Chapter 33
Ethan watched the small flickers of Maggie’s eyelids as she slept. She wore an oxygen mask and was receiving antibiotics through an IV. She’d woken a couple of times since arriving at the hospital, always hazy and unfocused.
He hated it. All he wanted was for her to look at him and really see him. Tell him that she was okay.
He’d almost lost her. The knowledge haunted him. Played over in his mind like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.
What was the time? Three in the morning? Four? He had no fucking clue. All he knew was that he wouldn’t be sleeping. Not tonight. Not for a single second.
He hadn’t suspected Nel. Not once. He’d gone on two fucking dates with the woman and nothing. He wanted to kick his own ass. If he’d seen something, anything, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
Ward had come in, wanting to talk to Maggie. Ethan had all but shoved him out of the room. She wasn’t up to talking to anyone. Not yet. Ward had more than enough to arrest Nel. That should be his focus.
A knock at the door had Ethan’s head shooting up. He expected it to be a nurse or doctor.
Instead, Polly stepped in. She wore a hospital gown because they’d decided to keep her overnight. Her eyes were red-rimmed.
“Hey. I wanted to come earlier, but I wasn’t sure how she was doing.” Polly’s gaze landed on Maggie, and she paled.
“She’s okay,” Ethan said quietly.
Polly nodded before sitting on Maggie’s other side and taking her hand.
“The doctors gave her strong pain meds and she’s on antibiotics. They’ve made her tired.” He studied Polly. “How are you?”
“Physically, I’m fine, but… God, I feel like the worst friend in the world. I should have been watching the house. I was there to have her back and instead I was texting Joel. I was distracted by a man, just like…”
Ethan frowned. “Polly—”
She shook her head. “I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
She didn’t respond. She didn’t even nod.
They remained like that for another twenty minutes, both of them just watching the woman they loved, as if they were scared she’d suddenly disappear.
When Polly yawned, Ethan looked back at her. “You should sleep.”
“I should.” She stood, but instead of walking right out, she rounded the bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you for bringing her back to us, Ethan. I’m glad she has you.”
The door closed behind Polly. He knew he should sleep too. At least get a couple of hours. But he couldn’t. Not yet.
He lifted her hand and pressed a long kiss to her skin. “God, I love you, Maggie.”
His phone vibrated with a text, and he wasn’t surprised to see it was the team’s group text. After everything that had happened tonight, it was unlikely any of them were sleeping.
Ryan: How’s Maggie?
Ethan: Asleep and on oxygen. Doctors are monitoring her vitals. Chest X-ray showed everything’s okay.
Connor: That’s good.
Zac: And how are you, Ethan?
Ethan: Rattled. Angry. A million other things I don’t want to begin to process.
Ryan: You got her out. She’s alive because of you.
But she’d also almost died because he hadn’t looked into Nel.
Ethan: You guys should get some sleep. Someone needs to work tomorrow.
Joel: Have you seen Polly? Do you know how she’s doing? I tried to stay but she kicked me out.
Ethan: She was just here. She’s a bit rattled but physically she’s okay.
Joel: Good.
Ryan: We’ll come in and check on everyone tomorrow.
Ethan: Thanks for the backup, everyone.
Connor: We’re always here for backup.
He pushed his phone back into his pocket and took Maggie’s hand with both of his again, pressing it to his forehead.
He wasn’t tired. Not even a little bit. And even if he was, the only thing keeping him going at the moment was the soft hum of her breathing, and he wasn’t going to sleep through that.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed with her hand still tucked between his, but at the small jolt from her body, Ethan’s eyes flicked open.
Maggie’s eyes were closed, but her brows were creased and her head swung from side to side.
He straightened. “Maggie?”
Sound rattled from her chest, something between a groan and a whimper.
“Maggie.”
Still nothing.
When her head swung the other way again, her frown deepening, he gripped her shoulder. “Maggie, wake up.”
Ice-cold water rippled around Maggie’s body, covering every inch of skin. She swung her arms above her head, sweeping through the current, looking for the surface. For air. For light.
But there was none, it was like an endlessly deep river of water.
Then she realized she wasn’t moving. Every stroke of her arm, every kick of her leg was getting her nowhere.
She tried harder, desperately swinging her arms through the cold. It wasn’t working.
Panic seized her limbs, making her efforts grow clumsy and frantic.
No. She had to swim! She had to get out of the water before she drowned.
She clawed at the water but didn’t move.
She searched the murky depths—only to stop moving entirely.
Because there, beside her, was her mother.
For a moment, time paused. She didn’t feel the cold or the water or the way her lungs couldn’t get a single breath.
Mom.
Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but then something shook her shoulder.
“Maggie, wake up.”
Her eyes flashed open and she shot up with a choked gasp, yanking off the mask on her face, lungs burning like she’d really been underwater.
And she had. She’d almost drowned today. Or maybe yesterday? She had no idea of time or day. All she knew was that she’d almost died in the same exact way her mother had.
Tears gathered so quickly she didn’t have time to blink them back.
She swung her gaze to the side. “Ethan.”
He cursed and sat on the bed before tugging her into his chest.
The first ripples of warmth slipped over her skin, and she burrowed deeper into his body. She sat there for long minutes, just letting him hold her. Letting his warmth and strength fight off the nightmare.
“What happened just now?” he whispered.
Finally, she sat back, looking at the oxygen mask on her lap. She should put it back on, but the idea of something covering her face made her want to shudder. “It was just a dream.”
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“My mom was there…in the river with me.” She pressed a palm to her chest before looking at him again. “You pulled me out last night. But no one was there to pull her out.”
His throat bobbed as he gripped her thigh, anchoring her.
“Someone drugged and drowned her.” The words didn’t feel real.
And they didn’t feel like hers. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, seeing her mother under that water again.
“She must have been so scared. And she never got justice because no one ever looked into it. It just went down as an accidental drowning.”
Ethan’s warm finger touched her chin and tilted her head up. “Hey.”
She looked at him. At his moss-green eyes. The love and devotion in his expression. “My team and I will look into your mother’s death. We’ll figure out what happened to her and who’s responsible. I promise.”
She swallowed, wanting to believe him. Ethan never broke his promises. But it had been over twenty years since her mother died. How would he or his team find that person now? Any evidence would be long gone.
Still, she nodded. “Thank you. And thank you for being at the river exactly when I needed you.”
“I wish I’d gotten there sooner.”
She cupped his cheek. “You saved me.”
“You almost died.”
“You saved me.” She said the words slowly, needing him to hear them. “If you hadn’t been there, Nel would have gotten what she wanted.”
His eyes narrowed. “Thank God she didn’t.”
She swiped his cheek with her thumb. “How did you know where we were?”
“Jay found information on Nel’s past, which instigated a search of her home. We found the things she took from you. And information about your mother’s death. We figured out what her most likely next step was.”
“Jay helped?” After everything that had happened, it almost felt unbelievable.
“She did.”
“Wow. Does that mean… Are you going to be friends again?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. On one hand, the woman had found the information that led them to Nel. But did that erase everything that had come before?
“No. But she left on a good note.”
Maggie nodded, scanning the room. “So…how long do I have to stay here?”
“We. I’m not leaving you. And the doctor wanted to monitor you for a minimum of twelve hours.”
“What’s the time?”
“Early morning.”
“Have you slept?” She had a feeling she knew the answer, but—
“No.”
Exactly what she’d thought.
She scooted to the edge of the bed.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Making room. I won’t be able to sleep on my own. It’s for me more than you.”
A ghost of a smile curved his mouth. “Okay. But oxygen mask goes back on.”
She wrinkled her nose but pulled it on.
He kicked off his shoes and slid beneath the blanket. His broad shoulders barely fit. She leaned against his chest, his arms wrapping securely around her. It was everything she needed.
A kiss pressed to her head. “I love you, Maggie. And I will never take a single moment with you for granted.”
She dug her head into his chest and fell straight back to sleep, knowing that in his arms, she was safe.