“There was an intruder, buddy. You took him down before he got to Julie,” Cole succinctly filled in. Pain burst through his head, giving way to a snapshot version of what had happened that night. He whipped his head back to Julie—in reality, he turned slowly—pinning her with his piercing gaze, remembering that he’d heard her scream.
“You came out of the panic room. You were supposed to stay locked inside for your protection,” he accused, tightening his hold on her arm.
“The police were pulling up the driveway. They wouldn’t have just come in on their own until they knew what was going on. I had to open the door, get them inside. I was watching on the security feed. I knew you had him, but he had you too. I had to help,” she explained, her voice beginning to tremble as fresh tears started. A small hiccup escaped when Julie leaned in to kiss his lips.
He wasn’t having any of that. He was mad; she should have stayed protected. This could have been a far different story if he’d failed and the creep had gotten his hands on her.
“You were supposed to stay safe, Julie. You should’ve done what I asked,” he said, taking her forearm, pushing her back to see her face clearly as he said those words.
“I was safe. I was still upstairs when I heard the gunshots start,” she said, reaching out her thumb to caress the stubble covering his cheek “I knew they were your shots. His gun was quiet, and I had the police on the phone, talking to them the whole time.”
“Julie, you weren’t safe. I panicked when I heard you scream and couldn’t move. You should’ve stayed hidden. Let the police do whatever they needed to. Don’t ever do that again. Do you hear me?”
She gave him a small, patient smile and leaned forward to kiss his parted lips. “I only screamed because you collapsed. I wasn’t in danger. You took care of that. Your mom’s here,” she whispered, running her fingers over his face. “Bruno’s been here since he got on his feet.”
“How long was I out?” he finally asked, knowing that his love was trying to change the subject. He let her divert him, only because he planned to have this very serious conversation with her in private, in the very near future. Switching gears, he turned his head to see his mom standing at the end of the bed, tears in her eyes with her hand resting on his covered foot.
“About two days. You scared us, but you were hit more than I think you realized. You had darts in the back of your leg and hip,” Julie answered. He watched Julie reach for the call button, then try to step aside. He didn’t let her go far. He held on to her hand as all these foreign, primal instincts to protect her made his grip intensify.
“You look like hell,” Cole teased, probably trying to lighten the mood. Cole had to be picking up on all the caveman urges rocking though him.
“I feel like hell,” he mumbled, forcing himself to loosen his hold on Julie, letting her stand in a not so awkward position. His gaze went to an exhausted-looking Bruno, then back to his worried mother who managed a weary smile. “You shouldn’t have come all this way, Mom.”
“How could I not?” she said, moving around to Cole’s side of the bed. He might have loosened his hold on Julie, but he hadn’t let her go. He wanted her right there where he could keep an eye on her. His mother took his hand, being more careful than Cole of the IV, as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I was so relieved when Cole told us that you’d left the military. I always tried to prepare for something like this. I never expected it to come from civilian life.” Her voice sounded hoarse, clogged with tears.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Connor started, but her hand came to his lips.
“Hush, son. Your father’s coming behind me. The flights were booked; we couldn’t get on together. He wants you to know how proud he is of you,” she said, her fingertips caressing the stubble on his cheek. He took her hand, holding it in his.
“No, Mom, I’m sorry about your chair.”
“What are you talking about? What chair?” she asked, bewilderment on her face.
“Buddy, I didn’t do it,” Cole started, and damn if it hadn’t gotten incredibly difficult to concentrate with the fatigue already returning.
“I tried to burn your chair, Mom…”
His mother looked so confused, letting him know that perhaps his thought processes weren’t so steady.
“What? You wanted to burn my chair? Which chair?” she asked confused, lifting her gaze from him while Cole tossed his hands in the air and took several steps backward.
“What the hell, Con? I had your back. Why do you always have to confess your sins?”
Cole’s statement didn’t make any sense, but before he could work through that, a new voice spoke.
“Our patient’s awake,” the nurse said, entering the hospital room. She navigated the group surrounding the bed to come to his side. “I’m Nurse Ratched, per Rex. We’ve been waiting for you to wake.” She looked him over, then checked the monitor before glancing at his drip. “You gave everyone a good scare. Your doctor’s on his way.” Once she completed her task of checking over everything, she turned to the group crowding his bed, before heading toward the door, holding it open as she spoke. “He’ll need some room and privacy when he gets here.”
When Julie went for her purse, rising to place it over her shoulder, Connor reached out, stopping her from going. “Stay.”
She paused, seeming to struggle with something. When she made eye contact, tears brimmed again. Dammit, but he felt several steps behind since he’d first woken. Julie reached for the box of tissues close to her chair and then wiped at her eyes.
“You don’t have to do this. I’ll be okay.”
Unsure why she chose those particular words, he tightened the grip on her arm. Did he imagine the distance she kept trying to put between them? It made his head hurt to try to figure out what she was thinking. He just needed her there.
“Stay.”
Cole patted his leg and his mother kissed his cheek again. He didn’t pay them any attention as they gathered their things.
“I’ll be right outside the door,” Bruno gruffly said to Julie, giving Connor a nod before he walked out the door. Julie never looked away from him, staying in this emotionally charged moment.
When the door closed and they were alone, Connor spoke first. “I’m missing something big, I know, but my head hurts like a motherfucker. Just stay, please.”
Julie nodded, taking the seat, putting her purse in her lap. He had to reach out for her to take his hand. They had always been comfortable together, never having to fill the silence until right now. The tension between them flared. Right as Connor decided to try to navigate these troubled waters between them, Cole came back through the door. He walked to stand behind Julie and laid a hand on her shoulder.
“She thinks you were leaving her. That’s why she’s acting like this. She’s been here since you arrived. Never left this room for anything. She hasn’t eaten today.” When he said his piece, Cole patted her on the shoulder and left the room.
“Why would you think that?” Connor asked. That was insane. God, he was so tired. He couldn’t wrap his head around anything happening. It was all too much.
“Connor, it’s not important now. You just woke up. You’ve been out for days,” Julie said, dodging his question. That was the one thing he didn’t need right now. He couldn’t decipher things on his own. She just needed to tell him.
“Why would you ever think that, Julie?” he asked, hearing the frustration in his voice. He watched her face crinkle. She looked so tired. Her body sort of deflated in front of him as her head went to their now joined hands. She kissed him.
“You were going back to San Diego. You told me just before all this happened,” she confessed.
“I wasn’t leaving you. I needed to regroup,” he explained, still not seeing the connection. He used his hand, lifting her face to look at him. All the turmoil reflected in the stormy depths of her eyes, had him pulling her up, moving her closer to the bed. She had to explain this to him. He hated seeing so much sadness from
the only light in his life.
“I know it’s hard on you to live in my house,” she said, softly.
“I’m trying, though. I’d rather live in your house than be without you,” he said, honestly.
Julie paused, staring at him for several long seconds before she leaned in to carefully wrap herself around his body. “Connor, I want that too. I’d move to your apartment in order to be with you.” He kissed her head, lifting an arm around her, holding her against his body.
“I don’t like seeing you so sad,” he whispered into her hair, breathing in her scent until a smile formed.
She’d done it again, made his worries better.
“I need to sleep,” he whispered. “I’m too fuzzy, but I need you here. No more talk of leaving.”
“Then sleep. I’ll wake you when the doctor arrives.” She lifted to kiss his lips. The soft caress was all the encouragement he needed. Connor closed his eyes, held her close, and tucked her head against his shoulder to keep her right there with him. He was asleep almost immediately.
Chapter 19
Twenty-four hours later
For Julia, the immense security detail surrounding her vehicle seemed a little overkill. Before Connor had even come out from under the effects of the tranquilizers, Bruno had worked with his brother and doubled the number of armed guards surrounding the entrance gate of her home, and she was finding that was just the beginning. Once Connor woke the second time, he and Bruno had gone over every detail of her security currently in place, for both her home and in her travel requirements. Together, they beefed up that number by triple the size. Connor worked with OverWatch to add additional safety cameras, surrounding the entirety of her property, with live, real-time video feed, all directing back to their secure corporate facilities, becoming the backup to the backup plan, just in case anything like this ever happened again.
For Julia, she wasn’t entirely sure anyone could stay ahead of every threat, and the money spent to keep her safe seemed over-the-top, but Connor explained that answer very clearly to her: She could spend all her money on keeping her safe and come live with him at his place. He said those words with so much confidence; it truly seemed a perfect solution to her guy.
As an entourage of vehicles, and the large number of security staff who occupied each car, waited for the main gate to her house to open, she sat in the middle of the seat, flanked on each side by Bruno and Connor. She watched the frenzy taking place right outside Connor’s window as the paparazzi clamored to his side of the SUV. This time, they weren’t interested in her. Their focus remained on her hot, brooding boyfriend who seemed oblivious to their intrusion. Connor had become an international sensation once her media team had spun their truth in a brief press release issued the previous day. It seemed every red-blooded, straight female on the planet wanted a Connor by her side. In that, she completely agreed.
“I was encouraged about the testing.” Connor spoke quietly about the update in his PTSD diagnosis. His eyes focused straight ahead, proving that even if he hadn’t responded, he knew of all the chaos going on outside his window. The gates finally opened, moving the grouping slowly forward. Connor had only agreed to stay in the hospital for the last twenty-four hours to talk to the military therapist his commander had sent. Even with that direct order, Julia saw the power Candace, Bray’s little sister, had over this group of friends. She had talked a good twenty minutes to Connor on the phone, with him only giving a yes here or there before he hung up and grudgingly stated that he would stay through the night. In the end, the head doctors as Connor had dubbed them had double and even triple-teamed him while making their assessments. They came back with positive news. He was moving forward in working through his PTSD diagnosis. Even though he seemed to already know that fact, giving the therapist a very clear duh stare as she presented that bit of information, Julia couldn’t have been more pleased.
“You’ve been taking your care so seriously. I hoped it was working, but you’ve always seemed solid to me,” she said, bumping him in the shoulder.
“Huh,” he replied, keeping the serious look on his face while giving her a playful wink and a squeeze on the thigh from the hand he had resting there, letting her know how much he liked her words.
As they came to a stop at the front door, Julia rested a hand on his arm, stopping Connor from exiting. She waited until Bruno, then the driver, stepped out and they were alone in the car to say, “Your mom and dad are here, and Cole and Bray. My parents and Tina are giving us some time, but they’ll be over tonight. You promised to relax today,” she reminded him. He’d made a gallant effort at assuring her everything was okay, he was totally fine, like she couldn’t see for herself that he was slightly lagging, moving a little slower and more carefully than before.
“I’m fine,” he said and pushed open the door. She had learned an important lesson over the last few days—she learned to stand her ground. Connor was a force and their honeymoon phase had apparently run its course as Connor bulldozed his way through his care and out of that hospital. Julia steeled her spine and gripped his forearm tighter, keeping him in the seat.
“You honestly make a terrible patient. You promised me, Connor. I expect you to live up to that promise,” she said firmly. Connor looked over at her, smiling at her stern reaction. That was another new twist in their relationship. She refused to see that look he gave as condescending, even though he could very well mean it that way. Instead, she chose to believe he enjoyed the way she cared for him. Confirmation came by way of Connor cupping a hand around her neck, drawing her in to kiss her forehead.
Yeah. This was the exact move that taught her to stand her ground. Julia didn’t give. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at him critically. She wasn’t entirely sure how she’d missed this side of Connor, but ever since he’d woken, he had said and done things only to pacify her, never intending to follow through when the time came. She lifted an eyebrow, giving it a severe arch to make her point as he stared down at her. “That sweet move isn’t going to work, mister. Agree before we go in there.”
That made him chuckle and shake his head while stepping out of the car. “Let’s go inside.”
Sneaky! Frustratingly, he still hadn’t agreed. When she didn’t move from her spot, he anchored an arm on the top of the car and ducked his head back inside the backseat with a questioning arch of the brow. She just stared at him speculatively. “You didn’t agree.”
“You think you know me?”
“I’m learning,” she shot back.
“Yeah, you are. Come on. I agree.” His hand came inside the car to help her out. She took the offering, keeping hold as they walked the few steps to the front door. Instead of opening the door, she stopped him again, lifting both her arms around his neck, laying her body against his, loving how his arms automatically wrapped around her waist. They hadn’t been alone in days, after spending every single night together and many days, over the last month.
“I’m glad you’re home. I hope you see what happens when you decide to leave me. I’m not saying it was your fault, but coincidence…” She raised her brow teasingly. “I don’t know…”
“You’re a mess,” he said, his eyes roaming her face. She loved how he seemed to always want to look at her. He kept her there in his arms while reaching for the door handle. Connor backed her through the threshold, straight into the foyer. Her eyes closed as he bent his head toward her. She barely got more than the press of his lips before hearing a distinct clearing of a throat. Julia wrenched from the kiss, looking back over her shoulder. Damn! How had she been the one to forget they had a house full of people when she’d just said those very words out loud?
Connor’s father, Paul, and Bray were standing between the sitting room and entry. Cole stayed on the sofa. Connor’s mother, Sharon, with a dishrag in her hand, was walking toward them from the kitchen. Her chef stood in the doorframe of that room. His glare focused on Sharon’s back, looking very irritated. He was a total diva. She susp
ected he wouldn’t like Sharon messing in his kitchen with all her home-cooking expertise.
Reluctantly Julia pulled away, anchoring both hands on Connor’s shoulder, using force when he didn’t readily let her go. Bray was the first to them. He’d just arrived to California and come straight to her house instead of the hospital. He was a nice-looking man, trimmer and more spornosexual than any of the others in the group of friends. He came forward with his hand outstretched, shaking Connor’s while drawing him in for a big brotherly hug, forcing Connor to fully let her go.
“I’m sorry. I hate what happened.”
“Yeah, me too,” Connor said as the hug continued a few seconds longer. Connor and Bray had spent hours and hours on Skype over the last month. She knew firsthand how much this man cared for Connor. As she stood aside and watched this group of friends function as a unit, Bray seemed the peacemaker of the group, but also Reed’s brother and buffer. Bray soothed the rough edges of Reed’s focused, yet brutally direct, personality. Reed often seemed harsh when dealing with Connor’s new business. Certainly, Bray was the only reason they’d gotten so far and Connor hadn’t pulled the plug on the whole idea. She loved how close the two were and how easily Bray navigated Connor’s set-in-his-ways personality. With a final pat to the back, Connor stepped back, hooking an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side. “Bray, this is Julie.”
“I feel like you’re already part of the family,” Bray said, giving her that same warm, genuine hug. Bray quite possibly could be the most personable out of the bunch. His hold was tight and friendly—very welcoming and sincere. She instantly loved that about him.
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