Page 56 of Smoke and Mirrors
“Why’s this guy so interested in me though?” he wondered aloud. “Maybe he has a sick double-amputee fetish and the non-profit is just a front for his creepy dungeon.”
“Connor,” I groaned, dropping my forehead to my hand.
“It’s possible, babe.”
“But highly unlikely.” I pinched my brow. “Maybe it’s a military connection? He could have worked with you or someone you knew?”
“Also not very likely.” To my surprise, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close. His mouth crashed down to mine before I had a moment to breathe, but in that instant, he was the air I needed. “You did this,” he murmured against my mouth.
“What?”
“You. It’s always you. The moment I’m about to say fuck it all and go off the deep end, you pull me back. And you show me it’s worth it to keep going.” He stroked his thumb against my cheek, the dense forest of his eyes pulling me in. “To the shifters, you may be a shaman but to me, you’re an angel.”
My heart crashing into my ribs, I brought my hand up to his. “Does this mean you’re not leaving me?”
“I know I’m a fucking idiot, but I’d be an even bigger idiot to do that.” He lowered his forehead to mine. “I keep putting you through hell babe, and I don’t know how you can stand it.”
“Because I know it’s not the real you doing that. It’s what’s been done to you.” I wrapped my hands around the back of his broad neck. “And if this guy in Georgia can help you fight through that hell and bring out more of the real you, how could I not stick around for that?”
“God fucking damn it, babe. I love you so much.”
He pulled me against him so tightly, I climbed into his hospital bed to reach him. We barely fit in the narrow space together, but that didn’t matter. He wrapped me up in him, kissing me like it was our last day together, even though this was just the start of something new.
“I’m going to be a cranky bastard,” he warned me between kisses. “I’m going to be pissed off and probably an asshole. I’ll never be perfect but I swear to God, I’ll try my best every day for you.”
“I know you will,” I told him. “You already do. Sometimes you push yourself and try too much.” I gazed up at him. “Remember to be kind to yourself too. Don’t get upset if something isn’t working. Try to love yourself as much as you love me.”
“That will never happen,” he laughed. “But I’ll work on keeping my damn ego in check and letting shit go.”
“That’s all I want.” I rested my hand over his heart, finally relaxing against him. “So we’re heading to Georgia, then?”
“Guess so.” He planted a kiss on my forehead. “Yee fuckin’ haw.”
Epilogue
MELODY
“What the fuck is up with Hunter?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, stacking the last few boxes of supplies into Razvan’s trailer. I shoved and tugged on a few things to make sure they were secure before closing the doors and latching them. Traveling light was apparently not in Raz’s vocabulary.
Hunter begrudgingly agreed to come to Georgia with us, although he seemed he’d rather do anything else. He’d be driving Conner’s RV since the doctor advised him not to use any prosthetics until he got fitted for his new ones.
He got discharged this morning, grumbling the whole time nurses pushed him in a wheelchair. Raz flew back to camp to bring his truck to the hospital, and Connor wasted no time hauling himself out of the wheelchair and into Raz’s passenger seat.
“It’s just temporary, babe,” I reminded him, kissing his cheek. “Besides,” I whispered breathily in his ear. “It might be fun sometimes.”
“Naughty girl,” Razvan chuckled delightedly, squeezing my thigh as he drove.
“We can use any regular chair for that,” Connor grumbled, but I saw the smirk twitch on his lips.
“I dunno, man. Having wheels sounds like an extra bit of fun.” Raz’s eyes flashed excitedly at the road.
After getting packed up and hitting the road for a long journey ahead, I decided to ride in the RV with Hunter and Connor. Raz would be following us in his truck, hauling his own stuff behind him.
“Ride with me after we take a pit stop,steluta,” he growled, pinning me against the side of his trailer with a savage kiss that made my knees weak. “I can only go so many hours without seeing you.”
“I have a feeling you’ll drag me over here anyway,” I teased, running my teeth along his ear. “Don’t dragons like to kidnap maidens and hide them in their lairs or something?”
