Hunter snarls and tries to shove up out of his wheelchair, but I plant my hands on his shoulders, forcing him down. “We don’t have time for this!” I whisper-hiss, eyeing the nervous-looking nursing staff flitting around the tiny medical ward. “You look fine.”
“No,” he grunts, settling into his chair with a sigh. “Youlook fine. I look like I ran through Goodwill with a blindfold on and saiddo your worst, bitch.”
Oliver doubles over, laughter peeling from his chest, making his shoulders shake. Sighing, I shake my head, eyeing my own outfit. For as silly as Hunter looks, Oliver took his time to make sure I’d appear professional, clean, and yet perfectly invisible.
I don’t know where he found the black athletic pants and matching fitted zip-up that somehow fits me like a glove, but I have a niggling feeling this place is equipped with way more extra clothing than Oliver’s letting on. He even somehow found brand new Nikes that are pink, adorable, and my size.
I’m pretty sure I’m wearing something reserved for fitness training. It still had the tags on it, for Christ’s sake, all the way down to the bra and panties.
I smirk to myself and quickly glance at Oliver, who waggles his eyebrows, humor lighting up his kind face.
Yeah, he’s fucking with Hunter, I just don’t know why.
But as lightness fills my chest and some of the anxiety I’d felt about what’s to come dissolves, I wonder if maybe Oliver sensed I’d need a distraction right now.
After snagging him from the hallway outside of Hunter’s room earlier, I filled him in on everything. Well, not everything. I’m still not sure people should be made aware of how little I know about this entire situation, but something inside me says I’m not fooling Oliver. He already knows how out of my element I am. I also kind of think I can trust him.
His eyes went wide when I explained the shoot-out, Hunter’s near death, my missing guys, the trackers they should still,hopefully, be wearing, and my need to extract as much information here before hunting them down.
But he surprisingly took it all in stride. He simply gave me a sharp nod, adjusted his glasses, and took care of everything else.
Hunter was ushered to a shower that he insisted on taking by himself, but I quickly stripped down without a word and got us both clean. If he hadn’t been slumped on the wall, his eyes heavywith exhaustion, I have no doubt the shower would’ve been awkward ornot, considering we haven’t been naked and close like that in…
Well, a long time.
But I gritted my teeth, ignored the hard dick pointed at me, and washed us both quickly. I may have taken a peak while he rinsed his hair, but I’m only human.
The second I’d found myself getting turned on, I looked away, guilt, anger, and sadness replacing everything else.
I need my guys back.
Now.
And as much as I love Hunter, as much as I desire him, we can’t take it any further with them out there suffering or worse. Not yet.
I shook the thoughts of Hunter’s sexy, tattooed body and veiny cock away, rinsed and dried us both, and got us into the clothes Oliver had left on Hunter’s bed. A wheelchair also magically appeared, as well as a nurse who Oliver promised wouldn’t rat us out.
When I’d given her a questioning look, she merely shrugged, reattached Hunter’s wires and IV, making them portable, and said, “Who the hell am I to question you? You’re in charge here. No one else.”I gaped, Hunter choked, Oliver chuckled, and the nurse winked before spinning on her heel and leaving us behind.
Now, here we are, ready to go to the debriefing that Oliver assured me wouldn’t start until I arrived.
It makes no sense.
None.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
I can’t do this. I can’t handle this. I’m not made for this world, whatever it is. I have no idea what’s waiting for me inside that meeting, but I know it’s not good. I know it’ll have the power to stop my world and burn it to ashes.
How can I allow that to happen when I have nothing left to give?
When I’ve already lost it all?
“Ready?” Oliver murmurs, pulling my attention from my shoes. My fingers are tangled in my sleeves, and Hunter leans forward, gripping my hands and tugging me into him. My knees hit his bent ones as I meet his eyes, bending slightly since he’s a bit shorter than me in the wheelchair.
His palms cup my cheeks, his eyes flitting between mine. “You are Isabella Hundson, a friend, a barista, a lover, a daughter, a kind-souled woman with so much strength, it knocks the breath from my lungs.” My eyes mist over, but I blink the tears away. “You are beautiful, sweet, pure, and so much more than whatever your mind is telling you right now. Youcando this. I swear to God, Elle, you really can.”
“How can you have so much faith in me?” I ask, my voice cracking. I sense Oliver move away to give us privacy, and I could hug him for it. “I don’t even have that much faith in myself, Hunt.”
