No wonder the pain is still so bad, even with whatever drugs they’ve pumped me full of.
“You suffered a severe concussion. You were in surgery for several hours because of internal bleeding, you had a punctured lung and needed to be intubated, and at one point your heart stopped on the operating table.”
My breath catches.
He says it all with such detachment that someone who doesn’t know him would probably believe he feels nothing at all.
But I know he’s trying to keep his temper under control.
A tear rolls down my cheek, and before it can fall any further, Hunter reaches out and wipes it away with his thumb.
The sight of it seems to cause him actual pain.
The muscles in his jaw tighten and his eyes darken.
“Stop. I can’t bear to see you cry.”
“Am I really okay?”
“Yes.”
“What day is today?” I ask suddenly.
He leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“A bloody Christmas miracle. That’s what you are, love.”
Chapter 45
Hunter
I look at my girl sitting on the edge of the bed, her face still marked with bruises that are slowly fading, and yet every time my eyes land on them the monster inside me claws a little harder at its cage, demanding to be let loose.
Not yet, but soon.
His time is coming.
“I can do it,” she says.
I ignore the protest.
Taking the leggings from the chair, I kneel in front of her and motion for her to lift one leg before easing the fabric into place, then I pull on her socks and finish with the trainers.
When I finally help her to her feet, she sways slightly and my grip tightens as I catch her around the waist while she leans on me for support.
Today they’re finally discharging her.
After spending Christmas and New Year’s inside this bloody hospital, I’m more than ready to take her home.
Not that I’ve ever cared much for either holiday.
I’ve never understood the obsession people have with them.
As far as I can tell, they’re little more than an excuse to stop working, drink too much, and eat too much.
I help her into one of my shirts and have to bite back a satisfied smirk when it practically swallows her whole, the hem falling just below her arse.
The possessive part of me takes immediate notice, especially since she isn’t wearing a bra and the thin fabric does little to hide the outline of her nipples.
