Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
He looked so good like that, like he was watching over me, with his thick arms and piercing blue eyes seeing everything.
I couldn’t help how my eyes trailed down his body, and I knew he knew exactly what I was doing. I remembered what he looked like without all the clothes.
From the tattoos over his chest that I hadn’t gotten a chance to fully explore yet, to his toned abs, to his massive dick and the way the metal of his piercings felt inside me.
The heart rate monitor next to me started beeping faster, and he gave me a knowing smirk and a wink, making my heart literally skip a beat.
“Hey.” The nurse snapped her fingers in front of my face, pulling my attention back to her. “You need to behave, too, or I will kick him out.”
I looked down, the tops of my cheeks heating in a blush, but I couldn’t help it.
The nurse checked my bandages, as well as the IV in my arm and the various liquids hooked up to it. Then she ran through my vitals and listened to my breathing.
“You are very lucky. Your man over there saved your life. You lost a lot of blood, and they almost lost you on the table.” The nurse was talking, and I was catching maybe every fourth or fifth word. “The bullets didn’t hit anything vital, but man, did they do a number on you.”
My head was spinning again, and I reached up to press my fingers against my temple.
“Dizzy?” the nurse asked.
I tried to speak again, but my throat was raw.
“That is probably from the pain meds. Here.” She handed me a little white stick with a red button on top. “This is for your morphine pump. Press it when you need it. It will make you dizzy. You have anti-nausea meds already in your IV, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Try not to press it too often. It won’t let you OD, but the more you take, the worse the withdrawals. It’s probably best for the next twenty-four hours to sleep as much as you can. Your body has been through a lot. You need to heal.”
I nodded again, understanding what she meant.
The pain was there, but I wanted to be a little clearer to talk to Reid and find out what happened before I let the morphine lull me back to sleep.
“He said you can’t talk? Is your throat sore or dry?”
“Dry,” I mouthed.
“Yeah, that is to be expected. The IV keeps the rest of you hydrated, but that cotton mouth can be intense. The doctor has cleared you for clear liquids, so I have some ice water. You can also eat ice chips, and if you want later, we will get you some bone broth. Here you go, sweetie.” This time, she grabbed a large white Styrofoam cup on the rolling bedside table, took the paper cover off the top of the straw, and held it to my lips.
The water was the best thing I had ever tasted.
Cold, crisp, and refreshing. The nurse let me take a few small sips before taking it away.
“Better?”
“Yes, thank you,” I said.
My throat was still sore, and my voice sounded grainy to my own ears, but I could speak.
“Good, only small sips. I’ll leave you and your man alone for now, but no funny business. The doctors will be in soon. And if I have to come running in here because he is doing something he shouldn’t, I will ban him from this room.”
“Good luck with that,” Reid muttered under his breath.
“Thank you,” I said before she and Reid could get into another argument or stare down.
I had no doubt that she would get him out of this room, and I knew he would find a way back in, but I was tired and didn’t want to wait for him to break back in. I just wanted him with me now.
Reid didn’t move until the nurse was gone, and then he closed the door behind her before returning to his seat at my side.
“Does it hurt, princess?”
“Yes.” There was no way I could lie to him.
“Do you need to hit the button?” He looked around for it, and I lifted my hand to show him I had it.
“Not yet. Can you tell me what happened?”
“The asshole you are never going to marry used you as a human shield.” His eyes darkened as he spoke. There was real hatred there.
“He organized the whole thing.”
The anger in Reid’s face grew. A dark red crawled up his neck while his jaw clenched so hard I was worried about his teeth breaking. “What?”
“Romney was complaining that they weren’t following the script, and they said something about his wire transfer not clearing. And I thought we were safe because they were just actors, but then they shot Hunt— oh my God, is Hunter okay? What am I saying? Of course, he isn’t okay. I saw him… Reid, I am so sorry.”