“Not until it was too late.”
“Hayes got her?” After that first blast of the shot, everything went fuzzy.
Laiken nodded. “He shot her in the shoulder, but the injury wasn’t serious. She’s in a prison medical bay now.”
“Is everyone else okay?”
She scooted in a little closer to me. “Isaac’s a couple of floors down. He’ll make a full recovery, but he’ll need some physical therapy.”
“What about the Grangers?” I hadn’t missed the fact that Laiken hadn’t said a word about them.
“They stopped by to check on you, but I just couldn’t—I’m not ready.”
I tilted my head to press my lips to her temple. “Laiken.”
“It’s too much. Jax’s rage at me. Kay’s disappointment in me for moving on. It all fueled Gilly more. I’ll talk to them soon. I just can’t do it right now. And I couldn’t do it while you were lying here unconscious.”
“Okay. You go at your own speed. Just don’t let too much time pass. Anger like that can fester, and they’ve been a second family to you.”
Laiken stiffened. “Your parents are here.”
“Shit.” I’d forgotten all about Eli and them coming up here. “Where are they?”
“Your dad just took your mom back to their hotel to rest.” She toyed with a thread on the blanket. “They love you so much. And they’ve been so worried. I should text your dad.”
I squeezed her hand. “Let them get some rest. They’ll have good news to come back to.”
“They’ll be so happy.”
“Have they been to see Eli?” I asked.
“Your dad met with Hayes and saw Eli once. But he’s not providing him a lawyer. Eli’s already on his way back to the LA county prison.”
My throat burned. I didn’t want this for Eli or my parents. But it was time for Eli to face the ramifications of his actions, and it sounded like my parents were finally going to let that happen.
I brushed my lips against Laiken’s temple again, reveling in the silky feel of her skin. “That’s good.”
“I can’t believe he tried to kidnap you.”
“He’s lost all sense of logic and reason. I can only hope that this is his rock-bottom and that it’ll be enough to scare him straight.”
Laiken burrowed in even closer to me. “I hope so, too. For all of you.”
I let myself soak in her warmth. That would heal me faster than anything, knowing that Laiken was by my side. “I love you.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. “I love you, too.”
I watched the golden amber of her eyes spark and dance. “This is a forever kind of love, Laiken.”
She stiffened. “Don’t. Please don’t promise me forever. I’ve already had forever ripped away from me once. I almost hadyouripped away from me.”
My heart ached for everything she’d been through. And I was furious at Gilly for putting her through more. I swallowed all that down and brushed my lips against Laiken’s. “How about I promise you today? And I’ll do it again tomorrow. And every day until we’re old and gray.”
Laiken’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I love that plan.”
47
Laiken