Chapter Twenty-Two
S amantha’s entire body hurt. She came in and out of consciousness, the pain drawing her back under, an escape she was eager to give in to.
She woke to her mother’s voice, which seemed odd. Her mom was in Florida. The next time consciousness came, she heard Ian, too, but he hadn’t mentioned flying up anytime soon. Just as the thought occurred, she sunk back into the darkness calling her.
She wasn’t certain how much time had passed when she opened her eyes and felt more clearheaded. She blinked into the lights above her. A nurse was there to check her vitals and give her ice chips, and she fell back to sleep.
The next time she woke up, she was in her own hospital room and she felt a heavy weight at her side. She glanced down to see Dex had fallen asleep, his head on the mattress beside her.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and let her nails lightly scrape along his scalp. All the while, she searched her memory for what had brought her here. Her head hurt, not to mention her left side throbbed with pain.
She remembered being outside with Brandy, going back for her phone and… “Jeremy!” she exclaimed. “He shot me.”
“You’re awake. Thank God,” Dex said, relief in his tone, as he raised his head and her hand fell to her side. “You scared the hell out of me.” His eyes were bloodshot and a scruff of beard was on his face, telling her he’d been here all night.
She realized now her family probably had flown to New York and hearing their voices hadn’t been a dream. But it was Dex who stayed the night, his head beside her on the bed, and her heart swelled with emotion, her throat thick.
“You’ve been in and out of consciousness and I’m so relieved you’re awake.” His gaze took her in, his eyes softening.
“Must be the good drugs they’re giving me,” she said with a small smile, as she lifted her arm with the IV and needle in her hand. “I can’t imagine how much worse the pain would be without them.” Her eyelids were heavy but she forced herself to stay awake. “Am I okay?”
He clasped her hand and lifted it to his cheek. “You’re very okay. You got lucky. A small nick to your spleen that the doctor repaired and they retrieved the bullet, which should help when they find Jeremy.” His voice took in a deep, angry tone at her ex’s name. “Do you have any idea why he lost his mind and shot you?”
She nodded. “I think so. I met with Tim yesterday, my lawyer. The forensic accountants discovered Jeremy has been embezzling from the business for a long period of time.” She slid her tongue over her dry lips and Dex reached over to give her a cup filled with ice chips.
She tipped some into her mouth and sighed in relief.
“Good?” Dex asked.
She nodded and handed back the cup.
“So that bastard was stealing from you?” he asked, clenching his jaw in fury.
She nodded, then struggled to remember the details her lawyer had given her. “Those payments the accountants found had gone to shell corporations, and the money was then sent to an offshore account Jeremy opened in the Caymans.”
“That son of a bitch.” Dex met her gaze but did not release his tight grip on her hand, holding on as if she might disappear if he let go.
She couldn’t imagine what he’d been through last night, knowing if the situation had been reversed and he’d been shot, she would have been frantic.
Because she loved him .
The thought hit like a thunderbolt despite the feelings having been there all along. She’d been pushing them away, telling herself they were wrong since she’d recently been about to marry another man. Attempting to convince herself she needed to figure out her life. What a fool she’d been. Without Dex in it, she didn’t have a life, not the one she wanted, anyway.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Her gaze fell to his as she took in his haggard face, no less handsome for being so exhausted. The desire to reach out and stroke his cheek was strong but she waited, needing to get through the discussion about Jeremy before she turned the subject to them.
“I am. It’s just unbelievable to think back over what happened yesterday,” she said, which was true.
He inclined his head. “If you’re up to telling me, what happened next?”
She gestured for more ice chips and he helped her take some and wet her mouth before answering. “Tim warned me Jeremy had probably been alerted to the forensic search and results they’d found, and that he might be volatile.”
“That’s an understatement,” Dex ground out.
“Yes. But I told him I’d be careful.” Thinking back, she realized how unsuspecting she’d been, never considering how badly things could turn.
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked gruffly. She sensed the hurt behind the words but there’d been no real reason to think she needed him at that point in time.
“I thought I could handle Jeremy.” She gave Dex a little shrug, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. “Based on his recent behavior with me, I figured not being alone would keep him from approaching me again. I never thought he’d shoot me. I didn’t know he even owned a gun.” She shivered at the reminder of the moment the bullet struck and the pain afterward.
She squeezed Dex’s hand, fear taking hold. “He can’t get in here, right? I mean, I’m safe?”
He shook his head and gently caressed his fingers along her cheek, causing her to tremble even more. “You’re fine. I’m not leaving and your brother has a security guard outside. A female who is as unobtrusive as she can be. Ian moves quickly.”
She managed a smile at his accurate description of her brother.
As for Dex not leaving… “You need to eat, shower, and sleep,” she said gently. “And I’m relieved there’s a guard.” She let out a long breath, feeling better about being stuck here.
She lay her head back on the pillow. No sooner had she done so than her thoughts went back over the hours prior to the shooting. And the days after they’d returned from Florida. Things had been hot and cold between them and she had only herself to blame.
“Dex—”
“Samantha—”
She laughed at their mind-meld.
“Ladies first,” he said. She noted her hand was still in his, his fingers wrapped protectively around hers.
“Okay.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I don’t know if this is the right time but we need to talk.”
He slid his chair in closer, a concerned look on his face. “Go on.”
“Before I got shot, you said you had a business dinner and might not come by. Now, don’t get me wrong, we aren’t living together. You don’t owe me every night. But—” She picked at the blanket tucked around her with her free hand, not meeting his gaze. “Things between us have been weird. Off.”
“I know and I can explain,” he said.
Now she did look at him and saw regret in his sad eyes and expression. “Can I say one more thing first?” she asked.
“Of course.” He brushed her hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “I’m listening.”
She swallowed hard, the words not coming out easily. Nerves settled in her belly and her stomach pitched, but it was time to lay out for him what she just realized herself.
She was certain about loving him and she knew what she wanted. Whether she’d driven him so out of his mind with confusing messages, he felt differently, she’d find out. Though his behavior now gave her the courage to admit her feelings.
“I realize that I was giving you mixed signals.”
“Sweetheart, no—”
“I was,” she insisted. “I said I wasn’t looking for a relationship, that we’re friends, but you were there. Every time I needed you, you stepped up without asking. And if I regret one thing, it’s not giving you all of me the same way. But I noticed the change in you after Florida, and I just need to know if it’s us you aren’t sure of.” She swallowed past her dry mouth. “Or if you think you were doing what I wanted, giving me space? Or if my issues are just too much?”
He held up a hand. “Samantha, stop. Please.” He visibly shuddered, his emotions clearly on the surface, too. “I screwed up, not you. I understood why you needed time to cement your feelings. But when those photos of us came out, Austin called and said the president of the network was furious about the bad publicity. That I didn’t want to give him a reason to pull the deal based on the morality clause in my contract.”
She gasped. “Oh my God.” She pulled her hand out of his and covered her mouth for a brief moment. “Why didn’t you tell me? I knew Austin was worried but I didn’t know how serious things were. I never would have gone to Florida with you or—”
“Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d pull away, and that was the last thing I wanted.” He ran a hand through his hair, his stress obvious. “I want you, Samantha. Not an announcer spot that comes with qualifications. I kept us hidden so Jeremy didn’t get upset enough to do something crazy. Which he obviously did anyway. Not to protect some job.”
Discovering all he’d been keeping to himself, hearing that to him, she came first, tears formed in her eyes and she blinked in a futile attempt to hold them back. “Oh, Dex. I messed things up so badly.”
“You didn’t. I did.” He brushed away the moisture on her cheek with his thumb. “You were shot and I was nowhere to be found. All my attempts to protect you from Jeremy by not giving him anything to worry about accomplished nothing but make you think you couldn’t turn to me. You called Ian.” His jaw worked back and forth in frustration.
“Because Jeremy is obviously mentally unstable and I completely missed the signs before the wedding, so how could I expect you to see them?” she asked, falling back on logic.
His deep groan echoed what she felt inside but she was finished talking about Jeremy.
“Dex?” Reaching out, she put her hand over his and squeezed, more for her own benefit than his because she needed his strength for what she was about to say. “I should have called you and not Ian… because I love you. I should have accepted that truth sooner and not let anything come between us.”
His beautiful blue eyes opened wide in surprise. “You love me?”
She nodded and his sexy lips turned up as the truth settled in.
He reached out and wrapped a gentle hand around her neck and leaned forward so she didn’t have to. “That’s good because I love you too, Samantha Dare.”
She let out a long breath, every muscle in her body easing in relief that she hadn’t driven him away. “I’m so glad.” She blinked and this time happy tears dripped down her cheeks.
He swiped them away and touched his lips to hers, kissing her softly, before pulling back. “You need to rest but I’m not going anywhere.”
With a grateful smile, she closed her eyes. She might be in the hospital and in pain. Jeremy might still be out there, running from the police. And she had many loose ends to tie up business-wise. But as far as her personal life was concerned, she had the man she loved and that made her blissfully happy.
“I love you, Dex. And you’re not giving up a job most men would kill for. Not for me.”
He let out a low chuckle. “I’ll make the choice that’s best for me. For us.” He curled his hand around hers and though she felt his eyes on her, she drifted into a medication-induced sleep.
***
Once Samantha fell into a deep sleep, Dex stepped out of her hospital room to make a few phone calls, including smoothing things over with the head of FSN. But first he leaned against the wall and let out a groan filled with relief. From the moment Ian called him to say Samantha had been shot, Dex felt like he’d stopped breathing.
He and her family had taken turns going in to sit with her last night, Ian having pulled strings the billionaire seemed to have in every state. Dex had finally convinced Ian to take his mom to the hotel to get some rest and promised he wouldn’t leave Samantha. Despite the doctor telling them she would recover, until she’d woken up and begun talking to him, he hadn’t taken a full breath. Or so he thought.
Until she said those three words. Words he’d planned on saying first. Not that he cared about the order of things as long as Samantha was finally his.
He wished the situation with Jeremy was under control and the man behind bars. But his former NYPD detective brother, Remy, promised he’d pull in his favors and look into the search for the man who’d shot Samantha.
Heart pounding, he pulled out his phone and checked messages. He’d let his family know where he was but he’d been so focused on Samantha, he’d forgotten to check in. And they were not happy.
He nodded at the security guard and she stepped closer to the entrance to Samantha’s room. Feeling better, he walked to an area where he could make phone calls and not disturb other patients and their families, and set about reassuring his siblings and dad.
***
Not long after their intimate discussion, an NYPD detective arrived to interview Samantha about the shooting. Dex sat by her side, holding her hand in his, as she recounted the entire situation with Jeremy. Dex’s presence gave her strength but by the time she ended the story of Jeremy shooting her, she was exhausted. Throughout the telling, Dex had remained silent and didn’t interrupt the questioning until her voice began to slur.
So soon after surgery, the detective was overly persistent, something she understood but she was wiped out. Only after Dex threatened to call the nurses in to ask the man to leave, did he consent to go, but said he’d be back to follow up in case she remembered anything new.
True to his word, he’d returned around dinnertime but didn’t stay long. Nor did he provide them with any information about Jeremy or whether they knew his whereabouts.
The next visitor was Brandy, and Dex took a break so they could be alone.
Having shared such a traumatic event, they cried on each other’s shoulders. “You saved my life, you know,” Samantha said.
Brandy shook her head. “I screamed, my hand shook too hard to dial 911…”
“But you held my hand and talked me through the pain. I couldn’t have made it without you there by my side,” Samantha said over the lump in her throat.
“You were cracking Grey’s Anatomy jokes,” her best friend said, blinking back tears.
Samantha laughed. “Someone had to keep you calm.”
Brandy wiped her eyes and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t think I’ve ever been so frightened in my life.”
“Same,” she whispered, the memories way too close for her liking. “So… how would you like a raise?” she asked, switching topics.
Brandy’s eyes opened wide. “I already know you need me to run things at the office. Don’t insult your best friend by offering me more money to help you out.”
“Sit down. Please.”
Pulling up a chair, Brandy lowered herself into it. “I’ll be there for whatever you need.”
It was Samantha’s turn for tears. “Thank you. But we will revisit this raise thing soon.”
She nodded. They spent the rest of her visit on lighter subjects and Brandy left when Dex returned.
***
Two more days passed, in which Dex only left Samantha’s side to do as she’d said, shower, eat something, and catch some sleep. The same with her family.
Finally, the surgeon walked in on day four for his morning visit. The family stepped out so he could examine the surgical site and he called them back in to give her the good news. If she maintained her progress, the doctor said he’d discharge her the following morning. Dex knew exactly where she’d be going, too, and it wasn’t back to the apartment with the memories of the man who’d hurt her both emotionally and physically.
After the surgeon walked out of the room, her mother jumped up from her chair. “I’m so relieved!” Emma said, hugging her daughter.
Samantha, happy but still pale, smiled. “You should go home to Michael, and you two to your kids,” she said to her family.
Emma shook her head. “You need me right now. Michael would have come but, like I told you, he’d just gotten over the flu and didn’t want to pass anything on.”
“I know, Mom. He’s a good man. I’m so happy for you.” She reached out and squeezed her mom’s hand.
The similar warm dynamic between this family and Dex’s own wasn’t lost on him.
Ian strode over to his mother and put an arm around her waist. “Something tells me Samantha is in good hands and we can go home soon.”
He glanced at Dex with a surprising approving look, his gaze friendlier than any time since Dex had whisked his sister off to the Bahamas. Or was it vice versa?
“Is that your approval I’m finally getting?” Dex asked.
“Speaking of your approval, Ian, we don’t need it. We didn’t need it all those years ago, either,” Samantha said in a chiding voice.
“What’s going on?” Emma asked, looking between her two children.
Riley put an arm on her mother-in-law’s shoulder. “Ian was being Ian. Come outside and I’ll explain.”
Arm in arm, the women strode out the door.
Dex glanced at Samantha, who attempted to cross her arms over her chest, then realized the pain was too much and winced.
“Watch it, sweetheart,” Dex said, hating to see her in any more pain than necessary with recovery. “You can glare at Ian all you want but no sudden movements.”
Ian raised a cocky eyebrow. “Seriously? You two think if you’d gotten together when she was young and you were so involved in football it would have lasted? I did you a favor.” His voice was as smug as his expression. “Besides, second chance romances are hot these days. Or so Riley says from reading romance novels,” he muttered, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment over what he’d just said.
Samantha laughed as did Dex.
“I gotta tell you, that was worth its weight in gold,” Dex told his friend. Because despite the banter and warnings, they were friends.
Soon to be family, if Dex had his way.
“Ian, you know I love you, right? And I turn to you when I need help. But you’ve got to let me live my life,” Samantha said.
Her brother let out a grumbling noise. “I’m still keeping an eye on him.” He pointed to Dex.
She opened her mouth to argue but he interrupted. “Sounds fair since I’d do the same with my sister.” He winked at Samantha, who despite being weak, worn out, and recovering, was still beautiful to him. “He’s given us his approval, sweetheart. Take it as a win.”
“Not that we need it,” they said at the same time and burst out laughing.
Ian rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I love you, Sammy Bean. I’m going to find my wife.”
“Sammy Bean?” Dex turned to the woman he loved and who he’d all but decided had one nickname.
Beautiful . That’s what he called her and how he thought of her.
Mine , came next.
Her cheeks were bright red. “Come over here and kiss me,” she said, clearly wanting to change the subject.
Good thing he was on board.