My heart leaps into my throat as I snap my head up. His eyes are barely open, but they’re focused on me. Those deep brown eyes that always seem to see right through me.
“Van!” I gasp, squeezing his hand too tightly before quickly loosening my grip. “You’re awake!” Tears stream down my cheeks as my breath hitches. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God, you scared me.”
He tries to smile, but his lips are dry and cracked. I reach for the cup of water with a straw on the bedside table, holding it to his mouth.
“Small sips,” I instruct as he drinks greedily. “You’ve been pretty out of it the past three days. Never really fully awake.”
“Three?” His voice is raspy, barely above a whisper. He glances around the hospital room, taking in the machines, the IV, the sterile white walls. “Fuck,” he growls, nostrils flaring, fury burning in his eyes. “The son of a bitch better be dead.”
I suck in a breath as I knew who he was talking about. Though they didn’t tell me much, they did tell me it was Vin who shot him. Vin, who I found out was my man’s brother and the one behind everything that’s happened to my studio. I also knew because I demanded to know that he was indeed dead. Dagger had killed him at the same time Vin took his shot.
“He’s gone,” I whisper, my voice catching. “You made sure of that.”
Dagger’s face relaxes slightly, but the anger doesn’t fully leave his eyes. He shifts in the bed and winces, his hand instinctively moving to his bandaged abdomen.
“Don’t move,” I caution, placing my hand over his. “The bullet missed everything important, but you’ve got stitches and a concussion.”
He grunts, settling back against the pillows. “Worth it.”
My tears start falling again. “It wasn’t worth it. Not to me. You could have died, Van.”
His gaze softens as he looks at me. “But I didn’t. I’m right here, Katrina. Told you I wasn’t going anywhere. “
“I was so scared,” I admit, wiping at my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I thought I was going to lose you and . . . all I could think about was how much I love you and didn’t tell you.”
“I know you love me, baby,” he says, bringing his hand up to swipe my tears away. “It’s in your eyes when I’m inside you. It’s in the way your eyes shine when I’m holding you. I didn’t need words to know how you feel. But you should know words don’t express just how much I love and adore you.”
My breath catches at hearingthose sweet words. The tears I thought had finally stopped come flooding back, but this time they’re happy tears.
“You do?” I whisper, leaning closer to him, careful not to touch his wounds.
“Since the moment I first saw you, and you made me laugh.” He shifts again, and I can see the pain flash across his face despite his attempt to hide it. “The baby, are you two okay?”
I nod, placing my hand on my stomach. “We’re both fine. Just worried about you.”
A knock sounds, and a nurse enters the room, clipboard in hand, a smile plastered to her face. “Mr. Delgado, I see you’re finally awake. I was coming in to check on you. Since you’re awake, I’ll grab the doctor so he can go over your injuries. But first, I need to check your vitals and change your bandages.”
I reluctantly move aside to give her space, but Dagger grips my hand, not letting me go.
“She stays,” he says, his voice stronger now, the alpha tone I know so well returning.
The smile vanishes as she nods. This nurse has had me leave the room the other times she’s changed his bandages. I didn’t like her, but I hadn’t complained.”Of course,” the nurse says, her tone clipped. “But I’ll need you to step back just a bit.”
I reluctantly release Dagger’s hand and move to the foot of the bed, not wanting to be too far from him. The nurse works efficiently, checking his blood pressure and heart rate while making notes on her clipboard. When she reaches for the bandage on his abdomen, I watch her face carefully, noting the lustful glint in her eyes when she takes in the skull dagger tattoos that stretch across his chest.
“Your vitals look good,” she says, applying fresh gauze. “Doctor Roberts will be in shortly.”
After she leaves, Dagger reaches for me again. I take his hand, relief washing over me at his warm touch.
“Don’t like her,” he mutters, his eyes following her retreating figure.
“Me either,” I admit, settling back in the chair beside him. “She’s kicked me out every time she’s changed your bandages while you were asleep. It’s luck that she’s always off shift when visiting hours are up, she’d probably have called security to make me leave.”
“That wouldn’t have happened.” He might not think it, but I’m sure of it.
Dagger nods to the bag of food, “You need to finish eating, baby.”
I roll my eyes and grab the bag. “You’re lucky I love you.”
