by Ashe, Karina
“Oh, God,” she whispered.
He lay on his right side, hooked up to so many machines, all of them quietly beeping or blinking. Against his dark hair, his face was as white as the sheet that covered him. Graham wrapped his arm around her waist and led her forward.
She touched the limp hand resting on top of the sheet. Marcus didn’t move, his breathing slow and shallow.
“We’re here Marcus, you’re safe. Tanya won’t get near you again—ˮ Her voice broke. Graham wrapped his other arm around her and took over.
“Hey, baby brother.” His deep voice was raw. “Your pretty assistant is a heroine. She took down your crazy stalker with her purse. I hope you were awake to see it.” He swallowed, reached out one hand and closed it over Marcus’ still fingers. “Fight, Marcus. You’ve always been a fighter, so don’t give up now—”
His voice broke. Leah turned in his arms and hugged him, feeling him shake as he struggled for control.
“It’s okay to cry, Graham. I won’t tell anyone the Stone Hawkins actually has emotions.”
He let out a choked laugh. “I understand why he loves you, Leah.” He lifted his head and met her eyes, his bright with tears. “You are the best thing that ever happened to him.”
“I feel the same way about him.”
They held on to each other, two strangers brought together by near tragedy, and their shared love for one man. The nurse interrupted them, her gentle voice pulling Leah back from the edge of despair.
“It’s been five minutes. Two more can look in on him, after a fifteen minute break.”
“Thank you,” Leah said. She cleared her throat, and kept her arm around Graham, reaching up to touch his cheek. “We’ll get something to eat, okay?”
He nodded, let out a shaky breath.
The nurse laid a hand on Leah’s back when they reached her. “I have some scrubs you can change into, and if you’d like to use a shower, I can take you.”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m Kathleen.” She rubbed Leah’s back, a gentle, soothing movement, then reached up and cradled Graham’s cheek. He stared down at her, surprise on his blue eyes. “I’ll be looking after Marcus, so if you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them.”
“Thank you.” Graham’s voice was rough, and he laid his hand over Kathleen’s, closing his eyes briefly.
“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Hawkins.”
“Graham, please. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
She smiled. “I’m afraid so. He’s doing even better than Dr. Richards expected, but he has a long recovery ahead of him. Just how long depends on his determination to get better.”
“He’s the most stubborn person I know.”
“That will help.” She eased out of Graham’s grip and held the door open. “I will come and get his next two visitors when it’s time. Ready for that shower, Miss Frane?”
“Leah. Yes, I am.” Every time she looked at the dried blood still on her hands, all she saw was Tanya, stabbing Marcus, the satisfaction on her face chilling.
She followed Kathleen, her body sore, her heart aching. Her life was about to change. She just hoped Marcus would still be part of it.
***
Pain yanked Marcus out of the darkness.
Every time he breathed, he breathed in pain; sharp, stabbing, impossible to escape. He vaguely remembered sirens, hands touching him, the agony of every breath. And Leah’s voice, always there, warm, soft, alive.
He gathered his strength, and opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room, hooked up to at least three machines, probably more behind him. That didn’t look good.
A tall, beautiful nurse opened the door. “You’re awake. I have my own bird’s eye view of your room.” She pointed at the camera in the corner, near the ceiling. “I’m going to check your vital signs, Mr. Hawkins, then I’ll get the doctor.”
“Leah,” he whispered, and flinched at his rasping, raw throat.
“She’s fine, and in the waiting room with your brother and some friends. I’ll let them know you’ve come back to the living.” Her smile left him feeling less alone. “It must have been a shock, waking up to all this hardware.”
“Bad?”
She checked his pulse, then answered. “Nice and steady. You were injured badly enough to warrant all the extra surveillance. Dr. Richards can explain the details.”
In other words, bad.
He closed his eyes, the effort of keeping them open exhausting him.
“You rest, Mr. Hawkins. I’ll bring the doctor in soon.”
“Graham.”
“You want your brother here?” He nodded, hopefully enough for her to see. “I’ll make sure to tell him.” A warm, soothing hand rubbed his arm. “You’re going to be all right, Marcus. Hold on to that.”
Before he could open his eyes, drum up the strength to thank her, she was already out the door.
When he opened them again, a face hovered in front of him. He blinked, slowly, bringing Leah into focus.
“Hey,” she whispered, cradling his hand in hers. “I missed those intense blue eyes.”
“Thank you.”
“You can thank my purse. Without it, I never would have been able to stop—” She cut herself off, tears sliding down her face. “Oh, Marcus—I was never so scared in my life.”
“Where?” He hated the one word questions, but he wanted to save his strength until he got all his answers.
“In a jail cell, with two attempted murder charges on her head. Graham said she wouldn’t see the outside for some time, though her lawyer will probably claim temporary insanity.”
He snorted. “Permanent.”
“I couldn’t agree more. How are you? Are you hurting?”
Everywhere, but he wasn’t going to tell her. She already had enough to deal with.
“Okay.”
“Here’s Dr. Richards. I’m not going anywhere—I’ll be right over by the door.” She leaned in and kissed him, so gently he knew she was scared. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Love you—back.”
Her smile soothed him more than the drug they were pumping into him. When she moved aside, he saw a short, bald man, wire-rimmed glasses perched on the edge of his nose. He was studying a file and making notes.
“Good evening, Mr. Hawkins. I’m Dr. Richards. It’s good to see you awake so soon.”
Evening? So soon? God, how bad was he?
Dr. Richards pulled up a chair so they were face to face. Marcus appreciated that gesture. “I’m not going to sugarcoat, Mr. Hawkins. You were badly injured when you arrived. The knife didn’t hit any major organs, but it did do some significant damage, especially to the nerves near your spine. Like I told your family and friends, I won’t know the extent until the swelling goes down, but as of right now, your left leg is immobile.”
Shock drove into him. Nerve damage, immobile—that meant useless, didn’t it?
“My—hand,” he whispered. If he couldn’t type, his business was done before he even got close to accomplishing what he wanted.
“Give it a try.” Marcus willed his left hand to move, and relief left him shaky when he closed his fingers into a fist. “Good. Now lift your arm.” After a false start, he did, and kept going, until his arm started shaking. “That’s enough, Mr. Hawkins. I find your strength encouraging. Now, I want you to rest, get plenty to eat once I take you off the I.V., and make sure your family sneaks some real food in.” He winked, then pushed to his feet.
“Doctor.” Marcus swallowed, forced more sound into his voice. “Thank you.”
“I was glad I could help. Now that your assailant is safely behind bars, we can work on getting you healthy and strong.”
Healthy and strong. He had been both, just this morning. All it took was one minute, and one crazy ex, to implode his perfect life.
Seven
“I’m sorry.” Kathleen did look sorry as she stood in the entrance to the private wing. “Mr. Hawkins
requested that he not be disturbed today.”
Leah’s heart skipped. “By anyone, or just me?”
The regret on Kathleen’s face answered her question before she spoke. “Just you, Leah. I am so sorry. He’s had a bad day, and I don’t think he wants you to see him like this.”
She forced herself to take slow, deep breaths. “How bad?”
Kathleen took her arm. “Let’s sit down for a few minutes.”
Oh, God—it must have been bad.
Leah let the nurse lead her to a small, private lounge, down a short hall and behind the nurses’ station. It must have been really bad if she was taking Leah to a place this private.
At least I can have my breakdown without witnesses.
Once they were seated on a worn sofa, Kathleen sandwiched her hand, the grip warm, reassuring. The nurse had been their rock the past two weeks, helping Marcus pull out of the constant pain by joking with him, asking him questions about his tech business, and being a presence they could count on.
“I tried to talk him out of it, Leah, but he doesn’t want any visitors today.” Kathleen sighed. “The swelling around his wound went down overnight, and the damage is worse than Dr. Richards thought.”
Leah clutched her hand. “Tell me.”
“There will be permanent damage, and there’s a good chance he will not have full use of his left leg. I’m so sorry.”
Leah stared at her, stunned. Marcus had been doing so well, the pain easing more every day, and the movement in his left leg so promising.
“What do you mean by not full use?”
“He’ll have a limp, at the very least. He will absolutely need crutches at first, then a cane to help him with balance.”
“Okay.” She could work with that. The unknown was Marcus. Would he be willing to work with limitations? Or would it change him? The news had already seemed to, since his first reaction was to shut himself off from everyone.
“Kathleen—does anyone else know about his request?”
“No. I haven’t listed it on his chart yet…” She smiled, for the first time since Leah arrived. “I could possibly take a break, and leave the station unattended for a few minutes.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take all the blame for this. Marcus Hawkins is not going to hide from the people who want to help him.” The people who loved him.
“I need to check a couple of things. I’m sure you can see yourself out, Miss Frane.”
“I—yes.” Leah stood, knowing that was for any staff who might be in hearing range. “Thank you.”
She walked down the hall, halted near the station. No one was here, except for the other patients. Taking a deep breath, she marched down the hall to confront the most stubborn one in the unit.
Marcus pushed himself up the minute she walked into his room. “Get out.”
“No.”
Fury flashed in his exhausted eyes, almost covering the despair. “I don’t want—”
“I’m not leaving until I’ve had my say.” Even if what he said back to her hurt.
“Where’s Kathleen?”
“I didn’t see her when I came in.”
He cursed under his breath, but that was it. Good, Kathleen wouldn’t get in trouble for Leah’s crazy scheme. “Spit it out, then get out.”
She braced herself for more anger and sat in the chair on his right side. He glared at her and crossed his arms. Her heart lifted to see that his left arm was fine, with no sign of weakness.
“I heard about the latest development.”
He swallowed, but kept eye contact. “What latest development? That I’m a cripple?” His voice stumbled over the last word.
“Marcus Hawkins—I never want to hear that word out of your mouth again. Are we clear?”
“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”
“The damn woman who loves you.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he kept glaring at her. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“That’s too damn bad, because we are going to talk the hell out of this.”
“Leah—”
She pushed up from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. “I hate what Tanya did to you—and I will never forgive her for it. But if you give up, then she wins. Do you really want that? Do you want her gloating in her jail cell, knowing she brought Marcus Hawkins to his knees?”
After endless minutes, he finally gripped her hand, his voice raw with pain. “I can’t live like this—an invalid, unable to take care of myself.”
“You won’t, Marcus. Every day, you’re going to get stronger. And every day, I’m going to be there. Every day you fight this is another victory over a crazy woman who wanted you dead. Show her she lost, Marcus, by living.”
“Why are you here? You know what’s coming. You don’t have to stay, Leah.”
God, that hurt to hear. But she saw how much it hurt him to say it, to offer her a way out.
“I’m here because I love you, you stubborn, beautiful man. I’m not going anywhere, except out that door. With you.”
He slid his left hand into her hair and pulled her down, until his breath warmed her lips. “I won’t be easy to live with.”
“And that’s news because—”
He kissed her, smiling against her lips. “You have a smart mouth, Miss Frane.”
“I need one with you around, Mr. Hawkins.”
His smile faded, those dark blue eyes serious. “Are you sure, Leah? This isn’t going to be easy.”
“Nothing about you has ever been easy. Except in bed.”
He groaned. “That’s another victim. I won’t be able to—”
“I think I can find creative ways to—satisfy us both.”
“Shit—sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You’re going to be doing a lot of swearing in the near future. My ears can take it. You have no idea how much you swear during sex, do you?”
He stared at her. “I—no.”
“Don’t look so worried. It turns me on.”
“What did I do to deserve you?”
She brushed her lips over his, loving the feel of them, the spark that ignited every time they touched.
“Everything, Mr. Hawkins.”
He tugged on her hand. “Lay down with me. I need to feel you next to me, even if I can’t do anything about it.”
“What about the nurses?”
“Rounds are in fifteen minutes.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You time them?”
“Bored, Leah. I had to do something. Plus, it gives me some control, knowing when they’ll show up.” He tugged at her again. “Please. Just to touch you, maybe kiss you a little.”
She sighed. “Nothing more than kissing, Marcus. You try anything and visiting hours are over.”
“Deal.”
Leah stood long enough to slip out of her shoes and her sweater, then stretched out next to him, on top of the sheet and blanket. Before she had a chance to protest, Marcus pulled her into his chest and started kissing her.
He had the most incredible lips, and he kissed her like he was starving and she was a banquet. She hadn’t made out with someone since she was a teenager, never thought it was that big a deal. Marcus turned it into a sensuous, full body experience. He had her in a slow burn, every inch hot and restless.
His hand slid into her hair, fingers massaging her scalp as he took the kiss to a deeper level. Leah moaned and held on to him.
Much too soon he freed her lips, his eyes dark with passion when he looked down at her. “Almost time for rounds, gorgeous.”
“Oh, God—let me go, Marcus. I can’t have a nurse seeing me like this.”
“One more.” He captured her lips in a hot, fast kiss, and finally let her go, adjusting the sheet so his impressive erection was less obvious. “You might want to visit the bathroom, Leah.”
He looked pleased with himself. When she stepped into the bathroom and got her first look in the mirror, she understood why.
Her face was flushed, her hair falling out of the once neat bun. She looked like she had been thoroughly kissed.
“I can at least do something about the hair,” she muttered. She rewound her bun, and splashed some cold water on her face. By the time she finished and opened the door, a nurse was at Marcus’ bed, looking over his chart and—flirting with him.
“I love your latest software, Mr. Hawkins. It has put my computer at home over the top in efficiency.”
“Thank you. I like it, too.” He winked at Leah. “Come on over, Leah, and meet Sally.” He waved at her and Leah padded over, leaning against the metal headboard. “This is my fiancée, Leah.”
“Oh. Nice to meet you.”
Leah didn’t notice her walking out of the room. She was too busy trying to keep her knees from buckling. “What did you say?”
“That’s what Graham told them, right? To get you in to see me.”
“Yes. It was only so I could—”
“Marry me, Leah.”
“What?” Her voice was so faint, she barely heard it.
He took her hand, his warm, steady, and so welcome. “You are my first thought when I wake up, and my last when I go to sleep. I want you to do both with me, every day, for the rest of our lives.”
“Marcus—”
“I know I’m damaged goods, and it won’t always be easy, but I know I can get through this if you’re by my side.”
“You’re not damaged goods.” She kissed his forehead. “And you have never been easy.” Her lips moved to the tip of his nose. “And yes, Marcus Hawkins.” She whispered against his lips. “I will marry you.”
His kiss left her head spinning. The sound of someone clapping pulled them out of the kiss. Leah turned to find Graham in the doorway, a smile on his face.
“It took you long enough, baby brother. I was making plans to move in on her.”
Marcus wrapped his arm around her waist. “Mine.”
Graham burst out laughing. “I take it you’re doing better.”
“I feel like shit and my leg is throbbing. But according to Dr. Richards, that’s a good thing.”
Leah turned to him and cradled his cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I had—other things on my mind.”
She blushed, the heat deepening when Graham laughed again.