by Lia Ellison
“Somebody help me!” Aiden’s voice was hoarse as he lifted Veronica up in his arms. “I need a doctor! Now!”
“Take her to the car. I’ll call Dr. Linbert,” Jo said, slipping a shirt under his fingers so he could keep pressure on Veronica’s wound.
He nodded and raced into the hallway. If anyone could save Veronica now, it was Dr. Linbert at her private clinic. “Hold on. You’ll be fine.”
“It’s... okay,” Veronica rasped.
“No, it’s not. I can’t lose you. I won’t,” he said determinedly, but as her eyes fluttered, he could feel her slipping away from him.
His chest tightened.
No. He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t live without her.
“Veronica, stay with me. Please open your eyes. Please.”
“I...”
“Shh. Don’t talk. Save your strength.” As he burst out of the house, his men were already rushing to open the car door for him.
“It should have been me,” he whispered.
“Aiden...” she said softly. “You’re not... the only one... who’s willing to... die for someone... you love.”
“You’ll be okay.” He gently laid her down in the back seat of the car just as Jo showed up. As he started for the driver’s seat, Jo placed her hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll drive. She needs you.”
There was no time to argue, and Jo was right. He couldn’t drive like this. His mind was a mess, and he’d never felt like this before.
It was as if it were he who was dying.
Aiden quickly settled in the back seat, pulling Veronica into his arms, and then they were on the move.
“Hey, look at me,” he said. “Don’t leave me.”
“I’m so... tired,” she whispered.
Blood started to seep through his fingers. “Hurry!” he yelled to Jo.
“The doc knows we’re coming. She’ll be ready.”
The car zoomed forward, but to him it seemed as if it were moving in slow motion. He willed time to stop because he couldn’t bear the thought of having to part with Veronica.
What if you never see her smile again?
What if you never hear her voice?
Feel her touch?
“Veronica.” His voice cracked.
Jo pulled over, and as soon as Aiden opened the door, the doctor and her team came running. As they took Veronica from him, he didn’t want to let her go, but he knew that he didn’t have a choice.
He stumbled out of the car as they wheeled her away on a gurney, her blood still caking his fingers. When he tried to follow them, one of the nurses placed a hand on his chest.
“Please stay here.”
He wanted to shove the guy away or punch him because all he could see was Veronica getting farther and farther away from him.
“You can’t go in there,” Jo said. “She’s in good hands. Let them do their job. You don’t want to distract them, do you?”
He let her pull him back because her words sounded so reasonable, but he couldn’t help what he was feeling.
“It’s my fault,” he said. “I should have...”
“No, it’s not. It’s Tim’s fault because the moron didn’t realize the alarms were turned off for five minutes. He was busy playing games because he thought that since you weren’t there, it didn’t matter. I should’ve checked on him earlier, but I was busy looking for the Ritos like you told me to do, and when I returned, it was already too late.”
Aiden let anger surge through him again. It was easier to feel that than to let the pain wash over him. He was going to kill that careless son of a bitch.
“She’s going to be fine. She’s a fighter. You know that.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose her.” Now nothing else mattered. Everything could go to hell, for all he cared. His business, the Ritos, his men...
It was all meaningless, and he would give it all up for her. He’d trade his life for hers in a second.
But he couldn’t.
All he could do was wait.
Letting rage overtake him again, he kicked the trash can, its contents spilling all over the floor.
Why?
Why did it have to be her?
“Who was the guy at the house?” Jo asked.
“The Ritos’ boss. He said his name was Snake.”
“I thought it might’ve been him. That means the Ritos are without a boss again. It should be easier to catch them,” Jo said, and he knew she was trying to distract him.
“I don’t really give a damn about...”
“Yeah, I get it, but Snake had his phone with him. Kyle is tracking them down as we speak. After this whole mess, finding the Ritos is the least everyone can do. Why do you think Snake came on his own?”
Maybe if he focused on what Jo was saying, he could forget that Veronica was fighting for her life just down the hallway from him and that he was completely useless.
“Do you think it was because he knew one guy wouldn’t draw attention and could slip past the guards? Or was it because disabling alarms is his specialty? Did he say what he wanted?” Jo kept talking.
“I don’t know.” He clenched his fingers into fists. “He wanted Veronica.”
“Oh really? So they didn’t know we opened the vault?”
“Guess not.”
“Huh. The rest of the Ritos must’ve been close. And Snake’s car. He wouldn’t be able to drag Veronica out of there. Sure, he could’ve kept his gun on her and the guards would be forced to let him go, but he had to have a car or something nearby.” She pulled out her phone and quickly typed something.
Aiden leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
Veronica had to survive.
She just had to.
“If any of the Ritos are found, what do you want us to do with them?” Jo asked.
“Kill them all.”
Chapter 35
EVERY INCH OF MY BODY hurt, and my eyelids were heavy. What the hell had happened to me?
My foster brother had beaten me up again, hadn’t he? Or had he stabbed me? But I was lying on something soft and not on the floor.
No, I’d run away. I’d left everything behind. He couldn’t hurt me anymore.
Something had happened.
Something bad.
When I finally pried my eyes open, I found myself staring at a white ceiling. A soft beeping was coming from a machine next to me.
Wait, where was I? It took my eyes a moment to focus. I was covered with a white sheet, and there was something stuck in my arm.
“Hey,” someone whispered, and I spotted Jo in the corner of the room. “Try not to move.”
I glanced around. Aiden was lounging in the armchair to my right, his eyes closed. Some of the tension immediately left me.
He was here, which meant that he was okay, and I was safe.
We both were.
“What...?” I croaked, my throat too dry.
“Wait. Let me get you some water.” Jo hopped to her feet, moving through the room as quietly as if she were gliding.
After she poured some water into a plastic cup, she brought it over to me, pressing the cup to my lips. I took a few sips, the refreshing liquid tasting like heaven.
“Where am I?” I asked after Jo set down the cup.
“Um, do you remember what happened at the house?”
The house... Aiden and I had come home after we’d made sure Nina and the other sex slaves we’d freed were going to be okay, and then...
It all came rushing back to me.
The Ritos’ boss.
He’d been in our bedroom.
He’d shot me.
“Yeah, I... Did I hit him?” I thought I remembered him going down, but I had no idea if that had really happened.
Everything about it felt like a dream, as if it had happened to someone else and not to me.
A smile spread across her lips. “Yep, you totally did. He’s dead.”
“Okay, so are we at a hospi
tal?” I was glad to hear it, because if that bastard had shot me and I’d missed him, I would’ve been so, so mad.
Unless I were so, so dead.
I’d gotten lucky.
“It’s a private clinic. For people like us. We can’t exactly always go to hospital with all these gun wounds without attracting attention, so for a really nice sum of money, our friend here, Dr. Linbert, helps us out when we need her. And it was the closest place. You were losing a lot of blood, but I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that the bullet didn’t hit anything vital. You were in surgery because the bullet was still inside you, but you’re going to fully recover.”
“That’s great news, but I feel like shit.” I chuckled, and winced.
Jo grinned at me.
“Veronica! You’re awake.” Aiden jumped out of the armchair as if he’d been catapulted from it. His hand caught mine, his worried gaze searching mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess.” I gave him a small smile.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” Jo said and hurried out of the room.
There were dark circles under Aiden’s eyes.
“How long have I been out?” I asked, wondering if he’d been with me the whole time.
“A while.” His fingers traced circles over my hand. “Can I kiss you?”
I gave him a nod. He leaned over me, careful not to hurt me, and lowered his lips to mine. I could tell that he was holding back, and as his lips moved against mine, it was as if he was reassuring himself that I was truly fine.
“Are you okay?” I asked when he pulled away.
“Now that I know you’re fine, I am. Waiting to hear if you were going to pull through was the hardest thing in my life. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” His eyes were intent on mine. “I love you, Veronica.”
“I love you too.” I flashed him a smile. “Did you ever say that to anyone before?”
He shook his head, the corners of his lips quirking up, which made him look even more adorable.
“Does it feel weird?” I teased.
“A little.”
“So when can I get out of here?” I didn’t really like hospitals or clinics.
“I’ll have to talk to the doc. Is there anything you want me to get for you? Because whatever it is, I’ll bring it to you, even if I have to go to the ends of the earth to find it.”
I tilted my head at him. “Really? And here I thought you wanted to be with me and never leave me.” I grinned.
“Hey, I have people for everything, so I can just stay with you forever. I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again.” Amusement filled his eyes, but it only lasted for a second. “We need to talk about some things. You almost died, and I don’t want you to ever be in a situation like that.”
“What? Are you going to tell me that I shouldn’t have done what I did? Because I think I know what you were planning to do, but I wasn’t about to let you die.”
He pressed his lips together.
I had been right about it. Great.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have jumped in front of me like that when I told you to stay down. Snake wasn’t that far away. I would’ve gotten to him.”
“And you would’ve gotten shot instead of me. How’s that better?”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have. I’ve avoided more bullets than I can count. I just needed him to loosen his grip on the gun a little, and he was about to do it, because he was holding it too tightly for too long. I could’ve kept him talking.”
“Yeah, okay, and what if things didn’t go the way you imagined they would? You would’ve gotten shot. Maybe even killed.”
“But you wouldn’t have! You’d have had plenty of time to get the gun. And even if I went down, I know you’d get a shot in before he could do anything. We practiced that during your shooting lessons.”
“Stop right there. First, I know things could’ve gone in a billion different ways, and yeah, maybe I just reacted without thinking that you might’ve had a good plan or that you’re skilled enough to take down anyone without having your gun and come out of it unscathed. But there are always risks. I couldn’t just hide there and do nothing. I couldn’t watch you get hurt or wait to see what would happen, just like you wouldn’t be able to just stay calm and wait either. And I think you’re trying to argue with me now because you’re tired. It’s been a long day. Night. Whatever. You didn’t exactly tell me.”
He closed his eyes for a moment.
“Anyway, I think I know how we can solve this.”
“You do?” His eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah. You need to teach me more about guns, about shooting, about fighting... Way more than what we already practiced. It’s the only way. Then you’ll know I can protect myself, and if I learn how you move, how you think in a fight, then I might be able to predict what you’re going to do. And then we can be that awesome couple who can communicate without even talking.” I winked.
He let out a laugh. “You’re making this sound more awesome than it actually is.”
“I know, but you get the point.” I clasped his hand. “Come on. You have to agree. You know I’m never going to be able to sit back and wait. It’s just not who I am.”
His intense gaze found mine. “Okay.”
“Really?” I gaped at him, because I’d expected him to argue at least a little bit.
“Yeah. You’re like a hurricane. Nothing can stop you or hold you down.”
“Thank you.” A grin spread across my lips. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.”
“No,” he said. “Thank you. For bringing light into my life.”
“There’s always been light inside you, Aiden. You just didn’t know it.” I tugged at his hand. “Kiss me.”
As his lips met mine, everything seemed to click back into place.
We could do this.
We were meant to be.
I just knew it.
Chapter 36
“OKAY, YOU CAN STOP babying me now,” I said.
Even though weeks had gone by since Dr. Linbert had cleared me, Aiden still jumped up every time I got up from the bed because he thought I needed help. Or whenever I needed something, like food or something to drink, he was there to fetch it.
“I’m not babying you. I wouldn’t even know what to do with a baby.” A grin stretched across his lips.
I pushed myself up to my feet, lifting my hand to stop him from getting off the bed too. “Well, I’m fine, and I can walk across the room without any trouble. See?”
“I’m going to strike a deal with the remaining of the Ritos,” he suddenly said.
“Really?” I turned toward him. “Why?”
“There’s not many of them left and they’re scared, but some of them have really useful skills, and I can use that.”
“But can you trust them? Aren’t they just waiting to double-cross you?”
“They won’t dare, and I’m not going to trust them. If any of them steps a foot in this city, they’re dead, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use them. And right now, all they want is to stay alive, so they’re willing to agree to anything.”
“Sounds like a good deal, then.” As long as the Ritos didn’t come here, I was fine with it. I didn’t want to see any of them ever again. “Now they know we opened the vault, right? Just so that they don’t get any ideas.”
“Yeah, they know, and it would be really stupid of them to violate our deal.”
“Since everyone knows you killed all those trafficking bastards, and if they think you killed their boss too, I’m sure they’ll be reasonable and stay away.”
“They know I didn’t kill their boss. You did.” He got to his feet and strode toward me.
“What?” I gaped at him. “But wouldn’t it make more sense for you to take credit for it?”
“I won’t take credit for something I didn’t do, and maybe I want everyone to know just how dangerous my queen is.” His arms snaked around my waist and
he pulled me in for a kiss.
“Your queen? I like the sound of that.” I grasped his shirt. “Your queen has demands.”
“And I’m here to serve.” He offered me a smile.
I bit down on my lip. “Then come here.” Taking his hand, I led him to the bathroom. For the first time ever, I was really glad we didn’t just have a shower in there but a bathtub too. “I want to take a bath. Why don’t you get everything ready for me?”
“Ah, so now this doesn’t count as babying you,” he teased.
“Shut up and do it.” I laughed as I gave him a look through my eyelashes. “I thought you liked serving me.” After finding my hair tie, I lifted my hair up in a tight bun. As I reached for the hem of my shirt, he gently caught my wrist.
“Please wait and let me take care of that.”
“Okay.” I watched him as he let the water run and then picked up lavender-scented foaming bath salt. “Smells nice,” I said as the bath was about to get full.
“Let’s get you out of those clothes,” he said, and excitement rushed through me as he made his way toward me.
He caught the hem of my shirt and I lifted my arms so he could pull it over my head. Then he stepped behind me, trailing his hands up and down my shoulders. His fingers found the clasp of my bra, and he lowered his mouth to my neck.
His lips brushed my skin again and again, and I leaned into him as he took off my bra. He nibbled on my earlobe as his arms went around me, and he cupped my breasts, kneading and caressing. When he twirled my nipples between his fingers, giving them a light pinch, a moan escaped my throat.
“We’re never going to get to that bath if you keep up like this,” I whispered, getting ahold of his arms so I could turn around in his embrace.
“Then I’ll hurry.” His lips brushed mine, and then he went on his knees in front of me, and a jolt of desire clenched my insides.
His intense eyes met mine as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my pants and underwear, tugging them down my legs in one swift motion that sent shivers down my spine.
He pressed his lips to my belly button and moved down my stomach, lingering on my brand-new scar. I buried my fingers into his hair, pushing him toward my center as I spread my legs for him.