I squinted against a weirdly bright light overhead.
“What—”
“She’s awake!”
I saw a pretty face and bouncy brown waves.
“Kelly?”
“She remembers me! I told you she was fine,” she squealed. “How are you feeling?”
“Uh . . .” I groaned as I tried to sit up. I felt an ache deep inside me, running down my side from my ribs to my hip. I winced and fell back on the bed. “Great,” I said with a trace of irony.
“Shane! Get in here!” Michelle winked at me. “He’s out there berating the doctors for not ‘fixing’ you yet.”
“Shane?” I asked, looking around for him. He’d been there. He’d stopped that man from . . .
“Baby? Oh, my God, baby, you’re awake.”
I looked up to see him framed in the doorway. He ran toward me, pulling me against his chest. I whimpered involuntarily in pain, and he released me, looking horrified.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m . . . fine.” I looked around at the familiar faces gathered around me. They were giving me looks that were a mix of pity and relief. “Wait. Am I fine?”
“You got stabbed,” Cassandra said flatly.
“Cass!”
“Well, she did!” She held her hands up. “She’s lucky it wasn’t worse!”
“Worse?”
Shane was glaring at her, but he turned back to look at me. He brushed my hair away from my face.
“It’s okay, baby. You did good.”
“I pretended I was knocked out. I thought he’d be less interested in” —my eyes started to fill with tears— “hurting me.”
“I’m so sorry. I never should have brought you into all this.”
I reached up and cupped his cheek.
“Don’t. Don’t say that.”
He bowed his head, resting his forehead on mine.
“I think that’s our cue, guys,” Michelle said with a smile as she shooed everyone out and into the hallway. I barely noticed. My gaze was locked with the gorgeous man staring into my eyes. There was a soft click as Michelle shut the door behind her. I could barely breathe, I was so focused on Shane. He hadn’t just rescued me. He’d opened my heart. He was everything to me now. He had given me a reason to live.
“This is my fault. All my fault.”
I held tight to him, staring into his eyes.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You saved me.” I smiled tremulously, tears filling my eyes. “Twice.”
He stared at me like he was trying to memorize me. I let my eyes fall to his lips when his did. He leaned in and pressed the sweetest kiss against my mouth.
I sighed as he pulled away.
“I love you, Parker. I love you so fucking much.”
“I . . . love you, too,” I whispered.
He grinned at me then, even though his eyes were still watery.
“It’s going to be different now, babe. I’m going to take care of you. You never have to be afraid again.”
“I just want to be with you.”
“That’s what I want too. I don’t need anything else.”
“Yes you do, silly. You need food.”
He leaned in and nipped my neck.
“Do I, really?” I let out a breathy laugh as he nuzzled the sensitive spot below my ear. “I think I have enough to nibble on right here.”
“Shane . . .”
“I want you so bad,” he said before kissing my lips. I tried to angle myself toward him and froze, crying out in agony.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”
He helped me lie back and buzzed the nurse.
“She’s got to hold still,” she scolded as she took Shane’s place by the bed.
“What did he do to me?” I breathed, realizing I was worse off than I thought. Shane’s jaw tensed as he watched the nurse check my bandages. I was bleeding but my stitches were intact.
“The primary wound missed all major organs and arteries,” the nurse said with sympathy. “But it was deep, and it’s going to take a while to heal.”
I nodded but she wasn’t done.
“They were able to find the fingertip and reattach it, but it’s too soon to tell how functional it will be.”
She left, and I lifted my hand, staring at it. I’d forgotten about my finger. It stung a bit, but other than that, I couldn’t feel much. The memories came flooding back. He’d stabbed me deep and then started talking about cutting off my ears and my nose and more. But he hadn’t had the chance. He’d just started with the tip of my pinkie finger.
My blood ran cold, trying to block it out. If Shane and his friends hadn’t found me . . .
“Oh, my God,” I whispered, trying to hold back the terror. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run and hide. I wanted to curl up in Shane’s arms under the blankets and never come out again.
“He hurt you, baby. He hurt you . . .” He trailed off, resting his head in his hands. “I swear to you that no one will ever hurt you again.”