Page 105 of Diamond In The Rough

“Jasper?” I bring her hand up and press a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “Yeah. He caught two slugs. One through the thigh, and the other got caught up in his belly. Could have been kill shots, but we have the best doctors in the city taking care of him.”

“It’s only been a few hours.” She searches my eyes, anxiety creating a sheen on her skin. “You already know his prognosis?”

“He’s out of surgery and in the ICU. His doctors said everything went well, he lost a lot of blood, and he’ll be on his back for a couple weeks yet. But overall,” I study her expression and frown, “he’s gonna be okay. Why are you freaking out so much about a guy you don’t even know?”

“I’m not freaking out.”

“You’re absolutely freaking out. I’ve seen you in a few shitty places under scary circumstances, Grá, least of which one of them being right in front of me while I threatened your life. You’ve never looked as scared as you look right now.”

She shakes her head, short, little sharp jerks of her chin. “Not scared.”

“Tiia!”

“That could have been you, Micah!” Her eyes redden and swell up. “You were heading to that club. You could be the one in a hospital bed right now.”

“And yet,” I reach across and hold her chin, forcing her to remain still and meet my stare. “I’m not. I’m right here with you.” I drag her closer and drop a kiss on her lips. “Seems you’re my good luck charm.”

She closes her eyes, locking me out and dropping her head back in frustration. I feel her rejection. Her despair. I feel her worry, because I experience the same for every person I love every time they leave the house and venture into a city that would have them dead.

Tiia Hale is finally learning what it would be like to be with someone like me.

Not just for a night. Or a week. Not for fun, or a sex-filled thrill. This would be her world if she chose to stay.

And stupid me, I really, really want her to.

“He’s gonna be okay.” I pull her closer and stop only when her shoulder tucks in under my arm. Her hair smells of fresh shampoo. Her body, the perfect flowery scent I will forever associate with her.

With Hawaii.

“Felix and I make sure our people are okay, Grá. Always. So just try to relax.” I lift my left hand and check the time on my watch. “We’ll be another ten minutes. Then we can escape into the house for a bit.” I kiss her temple and, with all my willpower, ignore the way she flinches. “Mary’s making pasta for dinner.”

“Okay…” She leans into me, at least. Snuggling as close as humanly possible and sliding her hand into the sleeve of my jacket. She uses her thumb to stroke my forearm. A soothing, constant movement that would lull me to sleep if not for the fact we’re in the car and have an audience. “I worry about you,” she whispers. “More than I want to.”

“Funny. I worry about you, too. Maybe that’s inevitable when a person’s heart goes and does something stupid like fall in love.”

She sighs, but it’s not a happy sound. No contentment.

There’s no love there. Just exasperation.

Or at least, that’s what my brain interprets it as.

“Arch and Doctor Delicious are heading over in a couple of days,” Felix announces, striding through the kitchen and shucking his jacket as Christabelle lowers to a stool at the counter. I sit on another and pull Tiia toward my lap instead of allowing her to sit on her own. But her proximity, her body touching mine, is how I become aware of her stunned jolt. Her eyes follow Lix as he tosses his jacket and rolls the sleeve of his shirt up to his elbows.

Because beneath the fabric is a tiny cotton ball taped to the inside of his elbow.

Then, of course, she twists my way and shoves my sleeve up, too.

“You’ve both had needles?” Her amber eyes search mine, scanning my face in question. “Why did you get needles?”

“Jasper lost a lot of blood.” I take her chin between my fingers and force her to remain still so I can nibble on her lips. “Lix and I donated blood. He won’t get ours, since obviously that’s not how that works?—”

“But the intention remains,” Christabelle inserts, entering our conversation without invitation. “And the scales are rebalanced. Jasper used up some of the stores, so the guys replaced them.” She smiles when Lix plops a bottle of water on the counter by her elbow. “Thank you.”

He winks.

Just a quick flicker. A private moment between a couple that isn’t all that private to anyone else in the kitchen.

“We had spare time,” I murmur. “We had to wait for answers. So we got busy being productive.”

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