” he whispered between kisses. “You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” I croaked and smiled when he chuckled at my obviously ‘not okay’ voice. Placing both hands over my face, he stared at me, his eyes brimming with tears. He shook his head. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. I just couldn’t even imagine—“

“You don’t have to,” I whispered.

He sniffed and looked away for a second before shaking his head again. “You’ve got me so messed up, woman. I’ve never felt like this before, like my chest has been ripped open and somehow you still put a smile on my face. It’s torture that I would relive over and over again.”

“Jager,” My voice cracked. “I…” I closed my eyes when pain shot through my throat.

“Shhh, you don’t have to say anything. We have plenty of time for that. I just want you to get stronger and then I’m going to marry you.”

My eyes flew open, and I blinked rapidly again, only this time it had nothing to do with the light.

The machine next to me beeped like crazy and I knew it was because my heart just flew out of my chest. Jager Payne loved me. He not only loved me, but he also wanted to marry me, and stick by me for better or worse.

“I’m not asking now. I’m just telling you my intentions. When I ask, I’m going to do it properly. But I want you to know so that there is no question as to how I feel. I love you, Bianca, and nothing and no one will ever get between us.”

He caressed my face. The roughness of his thumb somehow felt soothing against my flushed skin. I swallowed and mustered all the energy in my body to say what I felt deep inside my heart.

“I love you, too, Jager. I always have.”