Page 47 of Clean Slade
I was taken aback for a moment before I realized that, of course, he had no idea what I was referring to. It was hard to remember we didn’t really know each other when being around him felt as natural as breathing.
“It’s the reason I left the Navy. We were on a covert operation in the Middle East, and we were compromised. I don’t know what happened next. All I remember is an explosion and waking up in a hospital.”
The events still haunted me. The uncertainty of it all, not knowing what I’d done, how I’d failed my team, what would have happened if I hadn’t taken that one step forward. What would have happened if I’d run faster.
As much as I tried to avoid the chaos of my mind when I was awake, it was inevitable when I was asleep.
“Shit. Ar-are you okay?” he asked, extending his hand over mine, searching for my eyes.
“I am now. It took years to get to where I am. The shrapnel from the explosion obliterated my kneecap and caused a bunch of other damage I wouldn’t want to bore you with. Somehow, I didn’t lose my leg, but I’ve had to undergo so many surgeries and years of physical therapy, and even now, it’s not back to what it used to be. It’ll never be how it was before, and it’s taken me a while to accept it.”
It had always been hard to share what happened, my uncertainty about the events, my recovery, the whole shebang. I usually just avoided the subject. I usually didn’t tell people what had happened. And if my knee was playing up, I told people I’d slept on it funny. But with King, it was different.Ifelt different.
He…he made me feel something warm and fuzzy that loosened my tongue and tightened my heart. I didn’t know what it was or why he made me feel this way, but I knew I’d give up everything to feel like that for the rest of my life.
“I’m so sorry, Slade. I…” He squeezed my hand and sighed. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.”
I looked him in the eyes and felt their spark reverberate through me.
“Thanks. It’s not that bad when you think about it. I could have lost my life. I can’t complain. Although don’t ask my mom. She’ll tell a completely different story. I guess losing your husband in the war and almost losing your son will do that to someone.”
“I can’t say I blame her.”
I nodded.
“Remind me to never introduce you to one another.” She already thought she was getting a son-in-law and a granddaughter. I didn’t need them to team up on this.
Shit. Why would you say that, idiot!
“I mean, not that there would ever be an occasion for that to happen,” I added, getting all flustered.
The call with my family had gotten me all riled up for nothing, and now I was projecting.
“Never say never.” King smirked and took a sip of his coffee, and I stared at him, trying to decode his words when I should be worrying about other things.
Like the fact he had asked me to be his daughter’s bodyguard.
“So…you understand why I can’t take on such a responsibility. It was fine when we were just hiding, but this…I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Mac because of me.”
He reached for my hand again and searched my eyes.
“Slade, you’ve done more for her in the last few days than anyone else in her life. There’s no one else I would trust more than you.”
I wanted to believe I was the best choice, but I’d already lost him once. I’d already failed him once. Why would he take a chance on me again?
“You almost dropped your entire life for her. There’s no one better for the job.”
Maybe he was right, but I was still not so sure.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
I looked up at him, at his lips as he said the next words.
“What happened to you was horrible, and I’m sorry it did, but…you’re not broken, okay? You never were and never will be.”
His words hit me in the chest and made my heart go crazy.
I knew there were probably a million things he wasn’t telling me and a million more I’d yet to discover, but…
