Page 49 of Rushed

Keenan

January 24th

It’s not like all the other times I’ve had the nightmare. It’s not in pieces, nor is it frightening. The never-ending loop is over.

I know everything now. I know who I was, where I was, and what I was doing there. IknowRush. How could I forget him and what he did for me? He gave me a purpose. Of all the people I met that day, he gave me something worth far more than my life. He gave me my rebirth.

I was Julia Grant, high-powered attorney for Barnes, Jacobson, and Peters, working on a major case against Senator Jackson and his purely evil offspring. I was trying the senator on charges of extortion.

His slime ball son was facing rape charges against an underage minor, of which his asshole dad was trying to get dropped. I was a tight-ass by the book, no bending, no wavering bitch that lived alone on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, with no one knowing me. I was so forgettable.

Well fuck that. Not anymore.

I feel like I’ve slept for days, and the last thing I remember is the attempted rape, apparent beating, and fear in Lincoln’s eyes as he looked at me lying in that hospital bed. My body still feels sore and stiff. I set about wiggling my toes, then my feet, before adjusting my legs slowly. Eventually, I decide to open my eyes, and what a sight. Leaning on the bed, reading a book about head injuries, is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.

“Hi,” I groggily creak out.

“Keenan? Oh, Kitten. I’ve feckin’ missed ya.” Linc releases a major breath that I’m sure he’s been holding for days, as I perform a bodily inventory. He smiles that panty-melting, deep dimple smile that I love so much.

“Oh, for feck’s sake. Ya’ve had me worried for days. Well, me and Jon. We just couldn’t leave ya.” He pushes the button for the nurse as I silently take inventory of everything. My body is stiff, but my mind is mine,finally.

I look over to Jon in his chair by the window. The stiff general pose is in full effect as his back is ramrod straight, with the ‘at attention’ stance. He winks at me, and I know he’s glad I’m back.

“Actually, I feel good. What day is it?”

“It’s January twenty-fourth, Kitten.” Lincoln looks worried, and I don’t want to scare him further. I’m sure he’s been stressed since I was attacked.

“Well, happy birthday to me, I guess.” I smile a quirky grin and wait for the response from both of the best men in my life. I may have been a lonely woman before this, but now I have more family than I could ever ask for.

“Why happy birthday, Keenan?” Linc questions as Jon stands up. As he walks towards Rush at the side of my bed, I notice that Jon is offering him support. They’ve obviously had time to talk and become closer. That’s better than anything I could’ve expected.

“Why do you keep calling me Keenan?” I edge up a bit on the bed to a sitting position and reach for the water that sits close. It still feels like I’ve been on a bender, but it’s totally fucking amazing. “The reason for happy birthday is my birthday was January twenty-second. I just turned twenty-eight.”

“Keenan, that’s your name?” Lincoln looks defeated, like I’ve just shot him. I hate seeing him hurt.

“No, it’s Kenangan. That’s what you named me that day. Remember, Lincoln? You named me. Yougaveme a new start. Mind you, I remember the old me now too.” I smile. Taking his hand in mine, I kiss the back of it. Fuck, my lips still hurt. “Oh, that hurt. Remind me no more kissing for a bit.”

The look on Lincoln’s face is that of shock and awe. He takes a second to collect himself before he speaks. “That was you?”

He thinks back to rescuing us—Gail and I—and I’m sure we weren’t memorable at the time. He’d rescued loads of people by that point on a horrific day. We were just another pair in a sea of so many.

“You didn’t remember where ya were, or who ya were. I told ya that Kenangan meant memory. Max tells me to remember a hundred times a day when practicing. “Set it to memory” he says in Balinese. I just thought it was a good word to give ya, seein’ ya didn’t want something dolly.” Lincoln looks so excited and joyous, and I’m thrilled. “Oh, Kitten. Feck, I’ve missed the shite outta ya.”

I turn to Jon, who’s standing to the side, watching us. “Jon, I remember. I know who I am. You always said you’d be here, and here you are.” His eyes are twinkling and sparkling like a million stars. I’m glad. I’m even happier to have given him the joy of knowing he helped me all along.

“My name is Julia Grant. I was in tower two. I was supposed to be there, and if it wasn’t for Gail, I’d still be there. I wasn’t leaving. They said not to leave, and I was emphatic about staying. It wasn’t until the windows blew out that I even thought to move away from the side of the building. When she found me, I was hunkered against the wall, hiding with the door locked. She made me leave. She saved my life.”

“Sweetheart, I’m so glad, but you gave us a scare. You’ve been out for a little over a week, and we thought we’d lost you for good this time.” Jon kisses the top of my head and hugs me lightly. He steps away from the bed with a light glistening in his eyes, as the nurse pops in to check me out.

“I’m gonna leave you two alone and let the nurse do her thing. I’ll go and contact the authorities to tell them you’re awake and that you, Julia, are alive.” Jon turns, and pats Lincoln on the shoulder. “If you need me, give me a shout.” With that, Jon gathers his bag and leaves while I sit with my rescuer, and the love of my life.

“Are ya hungry?” Lincoln asks.

“No, not for food. But I am hungry for a kiss. Can you be gentle?” I know he can, but it’s fun to tease.

“Oh, Kitten. I’ve been kissin’ yer beautiful face fer days. I’ve just been waitin’ for the invitation to do more.”

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