Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Tai’s eyes were cloudy as he looked over at Fatbaby’s wife.
She was acting inconsolable.
And maybe she was.
But I couldn’t kick the feeling that she wasn’t being genuine.
I would definitely be inconsolable had the same thing happened to Tai, but she was acting…strangely.
I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“I can’t find his ring!” She cried frantically as she combed through the bag of his personal effects that the nurse had just handed her. “Where is it?”
I looked down at my hand as Chief Allen walked over to Lynn Sims and patted her lightly on the shoulder.
Nobody liked her, something that was glaringly obvious when none of the men went to her or were consoling her.
Had that been anyone else, any other member of KFD’s wife or girlfriend, the guys would have had her surrounded, offering her what comfort and support they could.
One of their own had nearly died. He still could die.
And they didn’t offer her anything other than a few words.
A paramedic walked into the room and Tai pushed off the wall he’d been holding up and stopped in front of him.
I’d never seen this paramedic before.
He must’ve been on A-shift, because I knew everyone on the other two shifts.
He spoke very softly, then Tai’s eyes shifted to Lynn before shifting back turning to look at the wall.
His jaw tightened.
The paramedic said something else, and I was momentarily distracted.
“Hey,” a male voice said.
I looked up to find Jack staring down into my eyes.
“Yeah?” I asked softly.
“He’s going to need you tonight,” he said. “I was going to ask him to stay with me, but I know he’ll say no. You need to make sure you stay with him.” It wasn’t so much a request as much as it was an order, and it didn’t bother me in the least.
In fact, it warmed my heart to know how much Jack loved his brother and how he wanted him to have someone taking care of him.
“I will,” I promised, even though I’d been planning to stay with him whether he wanted me to or not.
Hours later, we finally made it through the front door of his house.
He hadn’t said a word since we’d left the hospital.
His eyes were haunted, though.
“You want to take a shower with me?” I asked softly.
He shook his head.
“I need to make a few calls,” he said, sending me on my way without another glance in my direction.
I left him there to make his calls, heading into his bedroom first and then to his bathroom.
I took a nice long shower, hoping he’d join me. Sadly, he never did.
When I got out, I realized why he didn’t when I heard the voices coming from the front of the house
I peeked out and sighed when I saw Luke, Nico, Downy, Michael and two other men whose names I couldn’t recall.
Closing the door quietly, I gave them the privacy I was sure he wanted for that conversation.
Laying down on the crisp white sheets of Tai’s bed, I shoved my face in his pillow, inhaling his scent, as I closed my eyes, letting the darkness of a dreamless sleep take me away from the horror of the day and the memories they brought up for me.
I don’t know how long he’d been in bed before his movements woke me, but by the amount of sweat soaking the sheets around the hot body at my side, it’d been a while.
Tai was thrashing in his sleep, whispering something over and over that I couldn’t quite make out.
I lifted up on my elbows to look at him.
The light from the alarm clock at his side cast an eerie green glow on his face, and I ran the tips of my fingers down his cheek.
“Tai,” I said softly.
He jerked awake like I’d pinched him instead of saying his name.
“What?” He said breathlessly.
“You were having a nightmare,” I said softly.
His eyes closed again, and he turned to face me.
“I always have nightmares,” he said softly.
I hadn’t slept with him overnight before.
In fact, this was the first night I’d ever spent in another man’s bed.
Acting on instinct, I moved towards him.
He caught me up to his chest and turned us so we were face-to-face, my body pressed up along the length of his.
“What was your nightmare about?” I asked softly, running the tip of my nose along the bridge of his.
He let me go and sat up, glancing at the clock as he did.
4:43 AM.
He sat on the side of the bed with his legs slightly spread and his feet flat on the floor, and he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he dropped his head into his hands.
His pose was defeated.
And sad.
My heart hurt for him.
I got up on my knees and scooted to sit behind him, sliding each of my thighs along the outside of his, as I threaded my arms under his to wrap them around his chest.