Page 70 of Sparrow

“He had a gun, Gray. I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t.” She takes a shaky breath. “No one will tell me what happened to him. Where is he?”

“He’s in jail.” I lace my fingers with hers. “When I left your house, I knew something was off. I could smell it in the air. I asked Case to come check on you in uniform, just to make sure you were safe. We heard the gun go off. We broke in.”

She reaches out to stroke my face, like she can’t believe I’m here.

“I stayed with you and Case went upstairs. There was a struggle, but Case managed to subdue him.”

“So he’s gone? It’s over?” she asks.

“It’s over, Mills. You’re safe now, and if I can help it, you’ll never be in danger again.”

“I love you, Gray. I swear I do. Saying those things to you killed me inside.”

“I love you too. I always have. I always will. I’ve loved you since I was eighteen. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” I close the distance and lean in, placing a kiss to her forehead, then nose, then lips.

She wipes the tears from her cheeks then her eyes widen. “My necklace?” she asks in a panic.

“The chain broke when you took it off. I’m having it fixed. You’ll have it back soon, I promise. It’s safe.”

She relaxes back a bit. “I’m sorry I took it off. I just didn’t want Jaxon to take it from me.”

“Stop apologizing to me, Amelia.” I stroke her head. “Focus on healing. Focus on the future. No more looking back. Got it?”

“No more looking back.”

***

(Amelia)

I slept soundly last night, even though yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. Realizing it was over, and knowing Grayson was by my side, settled my soul enough that I could finally rest.

He greeted me this morning with a soft kiss and that smile that knocks me off my feet, and now he’s perched in the bed with me, feeding me a bit of breakfast.

“Was he always like this, Mills?” Gray asks me.

I take minute to really think about my answer. “No. No, he wasn’t. He was always intense and controlling but never psychotic. Not until we’d been married a little bit.”

“Why did you stay as long as you did?”

“The night it all changed, I caught him talking about filling phony prescriptions with some man. I confronted him about it and he snapped. He told me he’d kill me. I was too afraid to cross him.” I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand.

“Jesus, Mills. I want to fucking end him.” He feeds me another bite of breakfast.

“You don’t have to baby me, you know?” I say.

“Uh, the fuck he doesn’t. You’ve earned it,” I hear a voice from the doorway way.

“Nora? What are you doing here?” I reach for her with both arms. I’ve missed her so much.

“I called her,” Gray chimes in. “I knew you’d want her here and I figured she should know.”

“I wasn’t staying away when I found out.” She looks over my chart. “Are you all right? Tell me the truth.”

“I am. Given the circumstances, I am,” I admit.

“I’m going to head down to get some coffee and give you two a bit of time,” Gray says as he stands, kissing my head. “I’ll be back.”

I nod. “Okay.”

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