Page 138 of Savior

My thumb stroked her heated skin, mourning the family we’d never had a chance to become, and all the years we spent apart.

And when it seemed that neither one of us had anything left, we tore ourselves open and grieved the loss of the biker who’d saved our lives on more than one occasion. He’d kept us moving forward when we were on our knees, ready to quit.

A man who had been, not only our closest friend but family.

Angel.

I kept her tucked against my body until her sobs turned to sniffles before giving her a reset the only way I knew how. “Who’s in charge right now?”

“We are,” she said softly, tucking her head into the crook of my neck.

As we drove around the lake, I noticed that the water was calm. The light reflected so perfectly off the water that it appeared as if there were two moons. I was flooded with a sense of peace as if the calm waters were a sign of things to come.

Maybe after years of fighting, we could drift toward the shore and rebuild.

* * *

“You even think about gettin’ that spoon anywhere near my mouth, and we’re gonna have problems,” I growled.

“We’re just trying to get your strength up,” the male nurse protested.

I eyed the pathetic spoonful of lime green gelatin. “That shit ain’t gonna do a goddamn thing for me. Bring some meat and potatoes here, and then we’ll talk.”

He scurried out of the room, and I let my head rest against the pillow again. At the sound of a throat clearing, I cracked one eye open to find Celia glaring down at me.

“Was that necessary?”

“Fuck, princess,” I grumbled. “I just want some real food. Tired of being hooked up to all this shit.”

“You went without real food for a long time, Jamie. You’ve got to build up to that stuff.”

There was a tap at the door, and then Mikey poked his head in. “Is the coast clear?”

“Darlin, why don’t you go see if he’ll bring that green shit back. Like to give it another go.”

“Jamie Quinn,” she said sharply, and I grinned, suddenly struck stupid by her beauty. After almost thirty years, she still had me hooked on her like a drug. “What? Why are you smiling?”

“Goddamn, am I in love with you—”

“Is this another one of your ploys to get me out of the room?”

I shook my head, drinking in the sight of her as if it’d be my last chance to. “No, just can’t believe you’re still here and that I’m the lucky bastard who gets to call you mine.”

Her cheeks turned red before she leaned down to press her mouth to mine with a soft exhale. It was pure torture, a silent reminder of everything I couldn’t have as long as I remained in this goddamn bed.

She broke away with a pant and winked before calling out, “Come on in, Mikey.”

To the kid’s credit, he tried keeping the brown paper bag concealed when he strolled in. Unfortunately, Celia had trained herself to identify outside food from a mile away. “Mikey?”

He tucked the bag into his side. “These are just clothes I brought from the house. Nothing to see here.”

“Mmm-hmmm…” Celia clicked her tongue against her teeth and went off in search of the nurse.

After double-checking to ensure she was gone, he handed over the bag. “Got a cheeseburger and tater tots—I know you wanted the onion rings, but that’s a dead giveaway. I think there are even some peppermints down in there for after you finish.”

“You bring your old man a pack of smokes?” I asked.

“While you’re hooked up to an oxygen tank? No, thank you. I’d prefer we didn’t blow up a goddamn hospital.” He pulled up a chair and dropped into it with a sigh. “So, how are you… really?”

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