Page 72 of Rival Desires

Rylee. That was her voice, but I had to see her, make sure Becky hadn’t hurt her. I tried to pry open my eyelids- just for a second at first, long enough to catch a glimpse of those worried amber eyes locked on me. And that was all the motivation I needed to give it another shot. And another until I could keep my eyes open and focus on the face that had become my everything.

“Cory.” Rylee practically choked on my name as she pressed my hand to her forehead. “I was freaking out.”

“You said everything was cool.” My voice was barely a whisper. I cleared my throat and winced.

“Let me grab you some water.” She hopped up, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands. “You had a ventilator during surgery, so your throat’s gotta be killing you. I should’ve thought of that sooner.”

I wanted to reassure her that my throat was the least of my worries, that her well-being was what truly mattered. But dang, the pain was a stubborn beast. So, I settled for watching her as she headed towards the pitcher of water, trying to decipher her body language for any hints of discomfort. Luckily, she seemed to be moving without any trouble, and I couldn’t see any bruises. The relief that washed over me was more potent than any painkiller, and I released a small sigh of relief.

“Here.” She held the cup to my lips, giving me a look that dared me to argue. I wasn’t used to being bossed around, but I obeyed, sipping water from the straw until the burn in my throat subsided. I leaned back against the pillow, completely wiped out from that tiny effort. It was then that I noticed the scrapes on her knuckles.

“What happened?” I reached for her, but the IV in my hand tugged at my skin, stopping me short.

Rylee blushed, taking my hand and letting me inspect her knuckles. “I may have broken Becky’s nose,” she said.

“You did what?” I tried to sit up, but the pain shooting through me made me think better of it.

“Sit back,” she said, something like panic in her eyes. “You got shot, and you’re worried about my hand?”

“Of course I’m freaking out about your hand,” I said, squeezing it gently. “Don’t you see I’m so head-over-heels in love with you that worrying about you was the one thing that dragged me out of the abyss?”

Her breath hitched as she absorbed my words, and I could feel my heart racing. The monitor next to me beeped wildly in response, betraying my nerves. Rylee locked eyes with me and leaned in, brushing her lips against mine in a soft kiss.

“And I’m so crazy, wildly, ridiculously in love with you that seeing you on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, was like being sucker-punched by life itself. I mean, seriously, you getting shot was the most terrifying moment of my entire existence.”

I raised my free hand and rested it on her cheek, giving her a weak smile. “I just couldn’t let that psycho hurt you, you know?”

Rylee nuzzled her face into my palm, pressing a tender kiss on the center. “Well, you didn’t, my prince,” she replied with a teasing grin.

“You sure you’re okay?” I gently swept my thumb over her scraped knuckles. “She didn’t...you know?”

Rylee flashed me a cheeky grin. “Nope, not even close.” She recounted the story with a gleam in her eyes. “I clocked her one right in the nose, snatched the gun, and then sent her crashing to the floor.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Wait, you...seriously?!”

Before I could press Rylee for more details, the door to my hospital room swung open, and a man in a white coat and green scrubs walked in. Rylee took a step back and started making her way toward the door.

“Whoa, hey, don’t go just like that!” I blurted out, my voice laced with panic.

Rylee flashed me a smile. “Fury and your folks went to grab some coffee. They’re gonna want to know you’re back in the land of the living. I’ll go give ‘em the good news.”

“Yeah, yeah, but you gotta promise me you’ll come right back,” I pleaded, not even trying to hide the desperation in my voice. I was done pretending she wasn’t the center of my universe.

Taking a bullet tends to have that effect on a person.

“I promise,” Rylee whispered, her voice as soft as a summer breeze. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Mr. McCrae,” the doctor said, drawing my attention to him as Rylee vanished from sight. “How’s my patient?”

With Rylee’s antics playing on repeat in my head, I barely managed to answer the doctor’s questions and digest the details of my injury. By the time he finished his spiel, a knock echoed through the room.

The doc’s lips curled into a half-smile. “I’m guessing that’s your anxious parents and the lovely lady who’s been your shadow since she was allowed in. I’ll go let them in.”

I gave a nod, fidgeting to find a comfortable position that didn’t make me feel like, well, a guy who’d been shot in the shoulder. Moments later, the door swung open, and my stepmom, Theresa, darted to my side, her dark eyes brimming with concern.

“Hey, Mom,” I greeted her, watching as her eyes sparkled with the same warmth they always did when I called her that. She never expected any of us McCrae boys to do it, just like my dad never expected the Carideo kids to call him Da. But it always made them grin from ear to ear when we did.

“Out of all you lads,” Da said, stepping up beside her and shaking his head in disbelief. “You were the last one I thought I’d have to worry about getting shot.” He reached down to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s none of you try to give me a heart attack for at least a year, aye?”

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