So which one was it?
I jolted upright, my body having begun to slump.
“Hey,” Bellamy spoke softly, her hands guiding me up onto the bed. “Here, lie down.”
I reclined against the mattress because it was pretty comfortable. I felt Bells tug the gown around me, and I smiled at her. She sat back on the side of the bed, and I curled my arm around her hips and shut my eyes.
I heard the hum of familiar voices around me, but didn’t listen to what they were saying. Instead, an instant replay at the pace of super-slow motion played against my closed eyelids.
Bellamy walking forward. Her long golden hair floating behind her like feathers. She turned to glance over her shoulder, smiling at me with a look of happiness in her eyes. Warmth suffused my chest. Love washed over me as I stared at her…
But then it changed.
Interruptive shattering blasted through the serene moment, and I watched in helpless agony as a metal bullet ripped through the air toward her.
I tried to yell, but no sound came out.
I hurled my body toward her, but my feet stayed glued to the floor.
I watched in supreme horror as the bullet tore into her flesh, a spurt of ruby-red blood jetting out of her as her body was violently thrown back with the force.
Bells collapsed right there on the carpet in front of me, her body falling motionless, her face turned toward me as a curtain of red bloomed over her body.
I yelled again. No sound. I glanced at her eyes, which had been sparkling and laughing just moments before. She was still looking at me. But the expression in her stare was no longer love. It was cold. Empty.
Lifeless.
I gasped aggressively, this time the force of it creating a sound. The body that had been sitting beside me lurched up, and cool hands grabbed at my cheeks.
“Liam?” Bellamy’s voice floated overhead.
I blinked up, seeing her above me, concern on her face.
“Bells.” I was breathless. I reached for her, and she came. “Should I get the nurse?” she whispered against my ear as I hugged her close.
“No,” I protested. “Nah. I’m good.” Cupping the back of her head, I reminded myself it was just a dream. Not reality.
The nurse bustled in a few moments later. I was still awake. Drowsy but awake. I fought for every ounce of consciousness I could have. I hated this feeling of being out of control.
That was good, right?
That meant I wasn’t ready to reach for some pills.
Bellamy’s lips pressed against my forehead. “We’ll be in the waiting room. I love you.”
“Love you,” I replied.
The nurses shooed my family out of the room. My eyes clung to Bells until she was out of sight.
“Alex,” I called out before my best friend could disappear, too.
Alex rotated and came back into the room, taking up space right beside my bed as they wheeled it toward the door.
“Stay with Bellamy.”
“Of course.” He assured me.
I grabbed his arm, forcing my drowsy eyes open so I could stare at him. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“You have my word,” he answered intently.
I let go of his arm as they pushed the bed past and out into the hall. Staring up at the ceiling as we went, the sticky feeling of death clung to me.
And now we knew my deepest fear.
Losing Bellamy.
Bellamy
What was supposed to be an in-and-out procedure turned into an overnight at the hospital.
Perks of being a world-famous pro athlete?
Probably not.
However, I couldn’t necessarily complain that the doctors and staff were being extra cautious with Liam because they wanted to give him the best possible chance at recovery.
So here we were, settling in for a night in the hospital.
“I could have gone home,” Liam muttered, totally grumpy. The thermal shrinkage procedure had gone smoothly, but his mood was another story.
“Home is a plane ride away, not a short drive,” I explained, even though the doctor already did. He was so annoyed when they were telling him he should stay. I didn’t even think he listened. “And at least here you’ll have your knee properly cared for and elevated instead of lying all night in an uncomfortable hotel bed. They already said they would discharge you tomorrow before we need to head to the airport.”
“Hey, Bells?” he asked, his mood suddenly seeming less grumptastic and more conspiratorial.
“Yes?” I asked, dubious. Who knew what he was going to try and pull? Geez. He was probably plotting a hospital escape. He was so charming he might even convince me.
Stay strong, Bellamy. Don’t cave to his manly wooing wiles.
“You ever done it in a hospital bed?” He lifted just one eyebrow and smiled.
A laugh burst from me, and I put a hand over my mouth to conceal some of the sound. After a moment, I pulled my hand away. “No, and tonight won’t be any different.” I scolded him. I had to admit… the thought did cross my mind. He was lying there all drowsy looking, with rumpled hair and nothing but a thin gown separating us.
“You have to lie still and keep your knee elevated. The nurses will be in with ice and to check on you.”
“Maybe they’ll join in.” He wagged his brows, undeterred.
My mouth opened. Closed. Then a smiled formed on my lips. “You know… I just saw a pretty good-looking male nurse come on shift…” Liam’s deep growl filled the room. My smile widened into a grin. “Not what you had in mind?”
“My knee might be busted, but not so busted that I can’t get out of this bed and whoop some ass.”
“But it was your idea.” I reminded him innocently.
“No hospital sex,” he declared, his eyes still molten silver. “I don’t share.”
I gave him a look. “Neither do I.”
“Aww, sweetheart, I was just kidding. Come give me a kiss.” He plastered a pitiful look on his face. “My knee hurts.”
I made a rude sound but kissed him anyway. Liam was a lot of things, but interested in other women wasn’t one of them. He was just being ornery. And slightly drugged up.
“You know I would never,” he murmured when my lips left his.
I rubbed my palm over his beard. “I know.”
He puckered his lips again, and I obliged. “I love you,” he said against my mouth.
I pulled back after lingering against him for another moment. “Does it hurt?” I asked, sparing a look at his knee, which was elevated by some kind of sling hanging from the ceiling. It was wrapped, and there was some ice on it that the nurse would come remove in just a few more minutes. The doctor made several small incisions at the knee for the laser, so Liam had a few stitches.
“Nah. I’m still pretty numb. The pain meds they gave me work well.”
They gave him a shot right before they started because he refused to take any pills. I knew he was only doing what he thought was best, and part of me was relieved. The other part of me didn’t want him to be in pain.
“What about when that shot wears off?” I worried.
“They, ah, know the situation. The doc gave me a prescription for some anti-inflammatory you can get over the counter, just in a higher dose so I only have to swallow one instead of several at a time.” He glanced at me, then down at his knee. “They aren’t habit forming.”
I went back to his side, gingerly balanced on the edge of the bed. “I’m not worried about that,” I said.
“Maybe you should be.” His voice was quiet.
I glanced at him sharply, but the door to his room opened and we were no longer alone.
Alex and his parents bustled in, carrying several bags and a tray of drinks. “Dinner is here,” he announced.
I supposed dinner with Liam’s family was a good distraction, though it wasn’t lost on me I considered normal family time a distraction because the rest of my life was pretty much on fire. It was sort of hard to
sit there and make small talk when someone had tried to murder me yesterday and we fled Chicago like criminals running from the law. I barely slept last night in the hotel room because every tiny noise had me alert and panicked.
We decided not to say anything about what happened in Chicago because Ren and Holly had enough on their plate. Besides, I didn’t die. Technically, all was fine.
I picked at the takeout, mostly pushing it around in the box it came in, using the lid to basically conceal the fact I was doing more playing than actually eating. Liam didn’t eat much either, but considering he just had surgery, I couldn’t really blame him.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Holly worried, moving over to Liam’s side. “It’s only one night.”
“There’s no point in you guys getting a hotel room. I’m fine, and I know you’d rather sleep in your own bed tonight anyway,” he told her. “I know I would.”
“Tomorrow.” I reminded him.
“Are you up for the drive, Alex?” Ren asked. “After driving in this morning?”
“I’m fresh as a daisy,” Alex replied.
“I could do some driving for a while,” Liam’s dad offered.
Alex glanced at Liam slyly, then shook his head once. “I got this.”
Ren frowned. “I have cancer. I’m not incapable.”
Holly gasped. “Ren!”
“Dad, no one thinks that.” Liam cut in.
Ren seemed doubtful.
Alex stepped in. “Nothing personal, Ren. You know my ride is new. Just enjoying being at the helm. You can take her for a spin if you want.”
Ren relented. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your fun,” he told Alex. Then he glanced at Holly. “Maybe I’ll sit in the back and hold hands with my girl.”
Holly giggled.
Liam made a gagging sound. “I’m right here.”
Alex chortled. “Mr. M’s got game.”
My heart squeezed a little because even though we were all joking and smiling, I couldn’t help but think that sitting in the back, holding his wife’s hand, was a good idea because moments like that were dwindling.
At the same moment, Liam and I glanced at each other. Something passed between us, and he held out his hand. I went to him. The feeling of his palm closing around mine was soothing, and I sat on the side of the bed.
Another thought occurred to me, and I smiled secretly.
Liam leaned up from the pillows he reclined against. “What’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours?”
I glanced over, leaned in, and whispered. “I think we just had our first conversation with our eyes.”
Liam cupped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me down so he could kiss my forehead. “And so we did,” he murmured.
“Now I’m the one gagging!” Alex so rudely interrupted.
I grinned.
“Your time is coming.” Holly teased.
Alex shook his head. “Negative.”
Liam yawned and adjusted on the bed like he was slightly uncomfortable. Both Holly and I flocked to his bedside to adjust pillows, make sure the sling was in the right place, and generally fuss over him.
“You should get some sleep,” I told him, brushing back his hair. The past few days had been full of stress, travel, and now an overnight at the hospital.
“And we should get on the road so it’s not too terribly late by the time we get back to BearPaw,” Ren stated.
Liam rolled his head against the pillow and looked at his father. “You sure you’re up for the drive back tonight? If you guys want, I can get you a hotel.”
He was so sweet. I loved the loyalty and thought he gave his family, even when he was going through a lot.
“I’ll be just fine,” Ren replied patiently. He didn’t seem too put off that Liam was considering his condition. Maybe he also realized his son just cared.
Holly leaned in to kiss Liam on the forehead. “I’m so glad everything went well. Do everything the doctors say, and we’ll see you tomorrow when you both get home.” When she finished talking, she turned and grabbed my hand. “Thanks for being here with him.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks for everything, bro.” Liam held his fist out to Alex, and they bumped it out.
“Nothing you wouldn’t do for me,” Alex countered.
After everyone left, the nurse appeared to place a new ice pack on Liam’s knee and check in on him. I think she had a crush on him. Hell, the entire floor of nurses all made up some reason or another to come in here and see him at least once. Liam attracted women like flowers attracted bees.
When she was gone, I pulled the large reclining chair toward the bed. It was heavy and boxy, so it didn’t move much as I tugged.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Liam roared.
I stopped and turned. “What do you think you’re doing?” I said back. He was sitting fully upright, his healthy leg slung over the side toward the floor as if he was going to somehow get up and yank his leg free of the sling!
Rushing over, I put both palms on his chest and pushed. “Lie down before you tear a stitch.”
“I’m not going to tear a stitch,” he argued.
“That’s because you’re going to lie down!”
“What the fuck did you expect me to do? You were trying to strongarm that chair! And with a shoulder still trying to heal.” A few curse words dropped between us.
I stood back and planted my hands on my hips. “What did you just say to me?”
“Don’t give me that look, woman. What the hell were you even doing?”
“I was trying to move the chair closer so I could sleep beside you. You big turd face! Clearly, that won’t be necessary.”
His lips twitched.
I narrowed my eyes. He’d better not laugh at me. This was not funny.
“Turd face?” he asked. Then the chuckle rolled right out of his chest.
I will not yell at him.
I will not yell at him while he is in the hospital.
With a huff, I turned away to grab the pitcher on the bedside table to escape into the bathroom to fill it up.
Liam’s hand shot out and snatched my wrist. “Bells.”
Why did he have to say my name like that? Why?
“You don’t need to be moving that contraption. You’re not sleeping in it.”
I glanced at him.
He patted the mattress beside him.
I started to shake my head, but he gave my wrist a gentle squeeze. “I want you beside me. You’re better than any medicine any doc could give me.”
The pitcher went back on the nightstand.
“Come here.” He cajoled.
With a sigh, I gave in. I was weak and powerless when it came to him. And I’m pretty sure I already mentioned how adorably rumpled and half asleep he looked.
I kicked off my sneakers and carefully crawled up on the bed. My body fit against him tightly. One of my legs draped over his, my arm over his middle.
“How’s your knee?” I worried, glancing at it. I wasn’t anywhere near it, but still.
“It’s better now.” He exhaled deeply. I could feel him relax into the mattress.
Lifting my face, I pressed a kiss against his scruffy jawline. “Go to sleep.”
“Yeah.” He agreed around a yawn. “I might do that.”
I smiled into his chest.
It took him less than five minutes to fall sound asleep.
Then it was just me. Alone with my thoughts.
Liam
A strange sense came over me as I slept. A feeling so strong not even the meds I’d been given earlier could dull it.
I am not alone.
All sense of drowsiness vanished, and my eyes popped wide. Jolting upright, my back left the mattress as I balanced my weight on both palms. I scanned the room.
A shadow moved across the floor in front of the door. The dark shape stretched into the room, looming, lurking. But then it moved on, disappearing fro
m sight as though it hadn’t even been there at all.
More shadows moved past as hospital staff worked. My heart pounded, though, because they moved a lot differently than that first shadow.
Something was off.
My senses were screaming, my intuition on overdrive.
My arm jolted out to pull Bellamy closer into my side, the protective instincts in me hyper aware.
She wasn’t there.
I forgot momentarily about the bad juju filling the room like a putrid odor and glanced at the empty place beside me so fast the muscles in my neck screamed.
I am alone.
Where the hell was Bellamy? She’d been in my arms before… and now she wasn’t.
I glanced to the bathroom door. It was open. The lights inside were off.
“Bells?” I called out anyway.
No one answered.
A cold sweat broke out at my hairline. Pricks of warning made my breath pant. There was no use telling myself everything was okay. That we were safe here in this public hospital.
We weren’t.
I had a feeling I wasn’t alone. A feeling so strong it woke me out of a dead sleep.
But I was alone.
And I shouldn’t be.
This time I yelled, “Bellamy!”
She answered.
With a scream.
Bellamy
You know what’s more frustrating than not being able to sleep?
Lying next to a person who is sleeping without any issue at all.
Maybe I ought to ask one of Liam’s admirers (aka his nurses) to get me some of whatever they gave him. A good night’s sleep would be welcome about now.
Every time I shut my eyes, I was back in my old apartment with a bullet flying through the window on a mission to end my life. It wasn’t exactly as soothing as counting sheep. Not that counting sheep ever worked. I ended up lying there wondering what I was going to name them and if their wool would make a nice sweater.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I sat up. Clearly, this sleeping thing was a lost cause. I glanced over my shoulder at Liam and smiled. He looked peaceful, and I was glad.
The loud growl of my stomach disrupted the quiet of the room. Slapping my arm over my middle, I glanced down at it as if looking at it would somehow make it stop. It grumbled again, and I swallowed. Guess I should have done more than pretend to eat my dinner.
Blizzard (BearPaw Resort #2) Page 13
