Chapter Twenty #2
She sucked in a breath, let one out. She willed herself to find some equilibrium. On a careful breath she got to her feet again—just as the door moved and someone slipped inside, quickly closing it behind them.
Sammy.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded of Lia, storming over to the bed. “You shouldn’t stand up. Get right back into that bed.” She fisted one hand on one hip and pointed the other at the bed.
She looked very adult and…fine. Just safe and good and fine. Lia’s eyes filled with tears. Okay. Safe. Sound. But she didn’t want Sammy to worry about her.
“Yes, nurse,” Lia managed to croak out through a tight throat, just drinking in how okay Sammy seemed. Ordering her around. Not a scratch on her. Lia blinked the tears away as she sat back down on the bed. “What are you doing here?”
Sammy’s expression went sheepish. “I’m not supposed to be here. I caused a big scene and then…snuck in.” She shrugged. “That distraction technique works, huh?”
Lia catalogued every feature. She was wearing different clothes than she had been, but she clearly hadn’t showered or anything because her hair was a mess and there were mascara tracks down her cheeks. But okay and in one piece and…safe. Safe.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Lia said, feeling a little out of it, but knowing that had to be said.
Sammy nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. “He stabbed you. He choked you. That’s what I heard the police say.”
“And I’m alive and well.” Lia held out her hands for Sammy to put hers in. When she did, Lia squeezed and forced her mouth to curve. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, Sammy.”
Sammy nodded, a few tears slipping over. “Can I hug you?”
Lia held her arms out. Probably a bad idea, but she didn’t care. She pulled Sammy into a hug and held her close, a few tears of her own slipping out.
“I love you, Lia,” Sammy whispered, resting her cheek on Lia’s shoulder.
Lia’s voice was already hoarse, and her throat ached even over the pain medicine, but she forced herself to say the words back anyway. “I love you too.” Then she closed her eyes and just held on for a while. “You know, I’m grateful every day you decided to steal from me.”
Sammy choked out a laugh, then sniffled, pulling back and wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. “Me too.”
They just stared at each other for a few more minutes, like they both needed that visual reassurance that nothing catastrophic had happened. They were both going to be okay and life was going to go back to normal. Back to good.
But then Sammy’s expression got really serious.
“It wasn’t Mom’s fault. It really wasn’t. They tricked her. I know how I sound, and I know she was using again, but they did trick her. I saw it. I saw…”
Sammy was so desperate for it to be true, and it really didn’t matter if it was or wasn’t. “I believe you, sweetheart.”
“Really?” Sammy looked at the ground. “Uncle Gard won’t. He’s going to be mad at her. That she…did all this. Got messed up with those guys. Got back into drugs.”
“No, you underestimate him.” God, it hurt to talk more than move, but Lia made herself say the words Sammy needed to hear.
“Maybe he’ll be a little hurt that…your mom felt desperate when he would have done anything to help her, but he’s not going to blame her.
He’s not going to be mad. You know him better than that. ”
After a few moments of maybe letting those words soak in, Sammy nodded. Then she just looked at Lia for a long time, those blue eyes shiny with more tears. “You saved me, Lia. He was going to…” She shook her head. “You saved me.”
“And Gard saved me. That makes us pretty close to even.”
Sammy let out a shaky breath, still studying Lia’s face. “You love him, don’t you?” As she voiced that question, the door behind Sammy opened and Lia’s gaze met Gard’s as he stepped into the room.
He had streaks of black on his shirt, mud caked on his shoes, and his eyes were a little red-rimmed, likely from the smoke. But he was here and whole and…all that love Sammy had just asked her about swamped her.
She didn’t know if he’d heard the question or not, but she didn’t care. She held his intent blue gaze while she answered Sammy. “I do.”
Gard was buffeted by too many feelings to really absorb any of them. But Lia looking him dead in the eye and answering Sammy’s question cut through them all.
She was here. She was okay.
And she loved him.
“He loves you too,” Sammy said to Lia, clearly not aware he’d walked into the room, because she said it a little desperately, like it was Sammy’s job to convince Lia it was true.
Lia’s mouth curved a little bit. She ran a hand over Sammy’s tangled hair, but she still looked at Gard. “You think so?”
“I do,” he answered for Sammy.
Sammy whirled around quick enough Gard was a little afraid she might have hurt Lia, but Lia didn’t flinch.
Then, even though Sammy’s eyes were full of tears, she grinned at him. “I guess you’re not so dumb then.”
“Guess not,” he agreed, moving over to where Sammy stood, and Lia sat on the bed.
She was still pale, but they’d cleaned her up some. There was already bruising on her neck it killed him to look at. To remember the way her eyes had been wide with fear while he’d held a gun on the guy holding her, all too close for any kind of comfort.
But she loved him. And wasn’t that a hell of a thing after all this?
So he looked at Sammy. “Are you supposed to be in here?” he asked disapprovingly. “Because I know I’m not.” He’d snuck in, with a little help from Deputy Morris.
“Have you seen Mom?” Sammy asked without answering his question.
Gard shook his head. “They were running some tests. We should be able to see her soon though. Sarabeth and Izzy are in the waiting room. You don’t have to see them if you’re not ready, but I know they’re both really worried about you.”
“I want to see them. I… I didn’t mean to scare them. I wish…”
Gard reached out to squeeze her shoulder and she took in a careful inhale, like she was pulling herself together.
“But it’s okay. It’s all okay. I’ll go talk to them, but you’ll stay with Lia, right?”
Gard ran a hand over Sammy’s mussed hair. “I’ll stay. Straight to the waiting room, and nowhere else, got it?”
Sammy nodded. She gave Lia one last gentle hug then gave Gard a harder more impulsive one before she left the room.
Gard let out a slow breath. Everything inside of him felt far too tight. But everything was…okay. They still didn’t know the extent of Dani’s injuries, but she was going to make it. One way or another. And since he couldn’t see her yet, he focused on the woman sitting on the bed in front of him.
Who loved him. Who’d saved Sammy, at express injury to herself. He wasn’t sure he’d ever fully be over that.
He eased himself into a sitting position next to Lia on her bed. Then with every last ounce of gentleness he had in him, very carefully drew her to him. He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth, his hand behind her head even more gentle.
She sighed, relaxing into him. For a few, quiet moments, they just sat there like that. Absorbing the relief that it was over, and they were all okay.
“What would we have done without you, Lia?” he asked hoarsely, because… He couldn’t imagine it. Everything that had gone right tonight had been because of her—her past, what she’d seen, done. There was no way he would have found Dani in time without her or gotten Sammy out with so few scars.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she replied. Her voice didn’t sound right.
He pulled back a little, studying her face and worrying. “What’s the prognosis?” he asked, trying not to stare at the bruises on her neck.
“Just waiting to get the stitches in my side. No big deal. Bruised windpipe will heal on its own. I’m okay.” She met his gaze and said the rest with that quiet determination she’d had all night. “I’d have suffered through a million times worse to make sure she was okay.”
“I know,” Gard said, everything inside of him tied painfully tight. He’d have done the same. For the both of them. But it just wrecked him she’d been the one to pay the price when she’d already been through so much.
“And I wasn’t saying that just for Sammy’s sake,” he said, gently running a hand over her hair. “I do love you. I was going to tell you earlier but everything…went to hell.”
She chuckled, then winced a little. “Yeah, I was going to tell you earlier too. And about…my past. I really was.”
It meant something, he supposed. That she’d decided to tell him even before it had become necessary to save Sammy. That she’d been ready to share that, even if they hadn’t been given the chance to have that organic conversation.
Maybe it was even better that way, because now that they’d been through all this he didn’t know how to be anything but grateful she’d had the knowledge to keep Sammy safe.
And he remembered the guilt in her voice, when she’d talked about helping the FBI take down a group, considered it survival over anything noble. But Gard knew it had been noble, and he’d do everything in his power to prove that to her.
A knock sounded on the door, and then a doctor peeked her head in. “Ready to get stitched up?”
Lia nodded. “Yes.” She looked at Gard. “You should go check on Sammy.”
But he turned to the doctor. “Can I stay?”
She considered, then nodded. “Sure. If Ms. Blair wants you to.”
He turned to Lia with a questioning expression. Her eyes were shiny again, but she didn’t cry. She just nodded.
So he held her hand while the doctor stitched her up. Because they were in this together now.
For good.
Gard didn’t let her be alone for even a second. If he went to go check on Dani, he made sure Sammy was by her side. Eventually, Lia got cleared to be released, and Gard took care of everything.
She’d fielded texts from Franny, since Royal had clued her friend into what had happened. But since Lia was exhausted, she didn’t want any visitors. Any fuss. She just wanted to go home. Gard and Sammy could stay if they wanted to, but she wanted her bed and sleep. Rest.
She dozed in the back seat of Gard’s truck, loopy and fuzzy from the painkillers, assuming they were heading for Hope Town. When she blinked her eyes open, she realized they’d arrived.
Not at her house, but his.
He came around to the passenger side and helped her out while Sammy rushed up to the front door and unlocked it.
“What about Dani?” Lia asked.
“She has to stay a little while longer in the hospital. She wanted me to take Sammy home, try to get her to rest some. I couldn’t argue with that. I’ll go back in a few hours. If she’s not released later today, we’ll figure something else out.”
When he said later today, Lia realized it was morning, and the sun was starting to rise as she walked into Gard’s house. The sky was a kind of glowy shade of pink, pretty and…hopeful.
“Why don’t I make you something to eat,” Sammy said when they helped her inside.
Lia’s stomach wasn’t up for it, thanks to the drugs, but more, she thought of that horrible cheese sauce the last time Sammy had been in that kitchen. She wouldn’t be able to choke down a bite today. “I think I just want to sleep. You should sleep too, sweetheart. We all should.”
“Okay. You can sleep in my bed! I have fresh sheets. I’ll go get everything ready for you.” Sammy practically ran down the hall.
“Not quite what I had in mind,” Gard grumbled. “But she’ll be happy being able to fuss over you.” He smiled at Lia and Lia could only stand there feeling so absolutely overwhelmed.
He was just such a good guy. A good uncle or guardian or whatever. A good everything. And he was taking care of her and…
“I love you. I love her. I feel so lucky, even with stitches.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Maybe it’s just the painkillers,” he joked.
But it wasn’t.
A few tears spilled over her cheeks, and she sniffled. “You gave me a family, Gard.” This thing she felt like she’d never really had, was suddenly…real and hers. One she’d made. One she’d fight to keep.
He stroked a gentle hand down her cheek, wiping the tears away. “You helped make us a family, Lia.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.
Lia knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing from here on out—Dani would have to go to some kind of recovery, and Sammy would need to deal with that and what had happened to her.
But they were a family now, so they would deal.
No matter what.