Page 44 of Back the Blue

“I hope not,” I say flatly.

He looks as though he wants to say more but given our patient could be connected to either Venom or Diamond, he stays silent. And I’m grateful for it. When we arrive at the hospital, we pass off our guy and prepare to head back to the station. Just as I’m about to reach out to Ashley, he beats me to it.

I’m going to be tied up with Venom for a bit, but you’ll be safe if there are any more calls. I love you.

While I have faith in the rest of his team, a small part of me dislikes the fact that it won’t be him with me anymore. Even so, there’s no need to worry about that, or let him know, either. So, I simply text him back that I love him, too, and settle in for the ride back to the station. Since we’re approaching the 12-hour mark of our shift, I head for the bunk room to rest. Surprisingly, I fall asleep. Some time later, a soft hand caresses my cheek as a very familiar voice speaks my name.

“Lorna. Wake up, sweetheart.”

I sigh deeply and open my eyes to the sight of my handsome man hovering over me. His expression is neutral, but I smile at him anyway. Just because he’s here.

“Hey,” I rasp. “What time is it?”

“Just past ten.”

“Damn,” I say through a yawn. “I’m surprised I slept that long.”

“You must’ve needed it,” he finally says with a smirk.

“I guess phenomenal sex can really wear a girl out.”

“No,” he says as he bends down for a brief kiss. “Beyond phenomenal. And it wasn’t just sex either, sweetheart.”

I bite my lip for a moment. But quickly release it when he swipes his tongue across it so I can open for his deep, probing kiss. When I start to grow restless, I tear my lips away from his on a moan. And probably effectively break the moment for him.

“What’s going on? What did Venom want?”

He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. After a long exhale, he explains.

“He struck a deal with us to help bring in Diamond.”

“That’s good, right?”

“As long as things work out, yes.”

I frown and sit up.

“But?” I ask.

“Venom thinks the best way to draw him out is if…”

He looks down and shakes his head. And I know why.

“Is if I’m there.”

“Yeah.”

That one pained syllable spoken in a broken whisper damn near breaks my heart. As tears spring to my eyes, I pull myself against him, delighting in how quickly he bands his arms around me as he buries his face in my neck. There is absolutely nothing sexual about this embrace. Right now, Ashley is holding me as if I’m the most important thing in his world. Like I’m his lifeline and he’s about to drown. Then I feel wetness on my skin.

“Ashley,” I breathe.

“I can’t lose you, Lorna,” he chokes out. “As well as I’ve done with my career so far, I knew in my heart that something was missing. And it was you. God help me, when I opened the back of that ambulance on Friday night, it felt like all the stars had aligned and everything was finally right in my world. But when you took that bullet, I knew then that my initial feelings were real. I swear…I think I fell for you in that moment. And I’m still falling, Lorna. I need us to come out on the other side of this.”

After a shuddering breath, I tell him something that he may not know. And something I was never willing to resort to until now. Until him.

“I can leave a scene, Ashely,” I explain. “If I’m at a scene that suddenly puts my life at risk, and I cannot properly do my job, I can leave a scene. I’ve never wanted to do it before, nor did I want to do it Friday night. But…I’d do it now. For us.”

I didn’t think he could hold me any tighter, but I lose my ability to breathe for a moment when he gives me another hard squeeze. When he finally pulls back, I draw in a long breath as he cups my face in his hands.

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