“I know what you meant, and yes, I’d like that—to sit and talk.”
He’s still fighting the attraction between us, and his body is full of arousal for me, just like mine is for him.
After a once, twice, look over of my body in his clothes, Jace moves away and drops onto the sofa, before looking at me through hooded eyes. “This is probably a bad idea, but I want you in my arms for a bit longer.”
My heart soars hearing his words. “I’d like that too.”
I join him on the sofa and, pulling my feet under me, I snuggle against his chest and feel as though I’m home when his arm comes around me.
This can’t last, or can it?
Chapter Five
Jace
My heart pounds to the beat of my feet on the sidewalk as I chase one of the fuckers who has just gunned down two cops.
A burst of speed comes from somewhere, as I’m closing the gap, but then he throws himself over the trunk of a parked car.
Is it his?
Before I can think, movement from the front catches my attention and has me throwing myself behind an SUV on the opposite side of the road.
I quickly let dispatch know my position, stand, ready to shoot when I hear four popping noises, and then feel an all-consuming pain in my leg. The fire spreads up my calf to my thigh.
Dropping to the ground, I look down and realize my lower leg is completely covered with blood. My stomach churns, and my head swims as dizziness washes over me like a wave. I stare at my leg, trying to grasp what I’m seeing—there is so much blood.
So much pain.
I’m so tired.
I need to sleep—just for a minute.
Something in the back of my mind is telling me to stay awake, but why should I when I’m so tired? Why can’t I close my eyes and sleep?
“I’ve got you, buddy.”
I feel arms around my torso as I’m lowered to the ground.
“Oh, fuck, Jace.”
Ned.
He’s going to let me sleep.
Then a searing pain takes the last semblance of consciousness and…
I wake up with the bed soaked in sweat, my heart ready to pound out of my chest…my leg feels like it’s on fire.
I reach for it to rub away the pain and feel nothing but air…my foot…my lower leg is no longer there…but the pain is real and has me twisting in the sheets as I think about that day…about that loss.
My breathing stays uneven as I gradually realize I’m suffering the after effects of the night it happened. The night my life changed forever. A part of me knows that I’m imagining that pain but I also know that I may always have the feeling of phantom pain.
Trying to concentrate on my breathing, I imagine that Savannah is waiting for me. She’s a distraction that I hope will calm me down and rid me of the nightmare.
Last night had been amazing. We’d chatted for over two hours about so many things—books, family, movies, baseball and whatever came up. I appreciated the fact that she hadn’t asked for details about what happened to me, even though I was ready for her questions.
I’m assuming that my readiness to answer her questions caused my nightmare last night because I haven’t had one for months. Every now and again, something will trigger them and I’ll suffer until I’ve fully woken up. This morning’s episode isn’t dimming the pain as par usual, which continues to shoot fire up my thigh.