Page 25 of Reese’s Protection

“Why don’t you go?” Bullet gave me a sad smile. “Who knows what’s been happening with Reese while we were out here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll take care of the rest. Get going.”

I ran for my truck.

As I sped down the road toward New Gothenburg, I thought I should’ve probably asked him how he was planning to get home, but he was a grown man, and I had very important business at the hospital.

The love of my life was lying in a bed there, maybe having surgery. Hopefully breathing. I wasn’t sure what I would do if he wasn’t alive, and I wasn’t prepared to think about a world without Reese in it.

9

REESE

I was awake, then I wasn’t, and then I was again. Every time I managed to rise to the surface of consciousness, someone different was standing beside me.

Layton. Gripping my hand tight.

Bower. Squeezing my shoulder gently.

Bullet. Silent but watching over me like a soldier.

A blond man in green scrubs, checking my vitals.

But each time I pried apart my eyelids, one person remained the same. Knox was there in the chair to my left, his presence strong and comforting, fingers clutched in mine.

I didn’t know how many times I’d woken, but when I finally managed to hold my heavy eyelids open, Knox gave me a soft smile and kissed the back of my hand. His long hair was a beautiful mess, sticking out everywhere.

“Are you with us, baby?” he whispered, so quietly I almost missed it. I didn’t think I’d ever heard him speak that way. Knox was blunt. The sweetness was new, and I didn’t hate it.

I groaned, my mouth parched and chest aching.

Knox grabbed a cup on the cabinet next to the . . . hospital bed? I blinked. Why was I in the hospital? Memories assaulted my brain, and I scrunched up my nose against the pain that throbbed in my temples.

Jeremy.

Gun.

The Kings.

It all came back to me.

My eyes shot open wide and the light in the room hurt my head. “Jeremy,” I managed to grunt out as Knox held a piece of ice to my lips. I opened my mouth dutifully and sucked on the cube.

“Shh. He can’t hurt you anymore.” He kissed me gently on the cheek as I sucked the ice until it was gone and watched him carefully.

“Where?” Pain spread across my chest, and I grunted, raising the hand Knox wasn’t holding to touch the place that hurt, but Knox grasped my wrist before I could.

“Hey, come on. Don’t poke at that. He shot you.” Knox shifted so he half sat on my bed, leaning over me. The width of his shoulders was all encompassing, shadowing me, and despite him being so big while he hovered over me, I felt safe.

“Where?” I asked again, the word sliding up my throat like a knife through glass. Everything fucking hurt. I hated the weirdness that took control of my body. Fatigue teased my limbs, and I was caught between falling asleep and fighting the tiredness.

“It doesn’t matter.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

I groaned.

“Rest. You’re still on heavy painkillers,” he murmured.