Page 86 of Too Late

I laugh and lift up on my elbow. “Not really,” I say quietly. “You shot Asa’s gun out of his hand and then I ran over to you and put pressure on your wound until the paramedics got there. I’d say it was a mutual save.”

He tries to force a smile. “I told you I wasn’t very good at my job,” he says.

I smile in wholehearted agreement. “It’s not too late to quit, you know. You could go back to school and become a Spanish teacher.”

He winces with his laugh. “That’s not a bad idea, Sloan.”

He struggles to lean forward in order to kiss me, but it takes everything in him. He’s only six centimeters away.

A mere six centimeters between breath and life.

When I close that six-centimeter gap and kiss him, I know I’m closing a chapter. A really dark chapter that I’ve been waiting more than two years to end.

And this kiss is just the beginning of a whole new book. A book where maybe miracles aren’t that far-fetched.

FORTY-FOUR

ASA

Isit up straight and open my eyes. Not that I was sleeping. No one could sleep in this goddamn place. I clench my fists, wondering why it’s just now hitting me. She didn’t sayharder. She saidCarter! “Fucking whore!”

FORTY-FIVE

SLOAN

Itap lightly on the door to his hospital room, but no one responds. When I push it open and peek inside, Luke is asleep. The volume to the TV is low, but audible. I glance over to the couch and Ryan is lying on his side, a ball cap covering his eyes. He’s asleep, too.

I hold the door while it closes, not wanting to wake either of them, but Ryan hears me and sits up on the couch. He stretches his arms over his head and yawns, then stands up.

“Hey,” he says. “You gonna be here awhile?”

I nod. “I’ll probably stay here tonight,” I whisper. “You go get some rest.”

He glances over at Luke again and says, “The doctor came by earlier. Says he’ll get to go home tomorrow, but he’ll need someone to stay with him for a while. He’s on strict bed rest. I would offer, but I’m sure he’d rather you do it.”

I set my purse down on the couch. “It’s fine. I can stay with him if he’s okay with it.”

“I’m perfectly okay with that,” Luke says from his bed. I glance in his direction and he’s smiling at me lazily.

Ryan laughs and says, “I’ll stop by in the morning after my meeting with Young.”

Luke nods and then motions for me. “Come here.”

I walk toward him as Ryan leaves the room. Just like every other time I visit him, he scoots over and makes room for me to lie with him.

I wrap my leg over his and my arm over his chest, resting my head on his shoulder.

“How’s your brother?” he asks.

“Good,” I say. “Really good. You’ll have to go with me soon if you’re up for it. He kept looking up at the door like you were going to show up, so I know he was disappointed that you weren’t with me.”

I feel the light laughter in Luke’s chest. “I tried to sneak out and go with you today, but someone is being overprotective.”

I shake my head. “You got shot in the chest, Luke. You almost died. I’m not taking any chances.” I lift my head from his shoulder. “Speaking of taking chances, what exactly did the doctor say about your release tomorrow? Bed rest? No strenuous activity?”

He runs a hand through my hair and smiles at me. “What if I told you he said plenty of bed restandstrenuous activity?”

“I’d call you a liar.”

---