Mine to Keep (Mine 2)

She was only supposed to stay with Trace for fifteen minutes at a time. That was the rule in the ICU.

Skye was breaking their rules, and the doctors hadn’t tried to throw her out yet. Maybe they were afraid of the Weston name. Of the Weston money.

Or maybe…maybe they just had pity in their eyes, too, when they looked at her.

She stood by his bed. Stroked his fingers. They’d told her that machines were keeping him alive.

Skye wouldn’t believe that. He was alive.

His skin wasn’t warm to the touch, it was cool, too cold. So was hers. She rubbed his fingers, trying to force warmth back into him and wishing that she could be the one in that bed.

But she was there, at his side, helpless.

“Is this how you felt?” Skye asked him. “When I was taken and you were left behind, did you feel like this? Like you were being ripped apart, like you were losing your life…and there was nothing you could do but stand there and watch it all fall away?”

He didn’t answer her. He couldn’t. A tube was shoved down his throat. He couldn’t breathe on his own. They’d operated on him—three times. He hadn’t regained consciousness since the EMTs had hauled him out of that apartment.

It looked like something out of a horror movie.

“There’s no one for me to fight.” Her voice had gone hoarse. From the tears? Or from all the hours she’d talked to him?

Skye hadn’t slept. She couldn’t.

“I want to hurt the man who did this to you, but he’s gone.” And she was there. Holding him. “I need to confess something to you.”

She heard the rustle of the curtain behind her.

Skye didn’t look away from Trace.

“I would have killed Reese for you. I would have killed anyone to protect you.” She swallowed, trying to ease the ache in her throat so that she could keep talking. “I was never afraid of the darkness that you carried. Because inside, I’ve got that same darkness. I think…I think I just hide it better than you do.”

She hid her true self from everyone, but him.

“I would’ve killed them. I would’ve done anything for you.” Her hand lifted. She brushed her fingers over his still cheek. “I still will. I’ll do anything, Trace, just please, please come back to me. Because there is one thing I can’t do…I can’t live without you.” She didn’t want to try.

A hand touched her shoulder. “Skye.”

Alex’s voice. He’d heard her confession. She didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything but Trace.

“Has there been any change?” Alex asked her.

Her fingers slid back down to hold Trace’s hand. “Not yet. But there will be. He’s coming back to me.”

Alex’s hand fell away from her. “I heard that…” He cleared his throat. “I heard that Claire Kramer and Drake Archer will be discharged soon.”

Skye nodded. “That’s good.” They’d healed. Trace would, too.

“Noah York is improving. He lost a lot of blood, so the docs aren’t ready to release him yet.” Alex paused. “Noah said that Weston saved his life, and Claire…she said you are the only reason she’s still here.”

She still didn’t look away from Trace. She just needed him to open his eyes. Once he opened his eyes, everything would be all right.

“I saw Reese following me when I left the station. I’d thought that Weston sent him after me.”

She slipped her fingers over Trace’s knuckles. Her engagement ring gleamed up at her. “You always think the worst of Trace.”

“I thought he’d killed Parker because he loved you and wanted you safe.” Alex cleared his throat. “But we found evidence at Reese’s place. Photos. He’d been following Parker. Meeting with him.”

“I guess they both wanted the same thing,” Skye whispered. “To destroy Trace.”