“Good question,” Spike said. “Dunno. But not sure I believe in coincidences.”
She swallowed heavily.
“Nobody else got hurt?”
“Just you, baby doll. Because I wasn’t fucking close enough or fast enough.”
“It’s not your fault, Spike. You were only a few feet away from me. I’m so glad you didn’t get shot.”
He scowled. “Better me than you. Fuck, I thought I was gonna lose you.”
And what would you have done then?
He tried to tell himself that he was just feeling guilty that she got hurt while under his protection. But it wasn’t as simple as that.
“There was so much blood. The ambulance seemed to take forever. You passed out. I was worried I’d hurt you even more by tackling you.”
“Spike, I’m okay.” She reached out for his hand with her good one. “I’m alive. It’s just my shoulder.”
“Just your shoulder? Baby, they had to operate to reconstruct it. You don’t know how much damage a bullet can do.”
“I’m alive. You’re alive. Nobody else is hurt. Things are okay.”
He stared at her for a long moment. Then he shook his head. She amazed him. Here she was, injured, in the hospital, trying to comfort him.
Her eyes started to drift closed. Poor baby. She was exhausted.
“Sleep, baby.”
“Mr. Fluffy?”
“He’s with Ink and Betsy.”
“He’ll be missing me,” she murmured. “Did they take his favorite toy?”
“I told them to grab it.”
“And his clothes?”
“Yes,” he growled, even though he knew Ink was going to give him shit for that. Fuck his life.
“Good,” she sighed.
Spike watched her drift off to sleep.
Fuck.
He was so messed up. He needed sleep, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. He needed to guard her. Watch over her. Make sure nothing bad ever happened to her again.
And what about when she leaves?
Panic flooded him again. He couldn’t let her go. Couldn’t let her leave him.
Shit. Closing his eyes, he saw Jacqui’s face. Heard her pleas. Then her face morphed into Millie’s.
It was Millie begging him to save her.
He couldn’t keep her fucking safe. Just look what had happened to her on his watch.