Glenn crumples to the floor, screaming in pain.
“Darlin’, we’ve got to get you out of here,” I groan, the adrenaline keeping me moving as my vision blurs.
“No,” she says, shaking her head fiercely. “I’m not leaving you.”
I collapse to the side, my body giving out as the world spins. My brothers have taken control of the room, handling the remaining threats. I hear their shouts and the thunder of gunfire, but my focus stays on her.
Meridea drops beside me, her hands cupping my face. “Stay with me,” she pleads, her voice breaking. “Don’t leave me.”
“I—I love you,” I whisper, the words slipping from my lips before darkness claims me.
MERIDEA
The rugged, handsome man had taken a bullet for me. Declan had risked everything, and now he lay unconscious, his blood pooling around him.
As an eighteen-wheeler pulled up to carry their bikes back to the MC, Declan’s eyes closed. And I screamed, desperately shaking his body in the hopes of waking him up. He couldn’t leave me like this. I realized that I was in love with Declan.
“Meridea, we need to get him out of here,” Hassle tells me.
I wanted to shoot Glenn again for all the trouble he caused. The only reason I didn’t put a bullet in his head was because he had to pay for what he did to Declan. That means he’ll suffer nice and slow.
A private ambulance service arrives and carries Declan and me to the Ravens MC in Blue Haven. The guys had a private medical doctor on speed dial. With their extracurricular activities, the service is needed.
I stayed by his side, gripping his hand as if my will alone could bring him back. For two days, I barely moved, watching over him until he finally stirred.
“Meridea,” Declan rasps, his voice hoarse.
My head shoots up, meeting his gaze. Relief washes over me in waves. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah,” he says, a weak smile tugging at his lips. “There’s no way I’m leaving my future wife.”
“Declan,” I warn, trying to keep my emotions in check, but my heart swells at his words.
I called Dr. Sanders, the private physician who had been tending to him.
While we waited for him to wake up, I glanced around the room—a shrine to his life with the Ravens. Photos of Declan and his brothers on motorcycles, one in front of the Grand Canyon,and his leather cut proudly displayed with “Ravens MC stitched across the back.
Declan had kept his promise. He and his brothers had tracked down and captured the men who were after me. My life could finally begin again. But the idea of starting over without him didn’t feel right. Then there was his comment about a baby. He must have been delirious. I never missed a birth control pill. Surely there wasn’t a baby… right?
Dr. Sanders entered and examined Declan, her professional demeanor softening as she smiled at me. “Meridea, make sure he takes his pain meds and gets plenty of rest,” she instructed.
“I will. Thank you,” I reply, grateful for her care.
“Thanks again, Shannon,” Declan says.
“You saved my life. I told you I’ve always got your back.” Dr. Sanders winks, then vacates the room.
“It’s nice to have good people in your corner,” I say, squeezing Declan’s hand.
“Sure is.” His eyes skate over my face.
“I can’t believe that fucker hit you,” Declan growls.
“That wasn’t the first time I’d been hit that night. Glenn sedated me in the SUV. I felt a hand hit my cheek a few times. That’s how I woke up at the warehouse zip tied to a chair.
Declan’s jaw ticks. “I’m going to chop his fucking hands off.”
His hand caresses my bruised cheek. Tingles dance over my skin. “Dr. Sanders examined you and our child, correct?”
