Consumed by Truths (Truth or Lies 6)

I fucking hate waiting. But that’s what we’ve been doing for hours—waiting.

Kai and I have taken turns cruising the yacht further out to sea. Zigging and zagging our path, hoping Felix won’t be able to find us. We both secretly wish we could stay right next to Beckett’s side and wait for him to wake up.

Beckett is strong. I know that. There is no way he should have survived the explosion. He shouldn’t have survived floating in the water. He shouldn’t have survived the amputation. But he did.

Now we just have to wait for him to wake up.

“You should eat,” I say to Kai, who is sitting in a chair next to Beckett’s bed while I pace.

“Yea, I will.”

I would offer to go make her food, but I hate leaving Beckett’s side. This is my fault. If he had just tried to save Kai, they would both be alive and healthy, while I would be dead or at least severely injured. It should be the other way around. I should be in Beckett’s position, and him in mine.

But he saved my life. And now I can’t leave his fucking side.

“Enzo,” Kai says cautiously, looking at Beckett.

I race to the other

side of the bed as Beckett opens his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Kai asks.

“Like you have one deadly kiss there, woman. Your kiss was so strong you knocked me out,” Beckett teases.

Kai grins. “Sorry about that, but glad to see you still have your humor. I didn’t think you would remember that kiss.”

“I would never forget a kiss like that,” Beckett says, winking at her. But I know he’s teasing me as much as reassuring her.

This time, I don’t care. I don’t get angry or jealous. I don’t even tense up. I’m just happy he’s fucking alive to rib me like this.

“And you, we need to work on your sawing skills. If it were me, I could have had your arm off in five seconds flat.”

I smile.

“I’ll hold you to that if I’m ever in a situation that calls for needing my arm sawed off. But unlike you, I won’t do something stupid like jump on a bomb about to explode.”

He grins. “Next time you are about to die from a bomb, I promise I won’t jump on it.”

“Good.”

Kai looks from me to Beckett. “I’m going to go fix you some tea and food.”

“Think you could make it something stronger than tea?” Beckett asks.

Kai smiles and nods then leaves Beckett and me alone.

“Thank you,” we both say at the same time.

Beckett is silent, letting me talk first.

“Thank you for saving my life. You shouldn’t have. You could have just saved Kai. I owe you everything,” I say, holding the tears back but just barely. It probably helps that I’ve spent the last two days crying so I have nothing left.

“You would have done the same for me.”

I nod. “I will do the same thing for you.” I wouldn’t have before, but I would now.

Beckett stares at the nub left of his arm. “Thank you for saving my life. Not many men are strong enough to saw off an arm.”