“Okay, I’ll stay.” He takes my hand in his and sits back down. “Do you remember what happened?”
I survey the hospital bed I’m lying in. My body aches and my head hurts. My wrists are wrapped in bandages. I see scratches and bruises on my arms and there’s a sling around my shoulder. I take in a breath and a twinge of pain pierces my side.
“Yes . . . No . . . Bits and pieces.”
“You are definitely a Marshall lady. Fearless and a fighter,” Drake says, giving my hand a squeeze before he lifts the plastic pitcher on the bed tray, pours water in a small Dixie cup, and hands it to me to drink.
As I slowly swallow the soothing water, it hits me like a tsunami. “Todd!” I gasp.
“He’s dead.”
“I thought he was still in jail. How did he know where to find me?”
“He was released early.” He rubs his thumb on top of my hand and there’s sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I fucked up. I should have paid closer attention.”
“It’s not your fault he came after me.”
“What do you remember?”
Tears trickle down my face and I taste the salt as I lick my lips. “The alley. Then I woke up in a dark room. He had a gun. There was so much blood.”
“It was Todd’s blood. You shot him. Twice.”
“It’s over? It’s really over?” I mumble.
“Yes, Lulu. It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Drake’s thumb continues to caress the top of my hand. It soothes and comforts me.
My mind is going a thousand miles an hour as my body sags deeper into the bed, my head rests on the pillow, and I close my eyes momentarily.
It’s as if a weight has been lifted and yet all the horrific images flash in my mind. Todd’s eyes, the pain he inflicted, and the cold steel of the gun against my skin. Although I did my best to fight back, I knew it was hopeless and I was ready to accept my destiny.
But when the sun rose casting that flicker of hope making the room brighter, I saw my broken necklace and the cross shining on the dark floor. I took it as a sign of faith I would be saved.
I must have dozed off because when I open my eyes again, another man sits in the chair.
Brody. My Brody.
His hands link with mine, his lips on my thumb, and his eyes are closed as if he’s praying. My mind is still in a haze, but I’m more alert now than before.
I take him all in. His sandy-blond hair in disarray, his dusty black T-shirt, scuffs on his forearms, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and dirt on his cheeks.
“Hey,” I whisper as he lifts his head, his gaze meets mine, and a tear rolls down his face. He looks tired, like he’s been up for days with his red-rimmed eyes. “How long was I asleep?”
“Delilah.” His gravelly voice is but a whisper, but I hear it and it gives me peace to hear my name coming from his lips.
He rises from the chair and gently presses his mouth to my lips and keeps them there. He doesn’t say another word as we kiss each other, tasting the salt from his tears. When he finally pulls away, he sits back in the chair.
His jaw clenches as he reaches out to caress my tender cheek but then pulls back. I can tell he’s afraid to touch me, as if I’ll break. His eyes are full of questions he wants answers to. But knowing him, he’ll want to take it slow.
“You’ve been sleeping for the last ten hours.”
I take in a deep breath as tears well in my eyes seeing him again.
“I was so scared.” With those four words, it doesn’t take long for the uncontrollable tears to come down my cheeks as images flash through my mind.
“Me too,” he says.
“Please hold me,” I say.
Brody climbs into the hospital bed with me, being careful to avoid the many tubes and wires monitoring me. I wince when he wraps his arms around my shoulders, but I don’t care. I need the warmth of his body on me. To know this is not a dream. He cradles me as I heave and catch my breath. He’s silent, giving me the time to grieve and regain my strength.
It hits me like a freight train and I’m completely shell-shocked remembering everything.
I cry for what happened and what could have happened to me.
Regret for loving Todd and the gratification of killing him.
For loving Brody so much and yet I ran away from him.
I’m panting and out of breath.
I cry until I have no more tears to shed.
I lean back to see Brody’s shirt is damp from my tears, and I wipe my nose with the back of my hand.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m sorry I put this all on you, my family, my friends.”
“They’ll be happy to see that you’re finally awake.”
“They’re here? All of them?”
Brody nods as the corner of his mouth tugs up into a smile. “Except for Daxton. He’s with Franny and Catrina.”
“You gave us all a scare, sweetheart.” He shakes his head as his hand glides softly up and down my arm. “What happened? Why did you leave me?” He raises his hand. “Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that you’re alive.”
“I thought I was going to die,” I say, surveying the wrap around my shoulder, feel the bandages on my rib cage, IV in my arm, and cast on my leg. “He got me good, didn’t he?”
Brody runs his hand through his hair, stands, and walks to the window. He stares out at the orange and pink hues in the sky for a moment. “When I heard the gunshots . . . fucking Christ, Dee . . . all I could think about was getting to you . . . I prayed to God you weren’t hurt.” He turns and kneels next to the bed. The hitch in his breath tells me he’s holding back from breaking down. “Then I saw you, blood all over your body, your dress, the floor, him . . . I didn’t know what to do.” His voice cracks. “I thought . . . I thought I lost you.”
“I fought back,” I reassure him.
“And I’m jealous that you got to kill him instead of me.” He sits on the edge of the bed and gives me a soft smile. “Dylan and Jackson had to peel me off you and hold me back so the paramedics could check you. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you, Dee.”
“I know I shouldn’t have left. But when I saw you with Sophia. The things you were saying to each other. How you looked at each other. I can’t compete—”
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing to compete over and nothing to be jealous of. You have my heart. You’re it for me, Dorothy.”
“But I saw you. She was playing with your buttons . . . she was—”
“She was wiping off your lipstick. The lipstick you left on my shirt in the town car, remember? She's also been helping me with a surprise for you, that’s probably the things you heard us talking about. She was looking forward to meeting you and for us to meet her fiancé.”
Suddenly, I feel stupid.
“I-I don’t know what to say.” I shut my eyes in embarrassment and blow out a long breath.
“Just say that you trust me, and you’ll never run away from me again.”
“I trust you and I’ll never run away from you again because I love you.”
“Say it again.” He tucks my hair behind my ear.