I couldn’t look at him anymore. Tears formed in my eyes when I remembered the horrifying night. When I got him to the hospital, I didn’t know if he was going to live. I thought the love of my life was going to fade away before we even had a real chance to enjoy each other.
I hated to let anyone see me cry, especially Crewe. It was an act of weakness, and I never let anyone see me that way. I moved into the hallway and found the bathroom. I darted inside and shut the door behind me, getting a moment of privacy so I could let my tears fall. Even though Crewe made a full recovery, I would never erase the memory of the moment his body jerked and fell to the floor. The strongest man I knew had been crippled by a bullet, and when he lay there dying, he had no motivation to get up again—because of me.
I sank to the floor and leaned against the wall. I hadn’t even turned on the light, and only the crack under the door gave me illumination. Instead of letting myself sob my heart out, I controlled my breathing and steadied my tears, knowing Crewe would check on me if I took too long.
His bare feet appeared at the door a few seconds later, and he lightly rapped his knuckles against the door. “Lovely?”
Another tear escaped when I heard the nickname. It’d been so long since he’d called me that. Lately, it’d only been London—and it wasn’t the same. “I’ll be out in a minute.” I did my best to keep my voice strong so he wouldn’t realize I was sitting on the bathroom floor with tears in the back of my throat.
Crewe opened the door and invited himself inside. He didn’t do a double take when he noticed me on the bathroom floor, as if he already suspected I was there. He kept the door halfway open so some light could come into the room. His thighs were muscular and toned, looking athletic as he moved in his boxers. He moved to the spot beside me against the wall and sat down, his long legs stretching out before him. Naked or clothed, he looked just as beautiful.
I stared straight ahead, not wanting to look at his scar again.
“Talk to me,” he whispered. He placed his arm around me and pulled me into his side, letting my face move to his shoulder.
I closed my eyes when I felt his warm skin against my cheek. My face automatically turned, and I pressed a kiss to his shoulder, tasting the skin I used to devour every night. My arm hooked through his, and I closed my eyes, comforted by his presence.
The bathroom had beige tile with matching sinks. A large walk-in shower stood in the corner, and a nice display of towels hung on the rack. The sounds of our breathing echoed in the enclosure, and the light from the hallway stretched across our feet.
“I just…I was so scared I was going to lose you.”
“I’m right here, Lovely.”
“I know. But when it was happening, I’d never been so scared. It was like losing my parents all over again, but worse. It was worse than when I thought I was going to Bones. It felt like the end of everything.”
“It’d take a lot more than a bullet to kill me.”
“But it almost did kill you. And seeing all the blood…and the fact that you wouldn’t get up.”
“I was devastated,” he whispered. “But you got me up.”
“No, Ariel did.”
“Because she threatened to kill you. I had to get up. I had to do the right thing for you. I’ve always put you first…even if you don’t realize it.”
“I do.” I kissed his shoulder again. “I’m so sorry about everything, Crewe. I never wanted you to get hurt. If something happened to you…I wouldn’t have been able to go on.”
“But nothing happened to me.” He turned his head and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m here—with you.”
7
Crewe
I got the best night of sleep in a long time.
My arms were locked around her body so she couldn’t slip away from me in the middle of the night. I wasn’t afraid of her slipping away, but my subconscious was. I was tired of the loneliness, tired of the nightmares.
She was my cure.
I woke up the following morning and saw her wrapped tightly around me, clinging to me as if she had the same fear. She was in my t-shirt and her panties, her long and slender legs brushing against mine under the sheets. I didn’t move because I didn’t want to wake her up. I entertained myself by watching her sleep, watching her chest rise and fall rhythmically.
When I returned to Scotland with London in tow, I knew that would cause a rift between Ariel and me. None of my other employees cared for her, not when she was the reason some of the men lost their lives. The only person who did like her was Finley, and that was because he hardly interacted with her.