Page 53 of Saving His Heart
Preston walks past me with practiced control and turns on the water, then adds some gel to the tub. As the bubbles form, he turns back to me.
“Emory Anne Camden. What did I tell you on the plane?”
Shit. He expects me to remember anything after sex like that?
Noticing where my thoughts have gone, Preston smirks.
“Not that, Emory. I told you, I want you to help me forget. Help me live for however long I can. Not just medically, help me live a life worth remembering. I also told you I want to take care of you for as long as I can. It makes me happy. It makes me feel useful, like I’m not missing out on so much. Please, baby,” he says softly, “let me take care of you.”
It’s a plea for a full life, and the last of my walls come crumbling down. A single tear falls down my face as Preston lifts my shirt over my head, followed by my bra. He slides my jeans and thong down next.Oh my God! I’m standing naked in front of Preston, completely uninhibited. What the hell is he doing to me?The look of gratitude on his face has me reaching for him. Placing my arms around his neck, I allow him to hold me.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you in the tub before the food gets here.”
I step into the pleasantly scalding water and slide down into the bubbles. What kind of fractured fairy tale did I just find myself in?The kind where Prince Charming dies at the end. The thought causes such a distressing reaction that I dunk my head to hide my tears.Prince Charming isn’t supposed to die.
When I come up for air, Preston is sitting on the edge of the tub with a sad smile on his face. He hands me a glass of wine and uses a hand towel to wipe the bubbles from my face.
“One of these days, you’ll learn not to hide your feelings, Goldie.” He leans in and kisses me on the forehead. “I’m going to give you some privacy while I wait for the food and make a few calls. If you need anything, just yell.”
Before I can respond, he’s gone, and for some reason, I feel more alone than I’ve ever felt in my life. Grabbing my phone, I’m shocked by the messages I find there.
Lexi:Thinking of you, chica.
Julia: Let us know if you need anything.
Lanie: Luvs.
Chapter 21
Loki
I’ve been lying in this cold, wet ditch for three sunrises now waiting for a signal, and all I can think about is Preston. I know something is wrong, but I can’t remember much. The mud has lowered my body temperature for sure, but I have a feeling it’s more than the threat of hypothermia. I also know my leg is badly injured. Before I took cover, I tied a tourniquet around the gash the best I could, so I don’t think my issue is blood loss either.
The agency trained me for every Prisoner Of War scenario, so I quickly learned how to take an inventory of my body in situations like these. There is a small chunk of my memory gone. The clothes I’m wearing are singed, indicating a fire of some sort, and I woke up fifty yards from an explosion site. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out I must have been in it.But why?
Think, Loki. Think. What happened in that building? Hearing a car approach, I lower my face back into the mud, back into darkness. My brain is running in circles. Like a goddamn hamster on a wheel, and once again, I come up with nothing.
Training. Break it down.What is the last thing I remember?
Ashton. I was speaking with Ashton.Where was I? What did he say?
“Preston. Boston. Dr. Terry. Hearing. Treatments. Sisters.”
I can only remember things in fragments.Where do I know that name from? Dr. Terry?What does Preston need a doctor for? Whose sisters? Nothing is making sense.
“If Kane was here, he’s long gone now. How the fuck are we going to track him? The guy’s a goddamn ghost when he wants to be.”
Every other thought gets buried in the recesses of my mind when I hear my name. Here, I’m a soldier. Here, it’s kill or be killed.Who’s hunting me?I ended Black’s organization.Didn’t I?My brain is too fuzzy to piece anything together. For the time being, I’m a lone wolf. That means I need to put my contingency plan into action.
I lie perfectly still while the men walk and talk around the remains of whatever building it was. I need to get to my first destination, Clinton, Pennsylvania. Pressing the small receiver lodged into the ring I wear on my right hand, I send up my Hail Mary. Until I can figure out what the hell is going on, I can only count on my boys back home. I just hope they know where to look.
Chapter 22
Preston
It’s been weeks since the fiasco with Emory’s father. I’ve had the house inspected and cleaned, and there is a crew working around the clock, bringing it up to code. Tilly and Eli can move back in tomorrow, but little do any of them know they won’t be there long. I’m not looking forward to this battle, but I know it’s one I’ll win.
Grabbing the baby blue journal that matches Emory’s eyes from the shelf where I store them all, I turn to the first page and am reminded of the day I decided to start these journals. It was not long after my diagnosis when my world had fallen apart. My very first letter was to Loki. Perhaps it should have been to my mother or my brothers, but I remember thinking he would take care of everyone. In hindsight, I had no idea just how involved he would become in all our lives. Taking the red journal with Loki’s initials engraved on the front, I open to the first page.
