Page 175 of Love Me

I read between the lines. She’s bleeding out. She needs to get to a hospital, now.

“Hey, I’m fine.”

This stubborn, brave woman of mine.

She tries to stand up, and it breaks me more than it will ever bruise her ego, but I scoop her into my arms. She rests her head on my chest.

“You saved me.”

“That’s what we do. But let’s go on dates from now on. Be boring for a while.”

“I’d love that.”

Her head lolls to the side, and I panic, my pulse thundering in my neck.

“She went through a lot,” Blake says.

“I will never forgive you for this.”

“I hope one day you will understand my motives.”

“When I use the woman you love behind your back, then you can fucking tell me this,” I say. “Bring your father up.”

I carry her out of the building and Hunter rushes to us. A few seconds later, Blake pushes his father out.

Celine whispers in my neck, “I had such a wonderful dream.”

I will always be possessive, but fuck she looks at me right now like I fill her dreams in the best way. I am it for her too.

“Where are the paramedics?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“Two more minutes,” says Mia.

“You can put me down.” I hold Celine even tighter. “It’s okay, baby.”

I place her down with utter care, and she looks around. “Where is my mother?”

“She left with your father.”

Sadness pulls at the corners of her lips.

“To me you’re my sun. I will always gravitate to you, needing your warmth and light to live,” I say.

A tear slides down her cheek, and I dab it away with the pad of my thumb.

“But I am still mad as hell at you.”

“I know. You can take it out on my body later.”

But her playfulness assures me she’s in better condition than I was afterward.

As if she can read where my mind is headed, she says, “I wanted to understand. Now I do.”

“You could have picked my brain a hundred times instead of going through what I always wanted to protect you from.”

“They didn’t win then. They won’t win now.” A shudder rocks her as she speaks. I know the nightmares will come too.

Five black Mercedes GLS SUVs, the Family’s official mode of transportation, circle us, and everyone in our group has their guns out.

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