He wanted to jump up and grip her hand. Beg her to stay. It wasn’t fair to her, though. She had her own life to get back to. Her own injuries that needed care. He was so fucking frustrated that he couldn’t seem to voice his opinion. That he couldn’t ask how she was doing or determine whether she’d gotten the medical care and counseling she needed after being trafficked and sexually assaulted. Jane’s selflessness not only humbled him, but it scared the shit out of him, too. He was a planner. Liked to assess the risks involved with every situation and determine all possible outcomes. Jane wasn’t reckless exactly, but if there was a problem or someone else was threatened, she didn’t seem to give the first fuck about what happened to her. Her level of risk acceptance was too high for his liking, because she was someone precious who deserved protecting, too.
“Hey, hey.” The scrape of a chair against the floor met his ears, then he felt Jane’s presence even closer. Slight weight landed on his chest. Her hand, he decided, and instantly calmed. Her other hand lay on the side of his cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I can tell you didn’t like the idea of me leaving because your heart rate spiked. Either that or I’m getting really irritating.” Her soft chuckle filled the room, and he could once again feel her fingers weaving in and out of his hair. How he wished this was a different time and place. That they were lying on his comfortable couch beneath a blanket, mindlessly flipping through channels without really watching. He’d be able to hold her close and memorize that beautiful face. Her delicate and adorable nose, those deep, dark eyes that glimmered from within.
For the next few minutes, he could feel her fingers tracing patterns on his face, smoothing his brows, over his cheekbones and jawline. He’d never experienced a more tender touch, and it was intimate as hell. The experience was broken all too quicklywhen the door creaked open and Jane immediately removed her hands to address the person at the door.
“Sullivan’s parents are here to see him. Unfortunately, we can only have one person in the room at a time.”
“Of course. I understand. I’ll be right out. Looks like your parents are here, big guy. I’m going to wait in the lobby while they take turns visiting.”
A slight shadow cast over him right before he felt her lips against his forehead. A strand of her silky hair fell loose against his cheek in a satin caress. “You’re the best man I’ve ever met.” Her voice was so quiet, he nearly missed the words, but they made his heart soar. What he wouldn’t give to grab her around the waist and hoist her into the hospital bed, just to hold her for a while. The shadow disappeared and the soft padding of feet grew more distant. He lay alone for several minutes before the door opened once again.
“Oh my God.”
He heard his mother gasp the words as though they were torn from somewhere deep in her chest.
“My boy.” Lilac and the sweet, earthy scent of hay from her beloved horses wafted to his nose as she leaned in and kissed him hard. “Why is he so still? Is he going to be okay?”
“Right now, he’s still recovering from surgery and the infection that spread to his bloodstream. It’s not uncommon for patients with sepsis to experience weakness, but he’s also on several medications for pain, muscle spasms, and infection. Immobilization will help with the healing process, but we don’t expect it to last long. Please take your time with your son and let me know when you go back to the waiting room so I can send someone to bring your husband or son in.”
“Thank you,” his mother said, voice thick with tears. Had he heard the nurse wrong? She said she could send someone to bring his father into the room, but she’d also mentioned a son.It was hard to believe his younger brother was actually here. Bentley was the baby of the family, and although both had been raised the same way, his little brother had struggled to find his way. Always seemed to resent him and have something to prove. Sully hadn’t seen Bentley in at least three years, and he knew his sisters hadn’t either. The last he’d heard, Bentley had flunked out of college and decided to go to Las Vegas, Nevada, hell-bent on opening a club. He couldn’t deny that he was happy to see his little brother and touched that he’d come to the hospital with his parents.
“We’ve all been so worried about you, Sullivan. It was a nightmare trying to get a flight but we’re here now and you don’t have to worry about a thing. Although it seems as though your fiancée has taken good care of you. When you wake up, you’ll have some explaining to do.” She laughed as she mock scolded him and his heart warmed. His mother was one of the gentlest and kindest souls he’d ever met. She’d have to be to break through his father’s grumpy, war-hardened exterior. He had no doubt that she would take Jane under her wing and make sure she was okay, regardless of the circumstances that had brought them together. His mother pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t want to leave your girl alone with Bentley and your father for too long. Lord knows Bentley will be hitting on her and your father will be questioning her as though she is a hardened criminal.” After a hug and kiss his mother left the room and was quickly replaced by his father.
“Know you must be hurting, son, but you know better than anyone the only easy day was yesterday. I’m damn proud of the man you’ve become, and it gives me some comfort that one of my sons developed the same values I try to live by. I’m hoping Bentley wanting to come see you with us is a turning point for him. Maybe this is what he’s needed to get his head out of his ass.”
His stomach sank at his father’s talk. Bentley was still having trouble it seemed. He loved his family, but these two short visits had been exhausting. Even though he probably appeared unconscious to his parents, he was still listening, and it had taken all his strength not to slip under the comfortable haze of medication. His father sat with him for a few more minutes, and then the chair squeaked against the floor and he felt the weight of his father’s hand as he gave his arm a firm squeeze.
He longed to have Jane back in the room. To feel her comforting touch and to hear her voice. He hoped she came back next and not Bentley. The door opened and closed shut again and he found himself alone in the room, fighting the sleep his body desperately needed to heal. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for the same old bullshit his brother constantly spewed. He instantly felt guilty for thinking that way. After all his brother had come a long way to see him and he was blood. Still, maybe Bentley would wait until later to come back. He got his answer when the door swung open, striking the wall, several minutes after his father had gone back to the waiting room.
Footsteps seemed to stalk slowly to the bed, and he suddenly felt uneasy. The sounds stopped and for a long moment, there was simply silence. “Look how the Golden Boy has finally fallen,” Bentley snickered. “Damn, you look fucked up. You should have seen how Mom and Dad scrambled to get a flight out. How panicked they were that their perfect son was laid up in the hospital. It was pathetic, really. But do you think they made a fuss six months ago when I sprained my ankle? Nope. They called and sent me a fucking fruit basket. Not that I’m surprised. It’s always been about you and the girls. Jenni, Liza, Mary, and Bree never even checked in on me, but you better believe they were on the first flight out of Cape Cod for you.” Bentley’s voice shook.
Jesus, when had his baby brother become such an asshole? He wanted him out of his ICU room and didn’t want him to come back. Yeah, he hated that his brother felt like less, but nothing could be further from the truth. Their parents had supported Bentley and all his interests with the same level of care they’d shown to him and the girls. Bentley had always looked for someone to blame when things didn’t go his way and it seemed that hadn’t changed a bit in L.A. There was a tightness in his chest and a twitchy sensation in his fingers, even though he couldn’t move.
The crackle of a plastic bottle being opened sounded next to him and his brother audibly took a gulp. “You know what? You look a little thirsty there, too. Lips are all cracked and shit.”
Sully tried to recoil, but nothing happened. His brother gripped his chin, forcing his mouth open. The machines at his side began to chirp, indicate one of his vital signs was elevated, like Jane had explained to him. A splash of water coated his tongue and dripped down his throat. He tried to swallow but wheezed instead. Liquid continued to rush into his mouth and a sensation of dread overwhelmed him. He couldn’t swallow the water being poured down his throat. He was fucking drowning and there was nothing he could do about it. In his mind, he was thrashing, fighting, but he knew his body was motionless. Bile rose in his gut and burned up his throat and he choked on that too. The machines were beeping more loudly now. Someone would come in and realize what Bentley had done.
“How do you get any rest in here?” Bentley said, tone serious. “Don’t worry. I’ll shut them off so you can get some quality sleep.” Suddenly, silence replaced the machines, and a sense of foreboding filled the empty space. His heart raced in a sloppy, uncoordinated rhythm and his breaths were coming fast as he continued to wheeze. He was dying and no one would know what killed him.
Jane. He needed Jane.
Chapter Seven
The longer Janewas away from Sully, the more worried she became. She was probably being stupid, but she hadn’t been able to shake the sour taste in her mouth since leaving him. She was sitting in the waiting room with Sully’s parents, who had introduced themselves as Kelly and John. They were both kind to her and while she was thrilled to be away from Sully’s brother, who gave her the absolute creeps, she was more than ready to return to the ICU. Neither of them had questioned the nurse who kept referring to her as their son’s fiancée, and she was grateful they weren’t questioning her. If they asked, she’d have to decide whether to tell them the truth. The last thing she wanted to do was get Ransom in trouble for misrepresenting her identity.
“Were you with Sullivan when he was injured?” Kelly asked her, then immediately held up her hands as though to ward off whatever Jane was about to say. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable. When the lieutenant commander called to inform us that he’d been hurt, we were shocked he was with the Virginia SEAL team with some of the men he’d previously served with before being transferred back to California.”
“It’s okay. If I was in your position, I’d want to know every detail. I don’t think I’d be nearly as patient as you have been with me. Yes, I was with him when he was hurt and while I don’t think Sully would want me to say anything specific about the mission, I think it’s okay to share that he was shot while saving my life. I’m so sorry he was hurt because of me.”
“Don’t let my son hear those words coming out of your mouth. He chose this life, and I’m proud of him for it. He knows what he signed up for. Knows the risks involved. This isn’t the first time Sullivan’s been hurt serving his country, and it’s probably too much for a father to hope that it’ll be his last.”
“He’s a hero.”
“Yes, he is.” Sully’s father nodded proudly. “But he wouldn’t like to hear that either.”
“No, he wouldn’t. Would he?” She smiled at John and found some relief from the weight that seemed to press down on her shoulders.
“Were you hurt? Has someone seen to your sunburn?” Kelly asked, taking her hand. “I feel awful. Here we are peppering you with questions and not thinking of what you might have been through.”
