Page 68 of King of Wrath

“I told you, Leo was with my brother when it happened.”

She nods, the tiniest little jerk of her chin.

“And he went from hot to…”

“Batshit crazy,” Roman offers as the ambulance pulls off the road, the two officers going to meet it.

“That’s about right. And in his crazy, he nearly detonated us all. He was hard, and angry, and he forgot how to think with his heart. He almost really hurt Mason and Charlotte, Mason’s wife.”

“Leo did that?” she asks, but her eyes are getting unfocused again.

I grip her hand tighter. “He did and I thought for sure we were going to lose him.”

“What happened?”

“He found Kim,” I answer, bringing the back of her fingers to my lips. “And she taught him how to love again, reminded him of the man he was always supposed to be. Brought him back from the darkness.”

“The man he was supposed to be…” she whispers, and I see her fading again. I give her arm a little shake.

“The man who protects the people around him. Just like I’m going to protect you.”

But her eyes close again.

“Nia,” I bark loud enough for her eyes to flutter open before they start to close again.

But she can’t close her eyes. Not now. My heart is thundering in my ears. “Wake up.” She has to be all right. Because I’ve finally admitted to myself that I love her….

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Nia

A steady beepingis the first thing I hear.

I slide my eyes open, looking to the side. A heart-rate monitor fills my vision. My hand creeps out, touching hard plastic bed rails on the side of the bed. I’m in the hospital.

I turn my head the other way, the room coming into view.

The large door to the hall is closed. A sink sits to one side, some cabinets. Another door that I assume leads to the bathroom is opposite the sink. It’s like every hospital I’ve ever been in with beige walls, white plastic and pale pink accents.

I try to lift my head, but it aches, and I close my eyes against the pain.

How did I get here?

Memories of the car, of trying to escape float through my thoughts. Fragmented edges of the helicopter and the car skidding across the road are next and I flex my hands, trying to clear my head. Is that how I ended up here?

I remember Jake next to the car. Remember him holding my hand and murmuring softly. I can’t recall the words, but I remember the feeling. He was so tender…

Which seems odd. I ran away. He was going to get rid of me…

A few phrases rise to the surface of my thoughts.Better man, love, the man he was supposed to be…

“Finally awake, princess?” A voice speaks from the shadowed corner of the room but my blood turns to ice in my veins. Because that’s not Jake.

It’s Toni.

I gasp in fear. which makes my head throb painfully. I reach my hands up, holding my head. Why is Toni here? Cold dread makes my body recoil in pain. “Where am I?”

“Don’t you know?” His voice is hard as ever, not an ounce of softness tinging its edges.

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