Hayes put a steadying hand on her lower back and they walked down two hallways to get to the room. The lights were low when they went in and the nurse who’d been adjusting Ren’s IV gave them both a nod. “You can only stay a few minutes. He needs rest.”
“Of course,” Hayes said, his voice library-quiet.
But Cora couldn’t respond. Instead she froze in the doorway, her focus glued on the bruised and battered man lying on the bed. Ren’s face was pale, his cheek swollen and bruised and his lip cut. The sheets covered him to his shoulders, so she couldn’t see the extent of his injuries, but just the bits she could see sent her stomach into a tumble. Ren.
She wanted to cry, wanted to run to him and curl her arms around him, take the pain from him. The rush of emotion was so thick and blinding that it almost took her knees out from under her.
Hayes grasped her around the waist, obviously sensing the shift in her. “Easy, now. It’s okay. He’s okay. We need to be strong for him.”
Tears jumped to her eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s— I’m sorry.”
Hayes squeezed her side, but a tremor went through him. “I know. I’m right there with you.”
She glanced over, saw the anguish in his face, knew it reflected what she was feeling. She’d known she’d be upset, but this . . . this was something different. This was how you felt when someone you loved was hurt.
The realization stole the breath from her. And she knew without a doubt that if roles were reversed, she’d have the same reaction if Hayes were lying in that bed. She didn’t know how to fully explain that feeling or justify it after such a short time of knowing these men, but there it was. The beginnings of love. Something real and scary and undeniable.
“Are you assholes just going to stand there and gawk or actually come and visit me?”
The hoarse voice broke through Cora’s pounding heart and tore her from her thoughts. Relief moved through her. She stepped inside. “We didn’t want to wake you.”
“No way to sleep through that nurse poking and prodding at me. I think she’s a closet sadist.” Ren turned his head, his eyelids lifting halfway. “Hey, gorgeous.”
Cora’s lips rolled together as she tried not to start crying again. “Hey, yourself.”
“Sounds like they’re giving you the good stuff,” Hayes said, his gruff voice belying his emotion.
Ren’s mouth curled into a lopsided half smile. “Man, I’m super high right now. The only bonus of getting bested by my psycho ex.”
“You weren’t bested,” Hayes said, his tone brooking no argument. “Captain Benning said you went with him to save Cora. You were a hero.”
“What?” Cora blurted, turning to look at Hayes. Her mother hadn’t told her anything about that.
Hayes nodded at Ren. “Gordon made him think he had you.”
Ren closed his eyes, a flicker of pain flashing there. “I thought he’d hurt you, killed you.”
“Jesus,” she whispered. She reached out and gently brushed Ren’s hair away from his forehead.
Ren trembled beneath her touch as he took a shuddering breath, but then he opened his eyes again. “I don’t want to talk about it. Maybe not ever.”
“That’s fine,” she said, her heart hurting for him. “But thank you for trying to save me.”
“Some superhero I am. I get myself kidnapped and you weren’t even there. My comic book would suck.” Some of the light came back into his eyes. “But yours wouldn’t. I heard you helped find me.”
She smiled, trying to keep the mood easy even though imagining what’d he’d been through kept running through her mind. “Yeah. Turns out my ex-boyfriend is good for something.”
“Ex-boyfriend?”
“She spent the night over there,” Hayes added.
Ren’s gaze narrowed. “It’s not fair to make an injured man jealous when he can’t do anything about it.
Fox, go put the fear of God into this ex-boyfriend.”
She laughed. “Not necessary.”
“I’ve been informed all hands were kept on keyboards,” Hayes said with a faux-businesslike tone.