by Lacey Thorn
She buried her head in his neck and started crying. Crying wasn’t her. He didn’t like it one bit.
“Hey.” He tried to turn and ended up hissing as a jolt of pain went through him.
“I’m hurting you.” Rissa started to push away, but he tightened his hold, biting down against the pain he felt.
“Stop. I want you here. What the hell happened anyway?”
“You were shot!”
“Fuck,” Slade muttered. He remembered the alarm sounding when they were at Tony’s. They’d raced out and immediately headed toward the main house of the pride. Then he’d nearly lost it when he’d found out Rissa and Ariel were missing. That the two women had been out walking when the alarm sounded. At which point, Slade had completely lost his head. Daniel hadn’t been far behind. “What the hell were you thinking? I nearly lost my mind when I saw you behind those men.”
She sat up beside him. “What was I thinking? Jesus, Slade! You charged the whole group, making yourself a huge target! Do you know how many bullets Jensen removed from your sorry hide? No, because you were unconscious and bleeding everywhere! You could have died, Slade!” Her breath shuddered out of her as she dropped down to rest her forehead against his. “I almost lost you.”
“Never going to happen,” he swore, kissing her softly on the lips then hissing his breath out as she leaned against him, hitting a particularly sore spot.
“None of that,” Jensen snapped as he walked in to join them. “I removed eight bullets from you four days ago. Anything other than rest and recuperation will have to be put on the back burner for a few more days.”
Rissa immediately went to slip off the bed, but Slade kept his arm around her, refusing to let go. Jensen merely shook his head as she finally settled at Slade’s side.
“How’re you feeling?”
“I imagine like I was hit with eight bullets,” Slade told his brother then focused on what else Jensen had shared. “I was out for four days?”
“Post-surgery, yes. Your body needed time to heal. I honestly expected you to be out for a few more days,” Jensen admitted. “How you managed to take that many bullets without being more seriously injured, I’ll never know. Four were superficial at best. Two hit your legs. One in the arm. And one caught you in the shoulder. You’ll be sore for a few more days, but your bear’s taken care of most of it already. You were damn lucky, Slade. Damn lucky.”
“You were absolutely crazy,” Rissa countered with a snap to her voice. “If you ever do that again, I’ll shoot you myself.”
Slade grinned. “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of being mad at me?”
“I don’t care,” she snapped again, and Slade heard the fear behind the worry.
“I’m okay. Promise.”
“As soon as you’re cleared, we’re going home and spending a week in your bed doing absolutely nothing.”
“Are you sure about that?” Slade’s voice was a bit rusty, and he couldn’t keep the growl of his bear from seeping in. “I know of a few things we could do.”
She shook her head, but leaned closer. “Only a few?” she murmured so softly he wondered if Jensen could hear her, too.
“Rissa, why don’t you go grab a shower and something to eat while I look Slade over,” Jensen suggested, and the look on his face said he’d heard plenty.
“I’m starving,” Slade added when it looked as if his mate would balk at leaving him. He knew Jensen wanted to speak to him alone.
“I won’t be long,” she swore as she slid off the bed then leaned over and kissed him hungrily. Then with a nod to Jensen, she slipped out of the room.
“She hasn’t left your side,” Jensen told him. “Hell, I think if there wasn’t a bathroom attached to this room, she just wouldn’t have gone at all.”
“She’s my mate.”
“She was a wreck when I came out of surgery. Terrified you were going to die. Terrified it was all her fault. She kept begging you not to die and leave her. Over and over again. Every time I came in to check on you. Hell, I don’t even know if she realized she was saying it aloud. Seeing her that way was like reliving how you were when she was recuperating in a hospital bed at home.” Jensen shook his head wearily.
“Have you had any sleep, or have you been keeping an eye on my mate?” Slade asked softly.
“Someone had to watch over her.”
“Thank you,” Slade offered, and Jensen nodded before moving closer.
“Let me check your shoulder and arm. Those were the worst of it.” Jensen pulled down the sheet covering Slade’s chest so he could probe the healing wounds. “When we’re done, I suggest you call big brother and check in. He was threatening to head this way if you weren’t up and around by the end of the week.”
“What did you tell him?” Slade asked, already dreading that conversation.
“I said you were alive and healing. Pretty sure it was your mate’s incoherent babbling about you charging into gunfire that had him riled up.”
“Shit,” Slade muttered, and Jensen, the bastard, laughed.
“You scared the hell out of her, brother. Tough as she seems, she’s fragile. What they did to her. The memories resurfacing. Watching you go down in a hail of bullets. It’s a lot for anyone to take.”
“Coming here wasn’t a mistake,” Slade countered. “She needed this. Needed to see Ariel. We needed to see Talbot. It galls me that we’ll probably never get the answers we need from him. If I hadn’t seen him for myself, I would have questioned anyone saying he wasn’t all there mentally.”
“We all would have,” Jensen agreed. “Either way, I’d take up your mate on heading home and spending a week in bed.”
Slade grinned again. “Yeah, it’s time to head home. Question is, are you going or staying?”
Jensen crossed his arms over his chest. “I told Laramie I was planning to stay for a few weeks. Compare notes with Professor Mueller and Tony. I’ll keep an eye out for Adam while I’m here.”
“Shoot, I need to tell Rissa about Adam.”
“Out for four days, bro. Adam was here. He and Rissa talked for a long time. She knows he’s staying here for a bit then maybe heading to Washington to rally more of Em’s old den. She seemed happy for him. You mated an amazing woman.”
“She’s unbelievable,” Slade agreed.
“She must be to love your sorry ass.”
“Ha-ha! Very funny. How soon before I can drive back to Wyoming?”
“No need,” Jensen assured him. “Tony can fly you guys back home whenever you’re ready. That’ll leave the SUV here for Adam and me when we’re ready to hit the road.”
“Don’t drive by yourself when you head back,” Slade warned. They’d both heard Adam say he wasn’t sure how long he planned to hang around, and Slade wouldn’t put it past Jensen to take to the road alone. Jensen didn’t reply. He merely gave a brief nod that could mean anything.
“You know, I’m here if you need me. Right?”
“I know,” Jensen agreed. “Same goes.”
That was the thing, though. Jensen was always there when they needed him. But when had his brother ever asked for help?
“I’m back,” Rissa cried as she practically ran into the room. Her hair was sopping wet, the braid she’d tightly wrapped it in dripping down her back. Her shirt was inside out, and Slade was pretty sure her jeans, while clean, were unbuttoned. She held a bag of food in one hand and a duffle bag in her other.
“Slow down,” Jensen said, steadying her and taking one of the bags from her. “I need sleep, not to be checking you over because you fell and knocked your head while trying to get back to the idiot you mated.”
“Ha-ha,” Slade groused.
“True,” Rissa agreed.
“Which part?” Slade demanded. “That Jensen needs sleep or that you mated an idiot?”
“Both,” Rissa said without hesitation, making Jensen laugh.
“You’re both incredibly funny,” Slade grumbled.
“We both love you,�
�� Jensen returned. “I’ll talk to Tony and have him check in when he gets a chance.”
“Is he flying us back?” Rissa sounded happy about that, and Slade wasn’t sure if it was the thought of a week in bed with him or not being in the SUV for an extended trip again. “How soon can we head out?”
“A few more days,” Jensen replied. “For now, eat then go back to sleep. Try to stay on his good side, Rissa, and I’m not talking about his mood.”
His mate paled. “Oh, my God! I didn’t think. I just pounced when I saw he was waking up.” She turned toward him. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Then back to his brother. “Jensen?”
“I’m fine,” Slade tried to reassure her.
“He’s fine,” Jensen answered at the same time. “Eat. Rest. I’ll be back in the morning to check on you both.”
Meaning it was evening. Slade hadn’t thought to ask since he’d been awake. Which made him think of something else.
“What about a shower?” he called as Jensen disappeared through the door. Thankfully, his brother decided to answer and poked his head back in the room.
“Should be fine. Just don’t do anything adventurous, please.”
There was no doubt about what Jensen referred to. Rissa actually laughed.
“Did I have that same criteria? Because I’m here to tell you, we did not follow that rule.” Her gaze seared Slade. “I’d say we were pretty adventurous. Wouldn’t you, mate?”
Jensen groaned then ducked back out, calling behind him, “I’m pretending I can’t hear you. La, la, la.”
Rissa laughed again, and Slade grinned along with her. He tugged at her wet braid.
“Want to get wet again?”
“If you want a shower, I’ll help you,” she promised. “But you heard Jensen. No kinky stuff.”
“I believe he said adventurous,” Slade reminded.
“You? Naked in a shower with me? Anything adventurous we try is bound to be kinky.”
“Have I mentioned how much I like the way you think?” He pulled her to him, dropping a kiss on her upturned mouth.
“I love you, Slade Holloway. I’m sorry it took me so long to admit that to both of us. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Good thing,” Slade agreed. “Because those vows we said to one another sort of sealed the deal.”
“Sort of?” she questioned.
He grinned. “I love you, Rissa Holloway. From now until I breathe my last breath. And even then, I doubt I’ll be able to let you go.”
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. “Come on, then,” she practically purred as she rubbed her cheek against his. “Let’s go get wet.”
Want to know more about the Holloway Pack?
You can find more of The Holloways at laceythorn.com.
Thank You!
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About the Author
Lacey is a hyper blonde, bouncing through life with her magical bracelets of positivity. A die-hard gamer (she refuses to call it an addiction), she resides in Oklahoma, mom to three awesome children, one mini goldendoodle, and a black cat. She has a passion for life and romance. She writes possessive, alpha heroes who demand everything from the women they love.
She loves to chat with anyone and often does to the annoyance of her children who are always in a hurry. If you want to talk books, television, movies, actors, prepping for the zombie apocalypse, or music (she loves music!), drop her a line at [email protected].
Lacey’s Booklist
Awakening Pride Series
Their Wild One (Prequel)
Waking the Beast
Tempting the Tiger
Freeing the Feline
Saving the Beast
A Jaguar's Touch
The Liger's Mark
Unleashing the Beast
Eyes on the Pride
Cry of the Pride
Mending the Beast
Awakening Pride: The Holloways
His to Bear (comes between The Liger's Mark and Unleashing the Beast)
Claimed by the Grizzly
Rumble and Growl
Kodiak’s Heart
Grizzly’s Bear (comes after Mending the Beast)
James Pack Series
Alpha's Unwilling Mate
Beta's Virgin Bride
Wolf’s Wild Woman
Bee’s Enraged Beast
Simon’s Runaway Mate
Knight's Watch Series
Prequel: Beautiful Dreamer
Jagged Hearts
Craving Sin
The Billionaire’s Knight
Bare Love Series
His Bare Obsession
Bare Confessions
Bare Seduction
Something More Series (Previously Girls Night Out Series)
More Than One Night (Previously Jack's Dee-Light)
More Than Friends (Previously What Friends Are For)
More Than I Do (Previously Marital Bliss)
Pleasures Series
The Greyson Sisters Trilogy:
Cuffed for Pleasure
Heated for Pleasure
SEALed for Pleasure
Pleasures Anthology: The Greyson Sisters
The Angel Investigations Trilogy
Guarded for Pleasure
Roped for Pleasure
Arranged for Pleasure
Pleasures Anthology: Angel Investigations
The Foster Sisters Trilogy
Cured by Pleasure
Faithful in Pleasure
Agents of Pleasure
Pleasures Anthology: The Foster Sisters (coming soon)
Stand Alone Pleasures Stories
Bewitched for Pleasure
Hammered with Pleasure
Wrapped in Pleasure
Alpha Enforcer Squad Trilogy
Enforced Love
Love by Command
Breaking Into Love
Stand Alone Books
Chaps and Lace
Finding Home
Grave Magic
Santa Maybe