Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
He too, crumbles, across the hospital bed and Jack’s legs, and then the room is silent except for my panting breath, my racing heart, and Jack’s coughs.
I blink, shaking myself out of the daze and suddenly realizing what I’ve just done.
“Oh my God,” I whisper hoarsely.
“So much for do no harm, huh?”
I blink, my face ghostly white as I look up at Jack. But he smiles, his eyes hard as beckons me, and I sink into him as he circles his big arms around me. I shiver in his embrace, pulling close to him as I force myself to breathe through the adrenaline shakes.
“Hey, hey,” he says gently, stroking my back. “You did what you had to do, and I’d be dead if you hadn’t done it, Aria,” he growls quietly.
“Are they…”
I swallow, shivering and pulling away to squat down and take the first guy’s pulse.
“He’s alive,” I whisper hoarsely.
Jack reaches for the second one laying across his legs and nods as he takes a pulse. “Not him either. They’re gonna wish they were when they wake up though. Hang on.”
He grabs a piece of wire I haven’t noticed from the table next to his hospital, and with one deft motion, he’s unclipped the ring of the handcuffs that’s attached to the hospital bed railing. He’s still shirtless, his muscles rippling as he slips from the bed, shoves the handcuffs in the pocket of his scrubs and grabs the wrists of the two guys. I watch, dumfounded, as he drags them to the door, glances outside, and then pulls them out.
“Wait, what are you doing!” I hiss.
I rush out after him to see Jack pulling the two guys into an empty elevator. He loops the handcuffs through a handrail inside and clips both of their wrists before he reaches into their back pockets and pulls out their wallets. I frown as I see him take out their ID’s and drop them on the two guys’ laps.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Sending a message,” he growls. “But also doing some good.”
He jams the button for the garage, which also houses the main offices of the hospital security and the on-site police unit, and then steps out as the doors close.
“A message?”
Jack smiles grimly. “The message is for Victor Lombardo. It says, I could have killed these two, but I didn’t. Instead, I’m sending them down to hospital security, who’ll see those IDs, run their names, and spot the laundry list of shit they’re both wanted for.”
He grins and shrugs.
“Told you I’m gonna be a whole new me.”
I’m still shaking and panting a little from what’s just happened, and he can spot it. He growls as he scoops me into his arms, and I gasp, sinking into him. He’s so warm, and he feels like home. Not to mention, just the feel and smell of him bring back everything that happened between us earlier, which lights a fire inside of me and has the heat pooling between my thighs.
“I wish you hadn’t have done that,” he whispers darkly.
“What, and let them kill you?” I spit back.
“Well, now you’re involved.”
I pull away and look up into his eyes.
“I think I already was,” I whisper quietly.
He growls and leans down, and suddenly I’m moaning as he kisses me slow and deep, taking my breath away.
“So I’m in this now, like it or not,” I say defiantly, and he grins.
“Yes, you are, baby girl.”
“So,” I swallow. “When would you—when would we leave?”
His lips curl into a small smile, his eyes burning into mine.
“To Vietnam?”
I nod.
“Now.”
I blink. “Now? Right now?”
Jack nods, and I shiver.
“You’d have to leave everything here behind though—”
“I don’t have anything here,” I say quietly.
“Aria—”
“I’m sure,” I say fiercely, looking into his eyes. “I’m sure.”
He growls and pulls me close as he leans in to kiss me again.
“So am I,” he purrs as I melt into him again. I kiss him deeply, gasping at the intensity in his lips before I pull back, blushing.
“But I need ten minutes.”
He nods, glancing around the empty hall. “Getting out of here is going to get tricky. There’s no way these two came alone, there’ll be more of Victor’s guys downstairs probably. And when I was faking being asleep earlier, a detective stuck his head in here looking for me.”
“Detective Hall,” I mutter. “He found me too.”
Jack swears. “Him? Shit. He’s a goddamn bloodhound.” He swears again. “Getting out of here is not going to be easy. Not with all of those pricks looking for me.”
I look down, when suddenly, a smile spreads over my face, and I look back up into his frowning face.
“What?”
I grin. “I have an idea.”
Chapter Eight
Aria
It’s actually about half an hour later when I finally make my way back into the waiting area. I’ve done all I can, and the plans are in place now that can’t be undone. Courtney is taking over my rounds for the rest of my shift, with me being vague about some stomach cramps. I’ve gone into the system and reassigned my patients to other extremely competent doctors, using the administrative password the ER shift supervisor accidentally saved on my computer when his was down.