“Dray.” Mom put her hand on his arm, trying to soothe him, but there was no mistaking the tremble in her voice when she spoke again. “It’s okay. She…she just needs a few stitches. We’ll meet them at the hospital.”
It took a few more minutes, but she eventually got him out of the ambulance. I heard Jordan tell Samuel to follow us in the SUV before the ambulance driver closed the door on us. Through the window, I saw my parents walking out of the garage with Barrick and Braxton, who was still on the phone.
Jordan, kissing my hand that was held tightly in his, pulled my gaze back to him. With my free hand, I combed my fingers through his hair. “I’m okay,” I told him again, but the world was going dark around the edges.
I tried to blink my eyes to clear my vision, but when they closed, they wouldn’t open again.
Twenty-Seven
Jordan
Getting the frantic call from Lana that Arella was in danger was something that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I didn’t think I could ever hear a phone ring again without feeling a shot of the fear I’d felt when I thought I might have lost my reason for living.
I’d thought one bodyguard would be enough. It was our compromise when I asked her to take personal security seriously. She’d given in, but only allowed me to get her one guard. I should have just gotten her twenty and dealt with the consequences of her being pissed at me.
Maybe then, I wouldn’t have had to wipe brains out of her hair, or nearly lost my mind all over again when she showed me the deep cut low on her belly where the sonofabitch had hurt her with a knife. The realization that I’d come so close to losing not only Arella but our little nugget made it hard to breathe. Trying to hold on to my control, I pushed it all down while we were at the hospital and on the drive home.
I’d texted my parents at Arella’s request to reschedule our family dinner with the Stevensons. I hadn’t told them what was going on, and that was probably a good thing. My mom freaking out while Arella’s parents were already on edge would have been too much for my girl right then.
Samuel pulled into the garage but didn’t immediately get out. I kissed Arella’s forehead, but she was still sound asleep. After she’d passed out in the ambulance on the ride to the hospital, she’d woken up a few times, but it had been difficult for her to keep her eyes open. The doctor had warned me that she might be exhausted for a few days, given the trauma she’d been through.
“I’ll understand if you want to fire me, Mr. Moreitti,” Samuel said after a full minute had passed.
“Braxton told me everything that happened.”
I’d had to suffer through those details, but there was no way I could handle not knowing the specifics. I knew that Samuel had done everything he was supposed to. That he’d pointed a gun at Garon Steel’s head until the blade of the knife he’d used on her had been placed against her throat. He’d tried to distract Garon, talk to him, but all the deranged man had been focused on was Arella.
Thankfully, Braxton had gotten an opening and been able to take him out.
“You did a good job today. I’m thankful you kept a clear head and did what you could to protect her.” My arms tightened around her. “But expect a partner tomorrow. Maybe two. It’s not that you aren’t good at your job. I just don’t think I can let her go anywhere without me unless she has an army surrounding her now.”
Samuel gave a stiff nod. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
He got out and opened my door. I had to force myself to release Arella long enough to step out, and then I was lifting her into my arms and carrying her up to our apartment.
The need to find us a house was even more urgent now. I had to get her out of this place so the memories of what had happened in that garage earlier didn’t haunt either one of us.
“Jordan?” she mumbled sleepily as we entered the apartment.
“Right here, baby,” I told her, kissing her forehead again. “We’re home.”
Her eyes popped open. “Thank goodness. I want a shower so bad. I can’t go to bed with…” She broke off with a shudder.
“Don’t worry, love. I’ll help you.” I carried her straight into the bathroom. Setting her on the sink, I carefully pulled off her shirt and then got rid of her pants, leaving her in only her bra and panties as I went to turn on the shower.
The doctor had told us not to submerge her incision in water, but she could shower as long as she kept her back to the spray. While the water heated, I walked back to her. She opened her legs invitingly, and I stepped between them. But instead of kissing her as I could see she wanted, I only cupped my hand over her belly, reassuring myself that she and our baby were still there.
Both of them were safe.
“I’m really okay,” she murmured again, when the silence became too much for her. “You don’t have to worry about us now.”
I pressed my forehead to hers. “If I’d lost you today, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”
“Don’t say that,” she cried.
“It’s the truth.” I cupped her face in both of my hands. “I don’t want to live in a world where you don’t exist. If I’d lost you—”
“But you didn’t.” She took one of my hands and pressed it to her heart, letting me feel how fast it was beating. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”