Page 111 of Wanted

“I love you.”

Frankie’s breath catches, and her fingers convulse against my face.

“I love you so damn much, and I thought I’d never get the chance to tell you. You’re my entire world, Frankie, and I thought I lost you.” I brush my thumb along her cheek. “I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t lose me. I’m yours, remember?”

A shudder runs through my body. “Say it again.”

“I’m yours, Jude. I love you too.”

I let time slip away and touch her mouth with mine.

“You’re okay?” I ask as I pull back.

“I’m fine, honey.”

When I open my eyes, I still. Patches of brown and maroon are splattered across her white shirt.

“You’re covered in blood,” I snarl.

“It isn’t mine.”

Aiden.

I pivot my stare at the top of the bed.

Aiden waves, his cheeky grin extra wide on his pale face. Dirt and blood stain his forehead beneath his blond hair. “Hello, there. Don’t let me interrupt. It isn’t like I’m the one lying in a hospital bed or anything.”

“I’m sorry.” My arms convulse around Frankie. “I spent the past hour thinking my future wife had just been shot.”

Frankie’s instant touch turns me back to her. “You thought I was shot?”

I rest my forehead against hers. “There was a problem with the connection. I could only make out a few words.”

“Fucking hell, Jude, you didn’t tell us you thought Frankie was shot,” Lee bites out and glowers from the doorway. He shoves off and walks into the room with Corjan at his back. Only when I turn do I notice Jack’s in the room too.

“How’d you two get here so fast?”

“Do you really think we’d let you just take off on your own like that? We knew you’d be too much of a stubborn ass, so when you left, Corjan ripped up the floor board, stuck his hand in the hole, and dragged the girl out of there.”

“Did you get bit?”

Corjan holds up his intact hands. “Not a scratch. But I’m pissed as fuck at you, you bastard.”

“Does anyone care about me?” Aiden calls from the bed, tucking his hands behind his head as if he’s relaxing in a seaside hammock on vacation.

“Yeah.” I swallow hard against the lump rising in my throat. “I care a hell of a lot. I don’t know what you did, but thank you, Aiden,” I tell him sincerely. “You didn’t only save her life. You saved mine as well.”

“It was nothing. Though I think I’m calling dibs on being your best man.”

“Done.” I meet Jack’s eyes and he nods. Once the shock of the moment passes, I relax back on my ass with Frankie still in my lap. “Who’s going to tell me what happened?”

“It was that fucking ex of hers,” Aiden starts, dropping the grin.

“Where did he find you?”

“He showed up at the Sanctuary,” Frankie supplies, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. “We were walking the dogs two at a time along the trail, when he stepped out of the woods with a gun.”

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