“At least Kate won’t have to go through the ordeal of a trial.” And that was the first honest and kind thing Kirkland had said in ages.
David stared at his screens. What was done was done. Now it was time to make sure it didn’t happen again. He would not be responsible for one of Gray Wolf’s operatives…he wouldn’t let it happen again.
Not on his watch.
Chapter 32
Donovan
Pain burst through me with every breath I took. But it didn’t matter.
She was sitting in what looked like a very uncomfortable chair at my side, her hand wrapped around mine, her sweet head asleep on the thin mattress of the hospital bed. I reached around, wincing as pain sliced through my chest, and touched the top of her head with my fingertips.
She sat up as if I’d touched her with a lit match.
“Donovan?”
“Hey, baby.”
“Oh, God!” Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re awake.”
“I think I am. Or is this heaven?”
She slapped my bare shoulder. It stung, but not nearly as bad as getting shot did.
“I thought…never mind what I thought. I’m just so happy you’re awake. They weren’t sure you would wake this soon.”
“Where am I?”
“Hospital in Austin. Ash and Joss and Rose are here. And my dad. I should go tell them you’re awake.”
“Not yet.” I grabbed her hand, tugging her close to me. “I just want to look at you for a minute longer.”
She touched my face, her fingers lingering on my chin. “I was so scared.”
“It’s okay. I promised you I would find you.”
She nodded, unshed tears making her chin quiver. “So much wasted time,” she whispered.
“Too much.”
She kissed me lightly, then a little harder.
It was the best medicine I could have asked for.
Chapter 33
Kate
It was a while before Donovan got out of the hospital, but when he did, Ash sent his private jet to pick us up. I insisted that he stay with me until he was healed. Donovan didn’t complain.
“You should just move in,” I said one night.
“Here?”
“Why not? You’ll be spending most of your time here, anyway.”
“I will?”
“Yeah. That place of yours is just ridiculously small. I don’t know how David gets around inside of his. And Kirkland, all those girls…crazy.”
Donovan laughed. “Okay.”
I turned into him and kissed him. “I adore you. I don’t see why we should be separated.”
“Adore? Is that the best you can do?”
“What’s better than adore?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I can think of a few words.”
“Like?”
“Appreciate. Esteem. Desire. Worship.”
“Worship?”
“That’s a good word. Don’t you think?”
I laughed. “Only if we were in the 1940s and I was subjugated by the weaker sex.”
“The weaker sex?” he asked, his eyebrows rising even as he grabbed my arms and shook me just slightly.
“Weaker in the mind. Not the body.”
“Well, you might have a point there.”
I laughed again. But then I grew serious as I looked into his eyes.
“Seriously, what word do you think we should use?”
He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “I’ve always been partial to love, myself.”
I nodded. “I always knew you’d be the first one to say it.”
His eyes widened, but then he just laughed and said, “I always was your puppy dog.”
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Blindsided
Prologue
Harrison
I stared out the window of the car, watching familiar neighborhoods flash by outside. I love New York! The first time I was here was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college. I came with a group of friends for a summer of recklessness. And what a summer that was! I still have a few of the tattoos I got that summer, the first of dozens I now have to keep covered when conducting business.
Who would have imagined my life would go the way it did? Well, I suppose it was always my father’s plan. He just thought he’d be here to watch it happen.
We pulled up to the hotel and a valet arrived at my door, yanking it open and welcoming me with that rote speech all service people learn on the first day at the job. I climbed out and stretched my back a little, relieved to be out of the confines of one vehicle after another. I had some free time—thank goodness—before my meeting in the morning, so I thought I’d take a walk after I checked in. Visit a few favorite places.