by Amity Cross
I nodded. “I hope it forces her to face what she’s done and get the help she needs. One day…” She might turn it all around.
The sound of heels clicking on linoleum drew our attention across the waiting room.
“Who’s that?” Simon asked, his eyes widening as a wild-looking Montana appeared through the doorway.
“That’s Montana,” I replied as her gaze found mine.
She practically galloped across the room, threw her arms around me, and started sobbing. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“You’re getting snot all over me,” I grumbled.
“You’re not alone anymore,” she said, her grip suffocating. “You’ve got Huddy, your boss, Lawson, and you’ve got me.”
“What did I say about calling me Huddy?”
Extracting myself from Montana’s grasp, I let out a surprised breath. Hudson stood behind her, a smile on his face. They’d come. They’d both gotten up in the middle of the night and come all the way to the hospital.
“You came,” I murmured, staring at them
“Don’t look so surprised,” Montana said. “Of course, we did! You were kidnapped, and Lawson… How is he?”
“In surgery,” Simon said, elbowing his way into the group. “I’m Simon.” He smiled at Montana, flashing his best cocky grin at her. So not the time to flirt, boss.
Hudson narrowed his eyes, but I was far too tired to get into that. My mind was firmly fixed on Lawson. We had so much to talk about, but for now, I just wanted to see him.
“Is anyone here for Matthew Lawson?” It was the same doctor as before, and my heart skipped several beats.
Simon pushed me forward. “This is his fiancée.”
The doctor beckoned me forward, and I followed him through the doors, my body on autopilot.
“They won’t let you in if you aren’t family,” I heard Simon say to Montana and Hudson before we were closed off in the hallway beyond.
The doctor explained the outcome of the surgery as we walked toward Lawson’s room. He would be kept in for observation for another night, but everything was looking good. They’d given him a transfusion and repaired the bullet wound with minimal fuss. Bed rest, no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise—all commands I knew Lawson would hate.
“So he’s going to be okay?” I asked as we stopped outside a private room.
“Yes,” the doctor replied. “I understand he was a bit of a hero tonight.”
I nodded, glancing through the door. “Yeah. He was.”
“Get some rest,” he added. “A nurse will come and check on him in a while.”
I lingered by the door, my stomach churning. My mind raced over everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and my cheeks heated. I was being silly. This was Lawson, the man whose last words to me were I love you.
As I stepped into his room, my gaze landed on the hospital bed. He was in one of those white gowns with the blankets pulled up to his waist. I didn’t like seeing him like this. I was so used to his muscled glory striding around the Phoenix it threw me off-balance.
When he saw me creeping in the shadows, he smiled.
“Hey,” he said, sounding groggy.
“Matthew?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Shh, don’t tell anyone.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know that was your name.”
“Amber”—he grimaced and held out his hand—“there are a lot of things I should’ve said—”
“No, it’s okay,” I interrupted, moving so I stood beside the bed. “If I hadn’t tried to take her down, she never would’ve shot you. This is all my fault.”
“No.” He frowned and gestured for me to sit beside him. “Amber, if you didn’t do something, she would’ve stuck you with that needle. I was too far away to stop her.”
Abruptly, I burst into tears, the floodgates finally opening as his words triggered all the emotions I’d bottled up. Fear, humiliation, heartbreak, regret. They all burst out of my eyes at the same time. It truly was a sight to behold.
“Hey,” Lawson said, wincing as he tried to sit up. “I’m okay. You’re safe, and that’s all that matters.”
“What you said to me…” I sniffed and wiped at my eyes.
“I meant it,” he said, sliding his hand over mine. “I just wish I’d said it sooner.”
“You do?” I stared at him, and a fat, sloppy tear rolled down my cheek. After everything that had happened, after all that time chasing a fantasy, this time it was real.
“Here,” he murmured, patting the space beside him. “Lie with me.”
He lifted his arm so I could nestle into his side. Shimmying onto the narrow bed, I slid my palm over his stomach, careful not to touch the wound on his opposite side. He reeked like a hospital, but the closer I got, the more I could smell his trademark spicy scent on his skin. It was safe and warm, but most importantly, I never wanted to be apart from him again.
“I love you, Lawson,” I murmured.
He tensed, and I felt his lips brush the top of my head. “I love you, Amber. So fucking much.”
“I’m sorry… I was going to run away,” I said haltingly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.” He sighed, sounding tired. “I guess we were both afraid.”
“Not anymore,” I whispered, my eyes dropping. “You’re never going to get rid of me now. That’s the truth.”
He chuckled. “Truth is a powerful thing.”
“Yeah. So is true love.” I lifted my head and studied his eyes. “Can we make a promise to each other?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“From now on, we tell each other everything. No matter what.”
Lawson’s lips twitched, and he nodded. “I promise.”
“What do we do now?” I whispered. “I never got to this before.”
“Another first, huh?”
I nodded and cupped his cheek. Stroking my thumb across his skin, I kissed him softly, my lips lingering.
“Now,” he murmured, “now we live.”
25
Amber
I breathed in the humid air and cast my gaze out over the view in front of me.
Rainforest stretched toward the horizon and above, the unbroken blue of the sky multiplied into infinity. Below us, I could see the shimmering surface of the lake, and further in the distance, a waterfall was spilling into the water.
“Nice view, huh?”
I smiled up at Lawson and leaned back against his chest. “It’s amazing.”
“Glad you came?”
I nodded, turning back to the view of the rainforest. After Lawson had recovered enough to get up off his feet, we’d decided to take some time and get away from Melbourne and all the chaos that had plagued the beginning of our relationship. That was how we’d found ourselves in Cairns in the tropical north of Queensland.
It was just him and me, the sky, the sand, and nothing else. It was time to talk, to get to know one another in ways we’d never thought, to solidify our feelings for one another. For me, it was the beginning of a new chapter. A new Amber had risen from the ashes and had found love. Not the love of her fantasies but the love of her life.
Smiling, I took out my phone and brought it to life.
“Who are you calling?” Lawson asked.
“I’m FaceTiming Montana,” I replied. “She’ll never believe we were here otherwise.”
I felt his chest rise and fall with a sigh. I suspected my overenthusiastic best friend was a little much for him sometimes, but he got points for going with the flow.
Montana answered in two rings, which didn’t surprise me. Her phone was glued to her hand most of the time.
“Hey!” she said, making a kissy-face at the camera. “How’s the holiday, lover?”
“Amazing,” I replied, grinning. “We’ve been swimming, eating—”
“Fucking.”
“Montana!” I felt my face turning scarlet. “I’m in public, you know.”
&nbs
p; Behind me, Lawson started to laugh.
“Wait, where are you?” she asked.
“On the precipice of a long drop into a gorge.” I turned the phone around so she could see the view from the platform.
“You’re bungee jumping?” she shrieked. “Wait until I tell Huddy! He won’t believe it!”
“Settle down,” I said with a giggle. “I haven’t stood at the edge yet. I might chicken out.”
“Fly, Amber,” she exclaimed. “Spread your wings, and leap off that ledge.”
“I’ll call you back later for proof of life,” I said with a chuckle.
“I’ll be waiting.” She waggled her finger at me as I disconnected the call.
Handing my phone to Lawson, he slipped it into his pocket.
“You can do it,” he said. “You’ve conquered harder things.”
Thinking about that night in the cemetery when I was held at gunpoint by Sera, I nodded. That moment had been terrifying, but it paled in comparison to the tense wait for the ambulance afterward while I held my hands over the bullet wound in Lawson’s side, the impossible bleeding, and him losing consciousness.
But he was here, safe and sound, and Sera was awaiting trial for kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, and for the death of her sister, Sadie. Those were things we still had to face, but for now, Lawson and I were determined to live. Justice would come in time.
“Okay,” I said to the bungee guy. “I’m ready.”
Lawson clapped his hands together. “Go, Amber! Whoo!”
I felt myself tremble as I was hooked into the harness and the bungee ropes were fixed around my ankles. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Never in my entire life had I had the urge to jump off a fucking ledge just for the thrill of it. Never, ever. I hope I didn’t spew on the way down and become a viral Internet sensation.
Finally, I stood on the ledge, ready to leap into infinity, puke or no puke.
I glanced back at Lawson, who gave me a vigorous thumbs-up.
“I think I pooped a little in my pants,” I said to his amusement.
“I’d get up there, but you know, doctor’s orders.”
“Oh, now you’re using that line,” I complained. Like he hadn’t spent the last month whingeing about not being able to train. Lost muscle definition, my arse.
He grinned and leaned toward me over the railing, holding out his hand. I curled my fingers around his, and he squeezed, offering me a little reassurance.
“You heard Montana,” he said. “Fly.”
I let his hand go and glanced at the open space before me. It was the ultimate beginning, jumping into a gorge with just a springy rope tied around your ankles. Bungee jumping was the ultimate trust fall. It was all the rage with us, after all.
I flashed Lawson one more look, and he mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Smiling, I stretched out my arms…and jumped.
The End.
Other Books in The Beat and The Pulse series…
**The series is complete!**
The Beat and The Pulse is a MMA Fighter romance series that’s full of grit, glory and love!
Follow the men and women of Beat and Pulse as they fight for love... in and out of the cage.
It’s time to fight for the broken hearted.
Beat #1
Pulse #2
Crash #3
Spike #4
Rebel #4.5
Steel #5
Flow #6
Surge #7
Quake #8
Rush #9
Strike #10
Ignite #11
Torn #12
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AMITY CROSS is the author of wicked stories about rock stars looking for redemption, gritty romances featuring MMA fighters and dark tales of forbidden romance. She loves to write about alpha males and the strong women who challenge them to fall in love.
Amity lives in a leafy country town near Melbourne, Australia and can be found chained to her desk, held at ransom by her characters.
Don’t send help. She likes it.
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