Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Jamming myself between Beast and Justice, I scramble to get to the bed. To the owner of the best voice I’ve ever heard.
At first when I was entering the hospital room, I thought I had to be imagining Truck talking. He was still out when I left. Or more like when Justice made me leave with a guard.
Over and over, the last few days, in my agitated naps, I would hear Truck’s gravelly tone in my dreams.
Hearing him now is the best sound ever.
Through tears, I whisper, “I shouldn’t have left.”
It’s the only thing I can think to say because everything I want to say is far too personal. Too emotional.
“Come here, babe.”
Legs shaking, I glide closer on a cloud of joy. The need to wrap Truck in my arms is so overwhelming I have to fight myself to stay out of his hospital bed.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. How long have you been awake?”
“Long enough for them to catch me up.”
This really ticks me off. Buzzing with frustration and from the coffee I just downed like a shooter, I look at the men that I now know.
Beast, his team leader, and Marshall Lake, the owner of Agile Security and Rescue, have been constant figures since Truck was brought into the hospital. I include Justice in my unhappy glare too. “Why didn’t someone call me?”
“I’ll be leaving now.” Justice drags me into a bear hug. “You keep our boy in line now.”
“You go find my friend.”
“Copy that. She’s gonna be in good hands.”
When he ducks out, Marshall's grinning like there’s an inside joke.
“What?” I ask, confused.
Truck makes a low, restrained laughing sound, holding his ribs as he winces. “Babe, is your friend tall and blonde and made from ones and zeroes?”
When I look baffled, Beast clues me in. “Ones and zeroes, as in computer code. It was just a joke because Justice has that crush on the AI influencer.”
“Oh. No.” I frown. “She’s kind of like a curvy, dark-haired librarian type, only she’s a scientist and wears a lab coat.”
“She’s safe, then.” Marshall chuckles. “Justice has a type.”
Truck laces his fingers between mine. “Speaking of my type, can you guys get lost so I can talk to my woman?”
A flood of warmth circles my heart like a lasso.
“We’ll be back.” Beast is hiding a grin. “But I’m not guarding the door for you two like Justice did.”
If cheeks can burst into flames, mine would.
“Just joking,” Truck’s team leader says. “You do you, whatever that is, given your banged up state. We’ll be keeping an eye on things since we don’t know where the father is. Or what he’s up to. You guys are safe.”
“They’ve had a guard on me the whole time,” I say as Truck’s expression turns worried.
“Good, otherwise I’d have to beat some asses when I can get out of this bed.”
When the door closes behind them, I reassure Truck. “I’m fine. They’ve been taking good care of me.”
“I’m glad, baby.” His blue eyes are shining, his tone rough. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be around to take care of you.”
“You saved me on the yacht.”
It’s not fun to remember that horrible day. Frowning, I grip his hand tighter.
“I should be thanking you too. Without you dragging me out of the water, I wouldn’t be here. So, we’re even now.”
That soft, gravel voice. The tender look in his eyes. It does me in.
I crawl right up onto the bed and snuggle against him. “I thought I’d lost you. When Justice had to keep diving and diving, I couldn’t stop crying. It was the scariest thing ever.”
“I know, sweetheart.” He presses his nose against my hair. “Sorry, I don’t know what the fuck went wrong. The last thing I remember from before you revived me was tackling that bastard.”
“They think you lost consciousness under the water. Possibly because of the infection and the fever.”
“Seriously?” he mutters as his hold tightens on me. “Was it from my leg wound from the earthquake before we met?”
“The doctor said possibly. It could have been lingering, or it could have been something different. You got all those cuts in the jungle, remember. They’ve been throwing every kind of antibiotic at you they can. Last night, your fever finally broke.”
He makes a rough sound. “Shit. I guess I was feeling like hell for a reason when we were in your father’s house.”
I bury my face in his neck. “I thought something was wrong or maybe you were going to blow a gasket because it was so stressful. All I know is that I freaked when I saw you kneeling on the dock, I thought you’d been shot.”
“Felt like it. I remember a god-awful pain in my head.”
We fall still after that for a few minutes.
When I prop on my elbow, he studies my face. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“Do you remember me talking to you on the boat?”
“You mean, when you said we were getting married?”
His beautiful eyes pull me into their indigo depths.
When I thought I might never see them again, my heart didn’t want to beat any longer.
“Yeah, that. I was thinking we could… you know, live together and see if you want to?—”
“Be your husband?”
Suddenly feeling shy, I nip my lower lip and nod.
“I’d do all of that. The living together. The husband. The whole thing. House. Dog. Maybe even some kids if we want.”
“I love you, Truck. I know it’s kind of crazy, but I feel like we’ve lived ten lifetimes in the last week. I don’t know how we’ll make it work, but I am all in.”
“After we’ve been through all this, I’m sure we can figure it out.”
We share a sweet, soft laugh.
It’s been crazy. It’s been scary, but we’ve survived. That comes with an unbelievable kind of peace.
He takes my face in his hands, pulls me to him, brushing a light kiss across my lips. “I love you too. I think it happened the first day. I just didn’t think you’d want to hear that.”
“Was it between the cliff dive and the crocodile attack? Or between the stolen boat and the Tarzan act? Because that was pretty impressive. I’d never imagined you’d know how to swing on a vine like that.”
He laughs softly. “Somewhere along that timeline. Maybe before. Maybe when you were so fucking brave and strong, and you just saw me for who I am. Scars, damage, and all.”
When he kisses me this time, I melt into him. It feels good. Right.
Like everything has happened for this moment.
Sighing, I soak in the sensation. Warm, content. Steady.
So, this is what love feels like? It’s too big for words, but I know I can’t live without it now.
“We’re going to go live in a cave ‘til this thing with your father’s sorted out.”
I sit up. “I’m sorry, did you say a cave?”
“A really nice one.”
He’s watching me so intently that it feels like my soul is reaching out to his. But the cave thing has me puzzled. “I’m not following.”
“You will. Now do me a favor and lie down here and stop wiggling, sweetheart, because you’re making my ribs hurt like a mother.”
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right. You’re worth it. I don’t want you anywhere else.”