Page 106 of An Eye For Illusion

We hear shouts of “all clear!” across the yard and in the house. I break free from my father, sprinting past the SWAT officer and towards Colin.

Before I can go to him a crew of paramedics reaches him first and quickly begins assessing his injuries. All I want to do is hold his hand and kiss his lips. I want to see from my own two eyes that he’s okay, but it looks like that will have to wait.

“Miss, miss, are you okay? Do you need medical attention?” A woman in a medic’s uniform asks.

I pull my eyes away from the scene before me and my father steps up to my side. “She may have hit her head when I pushed her down to cover her.”

I shake my head, “No, no I’m fine. I’m sure there’s someone here that needs you more.” I feel immense guilt in this moment; I should have never agreed to let it go this far.

The woman has a kind smile and calming demeanor as she gently guides me to a chair just to the side of us. “That may be the case but there’s no harm in letting me check you out while my partner tends to your husband.”

She looks over to where my eyes are glued watching everything they are doing to him. “He’s not my husband,” I say.

I look over to her and see a look of surprise.

“Oh! I just thought… I’m sorry to assume,” she says.

I smile kindly at her. “Not yet,” I say with confidence because I know that Colin Brooks is my forever. I just need to talk to him first.

“Jade, you have some serious explaining to do,” my father chastises.

“I know, I know, and I will just as soon as I make sure he’s okay.”

The medic flashes a light in both my eyes, checks my blood pressure, oxygen, and pulse. “Well, everything looks okay, but I recommend following up with your primary care as soon as possible to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

I nod my head quickly, willing to agree to just about anything just to be done.

Finally, they have him up on the stretcher and they are making their way towards the front of the house. “Thank you so much. I have to go,” I say as we hurry after them as quickly as we can, making my way past the officers questioning guests.

We reach the parking lot and run towards the first ambulance we see. Colin is on a stretcher in the back with the doors open. I don’t hesitate to climb inside next to him. The EMT has already started an IV of fluids and is checking his vitals.

“Jade,” he says. His voice is weak, but he has a breathtakingly beautiful smile despite the damage he’s endured when he sees me. He reaches his free hand out to cradle my cheek.

I take it and press it to my lips. “I’m here,” I whisper, staring deep into his eyes.

“We did it,” he says with a grin.

I lay his hand on my lap and cover it with my other hand. I say a silent prayer, begging for him to be okay. When I open my eyes, I scan his body. His face is bloodied and swollen, and his clothes are tattered. I notice both wrists have friction burns and cuts, likely from being bound. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath through my nose to regain composure because it tears me up inside to see him like this.

“Hey,” he says softly. “I’m okay.”

I let out an exasperated laugh. “I must respectfully disagree.”

He smirks. “I expect nothing less from you.” There’s no malice in his voice. When I meet his eyes again, he has that same cocky smile.

My dad clears his throat. “Colin, I’m Harrison Foster.” He’s standing at the open doors of the ambulance.

Colin’s gurney is angled in a sitting position, but he situates himself the best he can. “Colin Brooks. It’s nice to officially meet you, sir. I’d shake your hand, but uh…” He trails off.

My dad climbs into the ambulance without bothering to ask for permission and offers Colin his hand. I watch Colin as he swallows hard before accepting it and shaking it.

To keep from letting my emotions carry me away, I continue. “Colin Brooks is a private investigator for Dunn Security Group. I hired him to follow Elliott because I had suspicions about him as a person and doubts about marrying him. I know I should’ve come to you, Daddy, but…”

I stop midsentence when my dad groans and runs his hand through his hair. He only does that when he’s stressed. “I guess that apple didn’t fall far from the tree, darling. I considered hiring a PI myself to follow Elliott, but I thought, no. If my little girl is happy, then I’ll be happy for her.”

I can’t hide my shock. “Daddy, I thought you loved Elliott! You two got along so well together.”

“Baby, I was close with Elliott because of our families’ history together, and I thought you loved him and wanted to have a life with him. He isn’t who I would’ve picked for you, but you assured me you were happy, so I kept quiet.”

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