by Jackie Ivie
“There was...a woman?” Adam stammered.
“Yep. Claims she’s with you. Go figure.”
Everything halted, even time, and into the vacuum of space, a vibration of something reached out, enwrapped him, and cocooned him in warmth. It replaced everything, even pain. Adam knew exactly what it was, too: Happiness. The sensation flooded him.
Embracing.
Protecting...
And then, the warmth evaporated. The world intruded again, bringing back sight. Smell. And hearing. The noise had intensified. The wail of an approaching siren added to the assault on his ears.
“Oh, thank God! The ambulance is finally arriving! In a few seconds, we’ll have you so pumped full of drugs, this will all be a dim memory.”
“Wait!”
“Not a chance. Sorry.”
“Where...is she?”
Adam was frantic. His tone reflected it. Ryan sighed heavily, lifted his chin, and looked out, beyond Adam’s head. Adam would have followed but his shoulders wouldn’t make the move.
“Stop that! You’ve got a broken collarbone. Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you.”
“I need...Jezzie.”
“That’s her name? Well...you’re gonna have to wait. Looks like she’s still receiving oxygen.”
Adam pulled in as much air as his chest would allow. Managed to speak through it. “Tell her...I’m here for her. No matter how long it takes. How much physical therapy. How many plastic surgery operations. Will you tell her that?”
From above, Ryan pried up his eyelids. A flashlight was shoved into his face. Light slammed into his right eye, then his left. All of it hurt worse than the rest of it which didn’t seem possible. And Adam didn’t sound remotely as angry as he felt.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking your eyesight. Pupils are responding well. Everything is working fine. You can see me, right?”
“Yeah. So?”
“I thought you’d gone blind. Or nuts. That woman is about as babe-gorgeous as they come. If you even think about plastic surgery anywhere on her face or body? Well. You and I are gonna need to talk. We might need to fight. You got that?”
Adam tried again to sit. Hellish pain stopped him. He was forced to give it up. He collapsed back. Blinked tears of agony out of his vision. He settled with glaring up at Ryan. It didn’t work. Ryan was yelling over his shoulder.
“Can somebody get a gurney over here? Stat!”
Despite the torment from his shoulders, Adam lifted an arm and managed to snag Ryan’s sleeve.
“Now what? What do you need?”
“To see her.”
“All right. You got it. Gareth!”
“Yeah, boss?” Gareth dropped to his knees beside Adam.
“Go get Adam’s girlfriend. Bring the oxygen with her if you have to.”
“On it.”
Adam licked his lips. Shut his eyes. Sent a silent prayer. And when he opened them, Jezzie was there.
Right there!
She wore her signature denims and tank top, her attire revealing absolute perfection. Completely unblemished skin. She took every available bit of air. Like always. He didn’t breathe until she knelt beside him, and the one he managed was shaky.
“Jez?”
She smiled and his heart gave a thump that nearly launched it from his chest.
“You’re...here.”
She nodded.
“But, how—? What—?”
Her smile grew broader. Just then, light touched her face. Adam had never seen anything so beauteous. Nor as beloved. She’d been right about the color of her eyes, too. They were definitely green, as deep green as emeralds.
“I...have earned a second chance,” she told him.
His heart was going to burst. There wasn’t any other description for it. He tried to clear his throat. That failed. He just started speaking, and hoped it was intelligible.
“So...hey. I got...one thing to say about that.”
“Yes?”
“Looks like it’s time to go to sleep, pretty boy. Nightie-night!”
Ryan’s booming voice interrupted. He had a large black bag. He opened it. Filled a syringe. Adam glared at him.
“Wait!”
Ryan spoke with a cap held between his teeth. “Oh. No way in hell. You are heading to the ER, my man. Your girlfriend can meet you there. The guys can bring her.”
“Give us...two seconds,” Adam demanded.
Ryan regarded him for a moment and then lifted his head. He gave a heavy sigh before looking back down. “You have got to be joking.”
“Please?”
“All right. Fine. But I’m agreeing only because you are the most stubborn patient on the planet, which did help with staying alive for me. You got your two seconds. Max. One!”
“Jez?”
“Yes?”
Adam felt the prick as Ryan stuck the hypodermic into his arm. Barely felt the removal as Ryan efficiently finished the dosage. Secured the needle. And spoke again.
“Two! And now, would you please turn into a patient with life-threatening injuries who is getting transported to the hospital by a licensed medical professional? Please?”
“They’ll bring...Jezzie?”
“I’ll go one better. She can ride with us. I mean, I am in charge here.”
Adam fought against a gathering dark fog. Everything was muting, turning into a comforting depth. His tongue felt like a foreign object. Somehow, he spoke around it. “Jez? Will you...marry me?”
Jezebel’s eyes went wide and a moment later, she was nodding. Crying. And then she was beaming.
“You proposed? What the—? Just like that? Has the entire world gone off its rocker? Yo! Ken? Please tell me you got that.”
“Well, yeah. I’ve got it all. Every second.”
Adam hovered on the brink of unconsciousness for a moment, absorbing a feeling of joy that transcended every ache and pain in the universe. And then her hand crept into his and made everything even better.
She’d said yes!
About the Author
Jackie Ivie lives in the enormous state of Alaska with her husband and some very spoiled pets. She started her writing career writing hot highland historical romances for Kensington Publishing. There are now ten “Clans series” books, available in seven languages. Keeping her head in the clouds most of the time, Jackie now spends her time researching, developing, and writing her paranormal series – the Vampire Assassin League, the Chronicles of the Hunters, and the Portals of Time, as well as her other historical line – the Brocade Collection.
Jackie loves hearing from fans, who can contact her at
www.jackieivie.com or www.VampireAssassinLeague.com
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Copyright © 2017 Jackie Ivie
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