Page 73 of 2nd Strike
“Is that a…yes?”
He kisses me. This time he’s the one putting everything he has into it and an explosion of energy overcomes every bit of fatigue weighing me down.
By the time he pulls back, I’m half on top of him and he has an erection that leaves me ready to do wicked things.
We both know where this is going.
That doesn’t make it right. Not after all we’ve been through. The relationship we’ve built is worth more than a quick lay.
“I want a date,” he says. “Dinner and a movie and then I’ll bang the hell out of you. Is that…okay?”
Jerome. Mind reader.
Silly tears clog my throat and I nod. “I’d love that. A fresh start.”
“Good. Now tell me what the hell happened tonight.”
He pulls me onto his lap and I snuggle into him, taking a second to nuzzle his neck.
Peace. After the last few weeks, I’m finally at peace.
32
Charlie
Inever realized how much falling in love could hurt.
JJ lies in a cold, sterile hospital bed, the white blanket tucked around him glowing softly under the lights from the monitors. His face is too pale, his body too still.
The prognosis is good, the surgery having gone well to remove the bullet and repair the damage. But all I can think about is the blood. Even now, when I look at my clean hands, I still see it.
My eyes are gritty from trying to hold back tears, and in the relative quiet of the room, with only the beeping monitors surrounding me, I feel a trickle of more roll down my cheek. I dash them away, knowing if I let the dam break, I might not come up for air anytime soon, losing myself in the emotions banging around in my chest.
It was past visiting hours when the nurse came in to tell me to leave. I played nice and begged her to let me stay. JJ's family is on the other side of the continent, and I'm all he's got outside of his soon-to-be ex-wife.
When the nurse didn't relent, I informed her she would have to physically carry me out. She took one look at my face and decided against going to war.
Smart woman. I'll send her a box of chocolates tomorrow.
Of course, JJ's friends and coworkers have been calling, assuring me they’ll stop by tomorrow when he's awake and ready for company. Knowing JJ, he'll love the spotlight and turn this event into a good story he can tell over and over.
Me? I'm barely hanging on. While they were operating, I gave my statement to the police, and again to Taylor, and that at least gave my mind something to chew on. Now, Meg and Matt are gone, the intensive care ward has settled down for the night—as much as it ever does in a hospital—and it's just me and my demons watching over the man I love.
Leaning forward, I grab the rails and squeeze, trying to release some anxiety. They’re so cold, like my fears. I feel like I could climb the walls, and the psychiatrist in me knows that’s due to suppressing emotions.
My love for JJ is too big, too overwhelming. I realized it when I saw him go down, when his blood covered my hands.
When I knew I couldn't save him.
That's what it felt like while we waited for the ambulance—that he was dying because of me. I did my best to stop the bleeding and keep him from going into shock, but it felt like too damn little. I was sure we were going to lose him.Iwas going to lose him.
The scene flashes in my mind again and I grip even harder, making my hands cramp. I stand and pace for the hundredth time.
I probably won't crash for days from all this adrenaline and anxiety, but when I do it’ll be a doozy. Too bad the hospital doesn't have a gun range. I could plaster Lily’s face on a target and work out some of my anger.
After being taken into custody, she was brought to the ER and had her broken nose reset. I can still remember Jon and Ethan's faces as they watched her being put into a cruiser, handcuffs around her wrists, the media frenzy that ensued. The horror those two boys have been through rocks me to the core.
Against Meg's wishes, Taylor removed both from her care and put them in a safe house with a high level of security to keep the press at bay. By morning, Carl will have full custody of his real son, but right now, he's dealing with the fallout of his wife's crimes.
