Chapter 37
Mina
Three Weeks Later
Darkness and silence.
My body feels like it’s been weightlessly drifting through dark clouds for God only knows how long. An endless expanse of darkness with not even a single flicker of light.
I’ve fully accepted that I’m dead. Doomed to drift in this void forever…until I hear a noise. It starts as just a sound, like the way wind whistles through the trees as it whips around the forest. But then it grows louder. It becomes clearer. It isn’t just a sound…It’s my name.
It's Myles's voice calling my name.
I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. My pulse echoes in my head, sending a throbbing wave throughout my body. But then a warm sensation spreads over me, and I drift back into the void. I scream…But not a single sound comes out.
Maybe I really am dead?
Nope…Not dead.
My throat burns. Like when you inhale water down the wrong pipe and it leaves you gasping and coughing for even a taste of dry air.
It feels like my soul is being dragged out of my body.
A pressure builds in my stomach and tightens in my throat.
I try to breathe, but something is blocking my airway.
My head is beginning to spin. The feeling of being dragged back down into the void is starting to come back.
“Mina…Open your eyes, Sunshine.”
His voice is clear. Clearer than it’s been since floating in this void. Open my eyes? I thought my eyes were open…
I can feel something cool touch my lips. Cold water drips into my mouth, and my body shudders. My mouth is so dry. My lips feel cracked. I can feel my facial muscles flexing as I try to open my eyes. When I do, it burns. A blinding light is above me and I quickly shut my eyes again.
“Turn the light off. What the hell are you doing?” I hear a woman’s voice…Who the fuck is here with him?!
“Try opening them again, Sunshine. The curtains are closed, and the lights are off now.”
I try again and this time there’s only a mild burning sensation. My eyes feel dry even though they’ve been closed. It’s blurry like trying to see through fogged up glass.
“Can you hear me, Mina? My name’s Doctor Rhyton.”
My eyes try to focus, but I can’t. I lift my hands to wipe them, but my arms feel too heavy. They tingle like they’re asleep. My body hasn’t gotten the memo to wake the fuck up yet.
“Here, let me help you,” a man’s voice says. A warm cloth is wiped gently across both of my eyes. “There, that should help.”
“What was that?” I can hear Myles again.
“It was an ointment we used to make sure her eyes didn’t dry out. It was just the residual left that might have been causing her issues. Can you try blinking a few more times, Mina?”
I try. With each blink, the world around me becomes clearer. Colors build into shapes, then shapes into figures. The beeping of my heart rate monitor begins to spike as my eyes finally focus on the man in front of me.
Those hauntingly dark copper brown eyes. His shaggy hair is now a lot longer, and it’s tousled like he’s been sleeping on a couch for weeks. His lips are half tilted in a smirk as he looks from me to my heart monitor.
“My…” My voice cracks. I can’t even get his name out.
He quickly sits on the edge of the bed. His hands cradle my face, running his thumbs along my cheeks. Tears fill his eyes as he looks me over.
“I thought I was going to lose you, Sunshine.” His fingers run through my hair and brush it behind my shoulder.
I take in the room around me. My eyes lazily drift around the room until I land on the tall, stunning blonde sitting in the chair in the corner.
“Who…” I try to croak out, but she stops me.
“You only met me the one time at Badlands. I’m Alexandria. I work for Myles.” She walks over to the opposite side of the bed from Myles. She’s stunning. I glance at Myles to see if he’s looking at her, but no, his eyes are locked on me.
“How are you feeling, Miss Warner?” an older man says as he is going over my vitals.
“Umm.” Fuck. Why does it feel like my throat has been scraped raw?
I lift my hand to my throat. The pins and needles still linger in my fingertips. I touch the front of my throat, and he nods.
“Your throat will most likely feel raw for a few days at least. It’s from the ET tube.”
ET? It reminds me of that little alien. I can’t help but smirk at the memory of watching it at one of the nicer foster homes. I hold up my finger at Myles. He touches the tip of his finger to mine, then laughs when he realizes exactly what I mean. Tears are forming at the corners of his eyes.
"The Endotracheal tube,” the doctor laughs as well before continuing. “Good to see your prefrontal cortex is working. Your sense of humor is still intact. Do you remember what happened?”
The air around me seems to be sucked out instantly. My chest tightens, and my heart rate begins to spike again.
“Hey. It’s okay. You're safe, Sunshine. Breathe, Mina.” Myles runs his hands gently over my arms, but even his touch feels suffocating right now.
My body flinches back. His hands are frozen, suspended, and hovering just over my skin.
I can feel the electric current bouncing between us, and it’s making my body feel like small needles are being run along every nerve.
He sits back and rests his hands on his lap.
The pain in his eyes twists a knife deep into my heart.
“You’re safe here, Miss Warner. Your friends have been here the entire time with you.
Take some time and relax. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.
Don’t strain yourself trying to force any memories to the surface.
Press the button if you need anything, and a nurse will be right in.
” He nods at me, then Myles and Alexandria before walking out of the room.
“I’m going to run to the cafeteria. I’m glad you’re awake.” She gestures to Myles with her thumb and laughs. “Myles here was going bat shit crazy without you.”
As she leaves, the sound of the door lock clicking into place echoes in the dimly lit room. Myles hasn’t moved from my side, but he’s no longer looking at me. He’s looking out the window. His hand rests on the bed almost touching mine. I flex my fingers and tap his hand with my pinky.
He turns as his eyes fall to where my hand is touching his.
He goes to grab my hand but stops. His gaze lifts to mine, and my heart breaks.
He looks exhausted, broken even. His eyes look drained of life and filled with pain.
My hand slides under his. His warmth spreads across my skin.
I can feel the life seeping back into my body.
“Mina…I’m so sorry…”
I cut him off by tugging his arm to pull him closer.
My throat still hurts too much to talk, but I need him.
His hand moves up my arm. His warm fingertips leave goosebumps across my skin.
When his fingers caress the nape of my neck, it’s like a wave of emotion hits me.
I’ve almost died twice now. That thought nearly breaks me.
I can feel the tears burning as they fall.
I lean toward him, and his body meets mine. His lips gently press against my own. He hesitates but only for a second. His fingers caress the sensitive skin on the back of my neck while his kiss devours my soul. I can feel the pain and tension he’s been holding in beginning to melt away.
My heart rate monitor frantically beeps as my pulse spikes again. He pulls away. His eyes are closed, and a smile is on his lips. I study every inch of this man in front of me. A healed gash runs under his eye, almost an inch long. My fingers mindlessly reach to run along it.
“It was from the accident. I didn’t realize how badly I was cut up until we got back to Cash’s office.”
He takes my hand and kisses my un-bandaged right palm. I look down at my left hand. The phantom pain still lingers from when I was impaled into the ground by the knife. My fingers flex, but there’s resistance in my middle and ring fingers.
“Do you remember what happened, Sunshine?” he asks softly. His thumb caresses along my wrist as he lifts my hand to kiss it again.
“I remember most…I think. How did you find me…” My voice still comes out croaky and shaky. It honestly doesn’t even sound like me.
“Cash. He had his friend Dex and a team follow us to Quin’s place. Cash distracted Quin while I snuck around back to the basement. Dex’s team showed up shortly after, and we rushed you both to the nearest hospital.”
“Both?”
“Cash and Quin fought, and he got shot. He’s going to be all right. He’s back in Vegas. He left a few days ago.”
“Where are we?”
“Arizona. But now that you’re awake, we can transfer you to somewhere closer to our home.”
“Our home?”
“Yes, Sunshine. Our home.”
He stands, leaning to press a kiss to my forehead. A calmness washes over me. A peace I haven’t felt for a very long time. I can actually see a future with Myles. He cups my chin, tilting my face up to look at his.
“I love you, Mina. You are my entire world. When you were in that coma, it felt like part of me was slowly dying. Each day that I couldn’t see your smile light up your eyes or hear your laugh echoing in the room, it killed me.
Even after I left you that night almost seven months ago, I could never fully stay away because my soul is attached to yours.
You’re the piece I’ve been missing. So, what do you say? Still want to move in with me?”
My heart rate monitor spikes again, making us both laugh.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he laughs as he kisses me again.
*Knock* *Knock*
“Come in,” Myles says loudly.
A young nurse walks in looking concerned. She glances back and forth from me to the monitor.
“Everything all right?” Myles asks.
“Uhh, yes. We were just concerned with how much her heart rate keeps speeding up then dropping…” Her eyes greedily look over Myles. She smiles slightly, trying to hold it back. “I understand why now though.”
I’m going to kill her.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” She smirks at him as she turns to walk out the door.
My upper lip twitches as the door shuts. I’ve been back in the land of the living for less than an hour, and I already want to kill a bitch.
“Have I ever told you how hot you look when you’re jealous?” Myles’s chuckle pulls me back.
“What?”
“First, Alexandria at the club, then when you woke up and saw her here. And then with the nurse just now…” He leans back over me and cages me to the bed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not jealous,” I huff. My voice is raspy, but it’s starting to sound more like mine.
“Oh, Sunshine. You should know by now you can’t lie to me.” His hand slips under the blanket to my thigh. “You should also know by now, you’re the only woman for me. I haven’t touched or even looked at another woman in seven months.”
His hand slides higher up my thigh. The steady beeping begins to pick up again. Those bitable lips of his half tilt into a smile as he glances at the monitor. His hand slowly retreats from beneath the blanket, and I’m already missing the warmth of his touch.
“Don’t worry, Sunshine. Once you’re healed, you’re all mine. We might have to get a heart rate monitor, though. It’s kinda hot hearing just how much your body wants me.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes at him as he leans to kiss me again. My right hand grips his shirt keeping him close. He’s never allowed to leave me again.
“I love you, Myles.”
“I love you, too, Sunshine.”