Page 73 of Ravaged Hearts

Only then did it register where I was. A hospital. And not the infirmary at the lodge in Montana.

Flashes of horrifying memories returned to me rapid-fire. Ortega. His torture chamber. Hope screaming. A big fucking knife.

The machine behind me beeped faster. My heart rate.

I took a steadying breath, willing myself to calm down.

Hope’s okay. She’s safe,I told myself.

I couldn’t wait a moment longer to stare into her honey-gold eyes, so I curled a wayward lock of silky dark hair behind her ear and groaned with sheer happiness when she stirred, snuggling in closer.

At the sound, Hope’s body froze and her eyes shot open. “You’re awake again?”

“Again?” I asked with a raspy voice that didn’t sound like my own.

“Here.” Hope sat up to offer me a cup of water, and I took a few small sips from the straw. “You’ve opened your eyes a couple of times today, but you were kind of groggy. The doctor said you might not remember.”

I tried to sit up—bad idea. It felt like…well, like some asshole had stabbed me in the goddamned chest.

“Whoa.” Hope placed her hand on my uninjured shoulder. “Easy. You’re not going anywhere just yet.”

No objections here. I gritted my teeth as the agony in my sternum ebbed.

“Owen?” I asked, remembering that the last time I’d seen my brother, we’d been on our knees, waiting to be executed. The heart-rate machine ramped up again. Fuck. If anything had happened to him?—

“He’s fine,” Hope said quickly. “Everyone’s fine. You can relax.”

I reached for her hand and pressed a relieved kiss to her delicate knuckles.

“Owen got knocked out, same as you. Jorge had him locked in a cell while he played his games with us, but Kane freed him as soon as the team had control of the compound.”

Hope wore a troubled expression as she scanned me. “Are you in pain? Should I get the doc?—”

“No doctor.” I tucked her against me and breathed her in. “I don’t want anyone else in here right now. Just let me hold you.” I kissed the top of her head. “Tell me you’re okay.”

Physically, Hope seemed unharmed, but there were a lot of other ways her time in the compound could’ve messed her up.

“I’m okay.” With her cheek squished against me, the words came out muffled.

I clasped her chin between my thumb and forefinger and tilted her face toward mine. “You mean it?”

She gave me a weary smile. “I’m fine. I promise. I’ve just been worried about you.”

The dark smudges beneath her eyes suggested she hadn’t been sleeping well, but there was no lie in her words. She really was all right.

Another knot of unease unfurled within me, and I raked a hand through my hair. “How long have I been out?”

“Six of the longest days of my life.”

“We’re still in Manzanillo?”

“Yeah.” Concern knitted Hope’s brow. “How do you feel?”

Like I’d been run over by all eighteen wheels of a big rig and then the son of a bitch had reversed to finish the job, but I wasn’t about to tell Hope that.

“I’ll feel better once you put your lips on me.”

She let out a quiet chuckle, then scooted up for a kiss. Her soft moan made my cock stir. Good to know everything important still functioned.

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