Page 227 of Not Over You

He just stands there, waiting for something.

“Now!” he cries again, but still the surrounding forest remains quiet.

“Your men are all dead,” a voice says from the shadows.

“It’s over, Carlos.”

My heart leaps for joy when Lennox steps from the shadows into the bright floodlights of the lawn. I open my mouth, about to say my own snappy one-liner, when Carlos bursts into action. The world around me begins to move in slow motion.

Carlos’s gun jerks up as he spins to face Lennox. I hear the safety click off and know what he’s about to do.

“No!” I scream, leaping from my chair and toward Carlos. My high-pitched screech throws him off enough that when my body flies through the air he turns to me.

A bang goes off, deafening me as I crash to the ground, Carlos under me.

Pain like nothing I’ve ever felt before ricochets through my body, making me gasp for air. Hands grab my body, causing me to feel ill. I can hear voices, but I can’t make out what anyone is saying. I think I can hear the crunch of tires in the distance.

Hands press down on my chest, sending intense pain through my body, but I can’t make a noise. The edges of my vision begin to cloud, and right before everything fades to black I call out one name.

“Lennox.”

CHAPTER 15

KATRINA

“What do you mean I can’t go in there? I’m her goddamn fiancé.”

Everything hurts is the first thought that registers as I start to lift from the fog. My eyelids feel like they weigh a hundred pounds, but I keep fighting to open them.

“Katrina.” A voice calls to me, a murky sound that’s hard to distinguish. “Little thief, wake up for me.”

Lennox.

My eyes flutter open, and I grimace at the harsh lights.

“There you are,” he says, leaning over the bed and grabbing my hand. He looks tired and adorably rumpled, sitting in a chair that is too small for him.

I try to speak but all that comes out is a croak. With a smile, Lennox turns slightly and picks up a plastic cup of water. Carefully he helps me drink the cool liquid. Once I’m done, I give my surroundings a quick scan.

Yup, this is definitely a hospital room.

“What happened?” I rasp out, not able to recall how I got here. The last memory I have is jumping for Carlos…and then nothing.

Color bleaches out of Lennox’s face at my question. The look of happy relief he had seconds ago is gone in a flash. I hate that I’ve caused him this distress, but I need to know. Giving his hand a small squeeze, as much as I can muster at the moment, I silently encourage him.

“You were an idiot.” Okay, didn’t expect those words to come from his lips. “You jumped on a man who was holding a loaded gun. I swear to God, Katrina, I lost five years off my life and the image of you soaring through the air will haunt me forever.”

“The jump must have been impressive then, huh.”

He glares at me, the green orbs I love so much darkening with anger. My lips twitch with humor.

“That’s beside the point. Never do that shit again, Katrina. I’m not strong enough to go through that, this” —he gestures to the hospital room around him—“again.”

“You’re the strongest man I know,” I tell him truthfully. There’s no one on this planet who makes me feel as safe and cherished as Lennox.

“Not when it comes to you, little thief. Not when I know you’re in pain and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve never felt so weak as when they took you away in the ambulance. You hold my heart, Katrina, so when you’re not near, I feel incomplete.”

My throat grows tight with emotion, and I’m unable to hold back the tears that silently roll down my cheeks. When an uncontrollable hiccup escapes my lips, Lennox stands up and carefully climbs onto the small bed with me. Drawing me into his arms, he hugs me tight, kissing my hair.

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