Page 69 of Shades of Mercy
“Jag, this wasn’t your fault. It was probably someone busy staring at their phone.” Yet, instincts warned her that it wasn’t an accident.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mercy emerged from the bathroom wearing a robe that engulfed her.
His heart slapped against his ribs. His mind had been racing since he picked her up off the sidewalk. If he found out who almost hit her, he wouldn’t be responsible for what he did to the person.
He crossed to her and took her hands into his, examining the scrapes on her hands from hitting the concrete. They looked better now that the blood and debris had been washed away.
Her damp hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks, and her eyes were huge. She was beautiful, and he wanted her so badly that it hurt.
“They’re not too bad,” she said.
“No, they’re not.” He yanked her to him, feeling a conflict between worry and gratitude pulsating through his veins. “Fuck,” he said into her hair.
She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. “I’m okay, Jag. My adrenaline is back to normal. For a while there, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry or get angry.”
“Fuck!” he repeated it. He lifted her chin with his thumb. “I’m still reeling.”
“It’s a relief to be here, with you,” she said.
Something feral took over and he couldn’t fight the need.
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
She made a sound from deep within her throat and opened her mouth to him.
He poured the rush of adrenaline into that kiss. Every worry. Every slice of anger. He sank his fingers into her hair and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, stroking her tongue. She tasted good—a heady combination of woman and desire.
When he pulled back, he stared down at her, thankful that she was okay.
She gave a shiver.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“I think it’s my nerves. Maybe I’m not as steady as I thought I was. Or maybe it's from the kiss. Both were mind-blowing in different ways.”
“Come and sit down. Let’s get you covered up.”
Treating her like a precious jewel, he led her to the sofa, and once she was seated, he covered her with a soft throw. He sat down next to her. “I called Puma and told him what happened. He’s going to check with the neighbors to see if they have cameras that captured the incident. Unfortunately, you were out of range of his outdoor camera.”
Jag stilled. The front of her robe had gaped, just enough to expose the valley between her breasts.Shit.
His hands clenched, and he swallowed hard. “This wasn’t Cross’s MO.”
“He doesn’t try and run people over,” she said. “He would have shot me.”
“Something doesn’t make sense here,” Jag rubbed the creases from his forehead. “I agree.”
He couldn’t quite process his thoughts because he couldn’t stop inhaling her scent.
“Nearly running me over seems threatening, and not exactly wanting to kill me.” She searched his face. “Are you okay? You seem off?”
“I’m okay. Just trying to put the puzzle pieces together.” And adamantly refusing to admire how she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth when she was in deep thought. “I failed in keeping you safe.” His voice sounded unsteady even to his ears. “This could have been much worse. Mateo wouldn’t have killed me because I would have tortured myself.”
She rolled her eyes. “Wow, it’s great that you realize you’re in charge of all the bad people in the world.” She laughed. “But I do have something to tell you.”
“Am I going to be upset?”
