Page 100 of Vengeful Guard

The doctor shakes his head. “I wish I could have an answer for you, but I don’t. For now, all I can tell you is that it will be an uphill battle that will be fought in increments of minutes, one hour at a time. The first seventy-two hours are crucial, so he’ll be watched twenty-four seven. After that, if he makes it, it will be up to him when he wants to wake up.”

“So, we just wait and see? There’s nothing more we can do? We can pay you, a lot. Please.”

The doctor holds up his hands in front of him, palms out. “I wish I could say money was a game-changer, but even if it was, this is my job and not about who pays more, I’m afraid. We’re doing the best we can, but it’s touch and go. It’s mostly up to him now."

“Can we see him?" Lara asks in a shaky voice.

“One of you can. He’s on his way to the ICU, and I can take one of you back with me to see him. He needs to rest and heal.”

“But he’ll be okay, right? If he fights?” Gray asks, and the doctor looks at him with a serious expression.

“Like I said, it’s up to him. We need to hope he wants this as bad as we do.”

Declan swallows hard. “I’ll go back.”

Paige hasn’t said a word, just standing there, nearly swaying on her feet.

I grab her around the waist, pulling her to sit down in one of the chairs, and she presses her face into my chest, a sob hitching out of her.

I kiss her temple, watching as Declan follows the doctor, and Lara and Bree sit together, holding each other. Gray just keeps pacing around the room in a loop, unable to slow down. It’ll probably hit him harder when he does.

Paige’s shaking as I hold her, and I rub her bare arms.

I lower my mouth closer to her ear. “Maybe we should go home.”

She stiffens in my arms. “I’m not leaving him. I’m not ever going to leave him.”

“I’m not telling you too.” I keep caressing her bare skin. “Look. Your brothers and sister will be here. He won’t be alone. But we need to get you home and cleaned up.”

“But what if he wakes up?”

My heart squeezes in my chest. “Sweetheart, you heard the doctor, right? You know he won’t be waking up tonight or even tomorrow, most likely. But we’ll ask Gray and Lara to call us immediately in anything changes. Okay? And we can come right back if you want. Just please, let’s get you home for a bit.”

Her body sags against mine. She doesn’t speak, just nods slowly, and she says her goodbyes to her family, promising to be back as soon as possible. Everyone seems to understand.

Gray grasps my shoulder as we’re walking out, and I turn to him.

“Watch her like a hawk.”

I nod. If there’s something Gray can be sure of is that.

I learned a hard lesson tonight. A lesson that brought to a very bright light a truth that I allowed myself to forget.

Getting attached to a woman is disaster waiting to happen. Your head is in all places except where it should be and look where that got us tonight.

No, I’m very invested in protecting Paige. But whatever else could’ve been brewing between us, whatever misguided fantasies I allowed myself to have for a split second, came crashing down. Crushing my reality.

So, I need to let go of her, of what I feel when I’m around her. I have a job to do, and I will not fail again.

Which means, it’ll be a long time before Paige gets out of my sight again, even if I can never touch her again.

On the drive home, Paige doesn’t speak, just leaning her head against the window and looking out, and when we arrive home, she just stands in the middle of the room like she doesn’t know what to do.

I approach her, touching her lightly on the shoulder. When she doesn’t react. I sigh.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you showered.” I scoop her up bridal-style into my arms, taking her up the stairs to the master bathroom.

After setting her down in the middle of the bathroom, I run the water hot but not too hot, not wanting to burn her soft, pale skin.

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