I grinned as I turned to see him grab his books and take off out the door. I looked back at Amelia.
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. What do you think?” I didn’t give her time to answer because I moved in, collecting her lips with mine.
Her soft lips parted for me, allowing the tip of my tongue to slide inside, getting a taste of the sweet coffee left on her tongue. She broke the kiss after a second, and she pulled back to look up at me. “As fun as that sounds, I think that ship has sailed. How about we be selfish with our time instead?” She ran her fingers through my hair. “He’ll be going off to college soon, and then we can go back to it just being the two of us again.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I like the sound of that.” I ran my tongue across my bottom lip before moving back in.
Pain tugged me from my peaceful dream. I opened my eyes and found a white ceiling above me. I groaned as I took in themachines I was hooked to, the piss-yellow hospital gown, and the scratchy white blanket that was pulled up to my chest. That’s when I noticed Crash beside me. She was sitting in the chair she pulled up next to my bed. She was bent forward, resting her bent arms on the bed as she lay her head down.
“Crash,” I muttered, but my throat was dry, and my voice was quiet. She didn’t budge. I cleared it and tried again. “Amelia, baby?”
Her head popped up, and her sleep-filled eyes found mine.
“You’re awake,” she said, her voice trembling as she clutched my hand.
“How long have I been out?”
Her eyes moved to the clock on the wall.
“Since yesterday. They took you into emergency surgery the second the ambulance arrived. They were able to remove the bullet. Luckily, it missed your spine and any vital organs. You’re expected to make a full recovery in time.” She took my hand and squeezed it gently.
“What happened with Mikhail and his pissant lackey?”
Her brows lifted, and she took a deep breath. “The pissant was shot several times the second he shot you. He didn’t make it.” She shook her head. “Mikhail is gone. I-I don’t think he’s coming back because it sounds like it’s more than the police who want him. Some guy named Dominic showed up with a group of really scary-looking men. The police practically bowed to them. And that Klaus guy? With the car? He was there too. I did some research. Dominic is a king and has been looking for Mikhail for a long time. So… I don’t think he’s going to come back, especially if it means he’ll be taken by these king guys from Chicago.”
“So… It’s over?”
One corner of her mouth lifted slightly as she nodded. “It’s over. You’re free.”
I couldn’t explain the amount of relief I felt from hearing her words. “And what about us? Are we in any trouble?”
She shook her head. “We broke a lot of laws on this little adventure of ours, but as far as the cops know, we’re just two people who were taken and going to be sold into sex trafficking. You’re finally able to leave the past behind you so you can focus on starting over.”
I planted a kiss on the back of her hand, my heart filling with joy. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything,” I said, pulling her hand until she lay down beside me. My hand found her jaw, and I directed her lips to mine, kissing her until we were both breathless.
“It’s finally time to start over. What’s the first thing you’re going to do with this new life of yours?” she asked.
I thought about it for a moment before deciding.
“Crash?”
“Hmm?”
“Will-Will you marry me?”
Chapter 27
Amelia
My mouth fell open in surprise. It felt like the world stopped spinning as I stared down at the man I nearly lost. My life had been this wild and crazy adventure since I met him. In many ways, I felt like we’d known one another for years. But in reality, it’d only been a few weeks.
A laugh fell from my lips.
“What? No! You’re still high on pain medication, aren’t you?” I teased.
