Page 22 of Out for Blood
“They’re changing his bedding,” she said. “I’ll go back up in a while.”
“How is he this morning?”
“Doctor Sterling said his vitals are better now that the packing is out. They might try to start bringing him out of sedation today.”
I nodded. “Good.”
It was hard to imagine Hawk immobile and unconscious. He was going to be fuckingpissedwhen he woke up.
Cassie set a book on the table next to my bed. “Here’s that book you asked for.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I don’t suppose you brought any donuts? Or pastries?”
She looked at the telltale bag near the window that said Maeve had already been there. “Maeve said she was going to bring you breakfast.”
“She did, but she seems to think we need ‘healing food.’ And it’s fine — I can totally demolish one of Maeve’s breakfast bowls and her fruit salad — but sometimes you just need a donut.”
“Sorry,” Cassie said, sitting in the chair next to my bed. “No donut, but I’ll bring you a chocolate pudding at lunch and try to bring you a donut tomorrow.”
“You’re an angel. Now come sit on my bed so I can really look at you.”
“Your back will hurt worse if I sit on the bed.” There was a stubborn set to her jaw. “I’m not hurting you.”
“It’s hurting me more not to touch you.”
She sighed and got to her feet, then gingerly lowered herself to my bed.
Her body weight caused the barest of shifts in the mattress, but I forced myself not to show the pain that rocketed through my body at the friction on the wound on my back.
I hadn’t been lying: nothing hurt more than not touching her.
I reached for her hand with my unscathed arm. “I need to tell you something.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Please tell me you and Vigo haven’t gotten into trouble. You can barely move!”
“I can’t speak for Vigo, but I’ve been a very good boy.” I grinned at her. “Although if you come a little closer I’d be happy to change that with my good hand.”
“In your dreams.”
I grinned. “Totally.”
She shook her head and I was happy to see a smile ghost her lips. She’d been through so much, and I hated that for her.
“What do you have to tell me?” she asked.
I stroked the velvety skin of her hand with my thumb. “Something I should have said before those fuckers tried to blow us to pieces.” I looked in her eyes because I wanted her to know the words I was about to say were true. “I love you.”
“I know.”
I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Wow, okay. I have to admit, that wasn’t the reaction I expected. I mean, I don’t need cartwheels or anything but…”
“You told me,” she said. “When I first saw you after they brought you in.”
“I don’t remember that.”
She leaned over carefully and touched her lips to mine. It was reflex to try and slip my tongue inside but she wasn’t having it.
