Page 110 of Hold the Line

In her hair, on her face, her clothes, everywhere.

My hands shook as I sawed through the plastic restraints, frantic but careful. Careful not to cut her beautiful, perfect skin. The ties snapped, and her arms fell limp, lifeless.

Caleb rocked forward, catching one of her hands before it hit the ground. He cradled it between his own, rubbing her fingers, brushing her palm, his eyes locked onto her like she’d disappear if he didn’t.

How could he be looking at her like she was the center of his universe when she was the center of mine?

I bent over her, brushing her hair from her face. Tears I hadn’t realized I was crying fell onto her cheek, carving tracks in the dirt and blood smearing her skin.

“Angel,” I keened. “Please, baby. Please let this not be real. Please, please,please.”

The sirens grew more insistent as they approached. Help was coming, but too late.

“Where’s her wound?” Caleb rasped, scanning her body. “Where was she hit?”

I shook my head, my breath ragged. “I don’t know.”

The sirens were nearly deafening. Almost here. They were going to take her from me. And if they did, if I had to figure out how to leave this room on my own…I couldn’t do it. I knew that down to my bones.

This was it for me.

I dropped low, dragging my nose along her cheek. “I love you so much, sugar. To the ends of the earth and beyond. So far beyond, it never stops.”

I kissed her cheek. Her jaw. Tilted her head just enough to brush my lips over hers.

Then she gasped.

Sharp. Rattling.Alive.

I jerked back, landing hard on my ass, shock radiating through me.

“Phoebe,” Caleb bellowed, taking her face in his hands, sliding his fingers over her pulse. “It’s there. It’s beating.”

Her eyes didn’t open. But her chest rose. Then again. Another breath. And another.

She kept breathing.

So I did too.

Chapter Forty-six

Phoebe

IthoughtIwasdead.

I was certain of it.

Hisface was the last thing I saw, so in a way, my lifehadflashed before my eyes in those final moments. And I had been okay with that—content with Deacon’s smile and those shining amber eyes being the last thing I took with me.

When I woke up and discovered I wasn’t in Heaven but in a hospital bed surrounded by all the people I loved, I was more than okay with that.

My hand ached. I looked down, finding it clutched tightly in Deacon’s, and immediately decided to deal with it. After all, I was aching all over, what was one more part?

“Hi,” I rasped.

Deacon shot to his feet, his eyes locked on mine. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. His hand only tightened around mine, and sheer will kept me from wincing.

My mother bent over me on my other side, her lips touching my forehead. “Baby girl. You scared the shit out of us.”

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