Page 30 of Barely Breathing
“Get your ass down to the parking lot now.”The voice was no more than a whisper.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Tyler.Good thing I decided to keep an eye out for Honor.”
Griff felt the emptiness in the bed beside him and sat up, all traces of sleep gone.
“Where is she?What’s going on?”
“Currently pinned against the side of the building by someone.I just took a second to call you for back up.”Griff heard Tyler’s infuriated hiss loud and clear through the phone.“Fuck.Hurry up.I’m going in.”
Griff jumped out of bed.He grabbed his jeans and hurried into them while he snagged his gun from the bedside-table drawer.He hit the living room on the fly and didn’t bother pulling shut the door as he raced for the stairs.Someone had Honor pinned against the building.Griff didn’t feel the need for stealth.He felt the need to hurry.
If something happened to Honor…
His heart stopped, and his mind refused to engage in the what-if game.How could a woman he’d known for such a short frame of time mean so much to him?How had she managed to get so far beneath his skin that even now she worked her way into his heart?
His heart stopped when he shoved out of the building and saw Honor crumpled on the pavement.He heard the harsh grunts and blows of fighting and shifted his gaze only long enough to see Tyler fighting with another man.Griff flew straight for Honor and knelt beside her, feeling for a pulse.Thready but there.He scanned the lot for the possibility of any hidden assailants.Movement caught his eye, and he lifted his gun.He’d kill to protect her.
“Ambulance is on the way,” Chetan said as he jogged past Griff toward where Tyler still fought.“Guess I better make sure there’s someone left to question.”
Griff didn’t care.Let Tyler kill the cocksucker.He saw nothing but red as he took in the swelling and bruising around Honor’s neck.He smoothed her hair and felt a lump on the back of her head.On second thought, he wanted Tyler to let the other man live long enough for Griff to kill him.
“Honor.Hey, baby, it’s Griff.I’m here.I’m going to yell at you later.I think we might have one hell of a fight about this.You’ve got to wake up first.I need you to wake up and let me know you’re okay.Please, Honor.Open those gorgeous eyes and look at me.Tell me to fuck off or get the hell out of your face.Whisper those sweet words of yours to me.Just wake up.”
He held her close.The bruising and swelling worried him.He prayed as he hadn’t prayed for a long time.It was like being back with his dad when he’d died.Those memories had Griff thinking about what Honor had mentioned in their conversation earlier.Griff would be devastated if something happened to Honor.His heart already ached at the thought of what might have happened if Tyler hadn’t been watching.Losing her would wreck Griff.They hadn’t had nearly enough time together.
His mother and father had spent years together and lived a lifetime within them.What had Griff’s mother felt when Mick had been taken from her?Griff remembered a million little things, which he’d let slip from his thoughts in recent years.How he’d catch his mom talking to his dad sometimes when she thought no one was around.How she’d cry when she thought no one was there to see.And he remembered her face that night at the hospital when they hadn’t been sure if Roman had been caught in a fire, when they weren’t sure if he’d make it.She’d been utterly devastated.
Griff’s mom had managed to find love a second time with Roman, and Griff had been too selfish to be happy for her.Too selfish to give a great guy like Roman a chance.His mother deserved better, and Honor was right.With clarity, Griff realized his dad wouldn’t be happy with him, right now.
He heard the sirens and looked up to watch the emergency vehicles pull in.He’d make things right with his mom and Roman.Just as soon as he knew Honor was okay.He kissed her on the temple before the EMTs eased her away and lifted her onto the gurney.She would be okay.She had to be.Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to convince her to stay, and he would convince her.No couldn’t be an option.
Chapter Ten
Honor’s throat wasn’t as bad as Griff had thought.The swelling was completely gone, though the bruises were vivid and dark.Now, she needed to cooperate and wake up.
As if she’d finally decided to listen to him, her eyes fluttered open.
“Honor.”He leaned in close as she winced.One slim hand rose to gingerly touch her neck.
“Burns.”Her voice was a rough croak but still the most beautiful sound to him.
“I’ll get you a drink.”He turned and poured some water from a pitcher into a glass and stuck a straw into it.“Slowly.”As he watched her struggle to swallow, he felt rage at what had happened.
“Did you get him?”
“Yeah, he’s locked up.”
“Good.Was he alone?”
He nodded.“As far as they can tell.”
“He said something about, if he’d been able to talk them out of it or had been with them.I’m guessing Vince’s dad died recently and Vince decided it was time for payback.”
“Shh,” Griff urged.He could tell it cost her to keep talking.“I’m more worried about you, right now.You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry.”
