Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 102177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
“We’ve got Wire on it,” Cade answered after a moment.
Both of their heads snapped up as a tired looking doctor entered the room.
“Which one of you is Mrs. Breslin’s husband?” he asked, glancing at a chart.
Asher pushed out of his chair with such force it rattled to the ground.
He advanced on the doctor. “I am,” he clipped. He couldn’t say anything else.
“Your wife is breathing on her own now, Mr. Breslin,” the doctor told him.
Asher’s entire body sagged. “I need to see her,” he demanded immediately, cutting off whatever else the doctor had to say. That could wait. He needed to see with his own eyes. Needed to touch her. Or else those thoughts of her still chest would rip him apart.
“She’s sedated and suffering from significant burns to her hand,” the doctor tried to explain again.
Fury had its space to grow with the knowledge that Lily was okay, fury that he’d tamped down for the time being.
“I need to see her, now,” he repeated. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
The man must have seen this on his face because he didn’t say anything else, merely nodded.
“Follow me.”
Asher sank into a chair beside the bed holding Lily’s small form. His hand immediately darted out to cover her small chest and breathed easy for the first time in hours at the movement of his hand.
He grasped her small hand, it disappeared in his large one. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed it lightly.
“I’m here, baby,” he whispered. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”
Three Weeks Later
One week. That’s how long I was in the hospital for. My lungs had sustained significant damage from smoke inhalation, and my hand was severely burned, the pain was like nothing I’d ever experienced. The skin was light pink now it was healing. It would scar, not that Asher would let me live with the physical reminder. We’d be seeing a plastic surgeon as soon as it was properly healed. I didn’t care about the pain on the outside. It was the stuff on the inside that couldn’t be repaired by a plastic surgeon. Not even my husband’s gentle touch or his strong arms that encircled me every moment he wasn’t out hunting for them. The people that did this. That shot Lucky. That almost killed me. That still had Bex.
I braced myself on the kitchen counter. Pressure built on my chest once more. I had an overwhelming urge to sink to the ground, to hug my knees to my chest and surrender to the weight that was pushing me down.
The moment I thought my strength would waver, that I would collapse, strong arms encircled me and the weight lightened a fraction.
“Flower?” Asher murmured in my ear.
I sank back into his body, closing my eyes a second. Asher’s hand moved over to my chest, as it did often in the past three weeks. He left it there and we stood in silence for a moment.
“Lucky’s out today?” I said finally, turning into Asher’s arms.
His worried gaze roved my face. He nodded. “Yeah, he’s discharging himself. Against doctor’s orders,” he responded with a frown.
I touched the stubble on his chin. Moved to the heavy bags under his chocolate eyes. He wasn’t sleeping well, I knew. The entire club was on alert after the events three weeks ago. Everyone was thirsty for vengeance, Asher more so than most. It killed men like Asher when they were unable to exert that vengeance. When they felt vulnerable. When Asher couldn’t be around me, I had an escort wherever I went. Not that I was going many places these days, apart from college and home. It was a struggle even to drag myself out of bed every day Bex wasn’t found. But I did.
“He’s looking for her,” I said finally.
Lucky had had to be sedated when they told him about Bex. He’d started to rip out all of the cords in his arms and get out of bed. Despite the fact he was recovering from two gunshot wounds that technically killed him. Stopped his heart and had him in a coma for days.
“Yeah,” was all Asher said. His hand brushed the hair from my face. “You okay, flower?” His voice was tight with worry. As it always was when he looked at me. He was waiting, I knew. Waiting for me to fall apart.
“No,” I replied honestly, and his frame tightened. “But I will be. Somehow. We’ll find her,” I said firmly. “For now, we’ll keep going. For now, I’ve got you.”
His hands fastened at my neck. “Forever you’ve got me, flower,” he promised.
“Forever,” I agreed.
His eyes stayed locked on mine for a moment, then his mouth went to mine. He kissed me slowly, building a steady crescendo of need in my belly.
My hands fastened around his neck as the kiss deepened and he lifted me to set me on the counter. I moaned into his mouth when I felt his hard length pressing into my panties. His hand moved to caress my nipple.