Deacon shouted, “I’m coming in. Are we clear?”
“In here,” Noel shouted back and tried to stand, to cross to Addy. But he couldn’t make his legs work. That should have bothered him, the ice creeping up his body. It didn’t. It was just one more obstacle to overcomebefore he reached the love of his life.
Deacon entered and took in the scene just as Noel managed to crawl to her.
“Addy, baby. You okay?” She’d been shot in the leg. Not a bad wound. Especially because it appeared to have grazed her, not near a vital artery. But the gut wound worried him.
“I hurt.” She reached for and found his blood-covered hand. “You look terrible,” shesaid, blinking up at him.
“I’ve been better,” he admitted, letting the ice sweep over him. “So sorry, Addy. Love you…so…much.” He felt himself falling. “Don’t leave,” he wanted to addme, but his mouth wasn’t working anymore. He could no longer feel her hands, but he could sense her near.
And that was enough, that she lived and was loved. By him.
“It was a fucking nightmare,that’s what it was,” Noel heard as he woke, feeling groggy and undone by all the sunlightfiltering into…his bedroom?
“Oh, look. Mr. Lazy is finally up and awake. Jesus, Noel. Take a vacation why don’t you?”
He blinked and focused. Deacon had the baby in his arms, swinging the kid around in an unsafe manner while the baby laughed. Solene frowned at him but didn’t say anything. She had a few bruises on her face, but being Solene, she managed to make them look fashionable.
Hammer stood behind Addy, watching Noel with a mix of worry and relief. “Finally. Took you four damn days.”
An IV and monitor sat next to his bed. An unfamiliar woman fluttered around him wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He instinctively reached for his gun and swore when he jerked his arm too fast.
“Easy. She’s good,” Hammer said with a grin. “I vetted her myself.”
“Painin my ass,” the young woman grumbled. “Why the hell would Big Joe send someone unsuitable?”
“Her name is Violet. She goes by Vi,” Addy said.
“And she can talk too,” Vi said as she bustled out of the room.
He turned and drank her in. “You look wonderful,” he said, his voice scratchy. Addy had a bruised cheekbone. She wore a robe over pajama pants. He imagined she’d been bandagedup around her abdomen and leg. “Damage?”
“Shh. Don’t talk.” She fed him an ice chip that tasted better than anything he’d had in years. “I’m fine. My leg hurts, but it’s healing. It was just a scratch, apparently.” She glared at Hammer.
“Hey, you wanted the truth. For all that whining, you were barely touched.”
She turned her angry green eyes back on him and her expressioneased. God, he loved her so much. “Yes, well, it hurt. I’ve never been shot before.”
“Trust me, it’s not fun,” Vi muttered as she returned briefly to remove some bloody bandages from the room.
“Your belly?” Noel asked, needing to know. To see and touch her.
“Easy.” Hammer and Addy gently pushed him back down. “She’s fine,” Hammer said. “Bullet passed through her and didn’thit anything major. A few weeks of rest and she’ll be good as new.”
Solene drew near, deliberately turning her back on Deacon, who frowned. “That means no sex, you two.”
Addy blushed. “Solene. Really. He’s barely back.”
“Yeah, but he’s got that look. No boning, Mr. Ice, or you’ll break her stitches,” she admonished.
He gave a pained grin, feeling all was right withthe world. “No secrets, I see.”
To his surprise, Deacon looked uncomfortable. “She had a right to know, considering those assholes tried to pound her into the floor.” Then he grinned. “You should have seen her work on them. Solene knows how to move—for a civilian.”
She flipped her hair back. “Black belt, buddy. Don’t you forget it.”
“I’m in love,” Deacon teased.
