Page 68 of Hart of Vengeance
My heart punched my ribs. Surely he didn’t walk away like he had in high school. I didn’t want to believe he’d just taken off, but I couldn’t shake the feeling he’d run as far away from me as he could.
Then fear so strong stole my breath. “He’s dead. Just like Savannah.” As soon as I said it, I knew I was right. Everyone in my life was dying.
Mal shook her head, rubbing my arm. “We don’t know that.”
Tito wanted him dead. The only reason he wasn’t there was because Tito had kidnapped him. But that didn’t make sense when a guy had been shooting at Denim the other day.
I swallowed, holding back the need to bawl my eyes out. He’d sent me flowers. Hell, he’d kissed me.
“How long have I been here?” I asked.
Mallory looked as miserable as I felt. Her silky hair was oily, her face was ashen, and dark circles stained the underside of her eyes. “Three days. You’ve been in and out of consciousness with all the pain meds.”
“Denim’s been missing for three days?” My theory was becoming real. Tito had probably dumped his body in the Boston Harbor.
“Dillon and Duke are looking for him.”
“Duke? Bull.”
“You need to rest,” Mal said. “Don’t worry about Denim. His brothers will find him.”
Don’t worry? Is she insane?I would never get the chance to tell him how I felt. Why was my life full of drama and mayhem? I was being tested for sure. But I had a second chance at life. Apparently, I wasn’t ready to join my family in heaven. Therefore, I decided I wouldn’t waste a single moment of the life I had left. If Denim was alive, I wanted him to know how I felt. Life was too freaking short.
Mallory was talking, but I wasn’t listening. I tuned her out and let my eyes drift shut. I was having a hard time staying awake all of a sudden. Maybe when I woke up, I would be back in that club, pressed up against Denim, listening to his husky voice tell me he wanted to fuck me. I was going to replay that scene over and over and over again. It might be the only thing to keep me from freaking out.
I couldn’t lose another person I loved. Maybe I was bad luck. Maybe I should become a hermit and keep people away from me. Denim thought I wasn’t safe around him, but he wasn’t safe around me, and maybe Mallory wasn’t either.
My eyelids flew open. “How is Todd?” I’d completely forgotten about him.
“He’s fine, just a bit shook up. I’m going to get the nurse to let her know you’re awake.” Her tennis shoes squeaked on the floor as she headed toward the door.
“Mal, was anyone else hurt?”
She gave me a feeble smile. “You were the only one.” She bumped into Dillon as he inched into the room, looking frustrated and worn out.
He sidled up to my bed and gave me a weak smile. “Welcome back.”
“Did you find Denim?” I rushed out.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “No.”
“Maybe the Feds have him.”
“He’s not with the Feds,” Dillon said. “They’re waiting to talk to you.”
“Me? All I can remember is talking to Denim, and then I was on the floor.” I was sure they didn’t want to hear how Denim had kissed me.
A muscle jumped in Dillon’s unshaven jaw. “We believe Tito Alvarez took him.”
“I do too. But if we’re right, that means he’s dead. He can’t die, Dillon.”
He grasped my hand. “You still love him, don’t you?”
Tears slid down my cheeks. “I do. I want a chance to tell him. But I’m also afraid. He ripped my heart out. I’m afraid he might do that again.” I didn’t know why I was puking up my feelings to Denim’s brother.
Dillon squeezed my hand. “Give him a chance. He’s not the same person you knew, Jade. Well, he is. He still cares. He still has a big heart. And he would die for those he loves. But he’s not getting involved in selling drugs or running with gangs.”
“I know. He told Kelton and me how he wants to start a family. Between you and me, when I heard him say that, my stomach fluttered in the hopes that I was in his equation.” Again, I was foaming at the mouth, telling Dillon my deep, dark secrets about Denim. Maybe the medication was the cause of me spilling my guts.
