Page 31 of Barely Breathing
He smiled and ran his hand through her hair.The lump had already started going down on her head, as well, though the doctor said she’d probably be tender there for a while.Griff didn’t question the relief that rolled through him now that she’d woken.He’d deal with those emotions later.
“What were you doing, Honor?Why’d you leave our bed to go to your car?”He knew she hadn’t been sneaking out.The thought had nearly ripped his gut in two, but she hadn’t taken anything with her except their keys.Her laptop was still with Chetan, and he knew her well enough to realize it wouldn’t be left behind.
She blinked a few times, and he had to hold her down to keep her from attempting to leave the bed.“My dad.I was going to call him.Shit!Please tell me no one called him about this.”
He wouldn’t lie to her.“Jack already spoke with him.He’s on his way here.”
“Fuck!Jack Madigan is really on my shit list.”
Griff grinned.“From what I heard, your dad is mad as hell you got hurt.He’s not happy with Jack, either.With any of us, for that matter.”
“I’ll do my best to make sure no one disappears without a trace while he’s here.”
Griff was almost sure she was joking.Almost.
“So, what’s the scoop on me?”She held out her arms and made a quick up-and-down glance at her body.He watched her move everything and knew she was taking inventory of what if anything hurt or just felt sore or wrong.“I feel okay except for my throat and a slight headache.”
“Good.Your neck looks bad.He must have squeezed the hell out of it.”
“Yeah.Thought for sure I was a goner there a few times.Luckily, he wanted me to answer a question, so he let me breathe in between choking the life out of me.”
“Christ, you scared the shit out of me.”
“You already said that.I’m sorry.”She trailed her fingers over his cheek.“Do you think they’d let me go?I really don’t want to be confined to this bed when my dad gets here.I’m betting ours will be a reunion best held in private.Not sure the hospital can handle the language that’s sure to fly.”
“I’ll see what I can do.I’ll take you back to the apartment.”He watched her, relieved when she nodded.For a moment, he’d been afraid she might want to hide whatever was going on between them from her father.
He was looking forward to meeting Zach Davison.Call it a death wish, but he wanted to see the man Honor loved and respected so much.It might give him more insight into Honor, as well.There was a lot to learn about a person by meeting their family and seeing where they came from.Which reminded him of a promise he’d made to his dad while he’d sat beside Honor’s bed, waiting for her to wake up.
“Stay still.Rest.I’ll go see what I can find out and be right back,” he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead before slipping out the door of her room.
He immediately leaned back against the wall, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath.She was okay.Banged up, bruised.Seeing the visible marks left around her throat made him see red.She’d survived, though.He was able to see her and hold her and kiss her.She hadn’t been taken from him.He’d been lucky.Lucky Tyler had still been watching when Griff had thought the danger was over, that her father had caught all those who’d been hunting her and Zach through her.
He owed Tyler a debt he could never repay.He owed his mother even more.He was a fool.A blind fool who’d needed a woman like Honor to come into his life and make him open his eyes to what had been right in front of him the whole time.He slid his phone from his pocket and punched in a familiar number.He needed to make this call before hunting down a nurse to get started on having the doctor release Honor into Griff’s care.
“Griff?Is everything okay?”
His mom’s voice filled the line and soothed his nerves instantly.How had he let anything come between them?Especially something—no, someone—who was obviously so good for his mom.
“I’m fine, Mom.”There were a million things he wanted to say.A million others that probably needed to be said.He couldn’t think of any of them.
“Griff?”His mother’s voice prompted him.
“I’m sorry, Mom.I’m really sorry.”
“Oh, Griff.”He heard the tears in her voice and felt them like a knife to his heart.He didn’t need to tell her what he apologized for.It was the only thing that really stood between them, and his apology was long overdue.How many tears had she cried over him and his inability to accept her second chance for happiness?
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not.”But he heard her sniffling.He also heard Roman asking if everything was okay.
Didn’t that make Griff feel even more like an ass?He hadn’t wanted to accept Roman, to welcome him, though he respected and even liked the man.Yet, he had no doubt if he was hurt or needed help, Roman would be there in an instant.It said a lot about the man, and a lot about how much of a child Griff had been.
“I just wanted to tell you I love you.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?You’re not in trouble, are you?”
He laughed.Guess it would depend on his mom’s definition of trouble.Honor would keep him on his toes.He hoped she stayed around long enough to give him trouble, lots of it.
