Page 54 of The Writer
“Just think of how boring life would be without me.”
He chuckles and lifts me onto the bed, plonking my arse down on it to lean close to my mouth again. “And now what?”
“We wait for Landon to get us out of here. He really is very good at what he does and—”
“I didn’t mean that, Ivy.” Oh. Right.
I look at the floor for a few seconds, not entirely sure where it goes from here. How would I know? I suppose he wants confirmation of something ongoing, something that is more than just fun like he asked for. It’s where we were getting to before all this happened. We were talking about the future, possibilities, relationships. His dead wife.
Lifting my head at that thought, I try formulating something that might make sense. Something good and honest and filled with sentiment.
“Right,” Landon suddenly interrupts, crashing my moment. “You're free to leave. The police will be over to interview you both tomorrow morning. At Earlwood. Thankfully, I know the commissioner well enough for a degree of latitude.”
I look around Blake’s body, nodding at Landon in some way of thanks. He nods back and stays planted in the doorway. He’s clearly not leaving anytime soon. I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s probably just found out the entirety of what happened, and while he can be a bastard most of the time, it’s unlikely he’ll leave me alone for the next however long. Care, or love from Landon, comes first and foremost in his show of strength and protection. This is him showing that.
We walk out into the corridor with him and the police officer and make our way to the reception area, where Blake is given his discharge papers by a female doctor. She looks at him for a little too long for my liking, and if that doesn’t just prove the feelings I have, I don’t know what else will. I'm jealous, and not only am I jealous, the itch to hold his hand to prove a point is unbearable.
The next stop is my own doctor, who barely even bothers with paperwork concerning me other than a swift – she’s fine but come back if you have any other symptoms. And the final checkpoint is Landon signing some paperwork. I don’t really know what it is. It’s just a haze of Landon agreeing to things with one of the officers.I’ve suddenly become too busy dealing with my own feelings to care.
Something’s happening to me. I’m shaking, both visibly and internally, as we make our way out of the building. Maybe it’s all catching up with me. Guns, fighting, being bloody taken in vans, and then left to rot in an equally rotting warehouse. If it wasn’t for Blake being there, I don’t know what I would have done, or how I would have got out of the situation.
Christ, I could have been shot, or raped, or … And I could have lost him before we even got a chance at something more.
My breathing spikes, hard, heavy panting coming out of me, and I try to grab onto something—anything. My legs give way under me, and before I know it, I’m being lifted into a strong clasp.
I look up, dazed at the feeling, and find Blake smiling at me as he keeps moving. “Dramatic much?” I stare, somehow comforted by the look of his greens on me again.
“Put her in my car. We’ll see you at Earlwood later,” Landon’s voice says.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Blake counters. “Not until she tells me to.”
He gets in the car with me still in his hold, and gently puts me in place, pulling a seat belt around me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just. I don’t know. Weird episode.”
He smiles as Landon and Willow get in the front and reaches for my face. “You sure? We can go back in the hospital and—”
“I’m fine. Just get me home.”
I just need some safety around me, and frankly, a bit of fucking peace.
Chapter Seventeen
BLAKE
Landon drives us from the hospital towards Ivy’s. I don’t take my hands off her the entire journey. She’s still a bit shaky, and despite the docs clearing her, I’m still concerned. I don’t care how tough she is. She’s been through a fucking shitstorm.
“Are you good to drive?” Landon asks.
“Sure. Why?”
“Until we’ve got a handle on this, I don’t want any of my family anywhere other than Earlwood.”
“Isn’t that a bit extreme, Landon?” Ivy interjects, but there’s no conviction in her tone.
“Where’s Earlwood, and what advantage does it have?” I ask.
“Our family home,” Ivy replies sullenly.
