Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
North had shifted from wanting to disappear to keep Jared safe to wanting to take down every threat so he could stay with them.
“Fine. But you better come back to me alive. Or I’m going to find you and bring you kicking and screaming back into the land of the living. Do you understand me?”
“Of course. I know that you love me.”
North might not understand it. He might not always believe in it. But he knew he felt something for them. When they were around, his world was no longer bleak. No longer gray. There were lighter emotions. Hints of color.
And he had to keep that part of himself protected by protecting them.
Because that was the only part of him that still felt human.
60
Thank God she was home.
Angie snuggled into Jared’s bed. Well, she guessed it was also her bed now too.
Jared had just finished feeding her some soup and now North was choosing a movie for them to watch. They both settled in next to her, one on either side.
A sigh of happiness left her.
“Are you all right, baby?” Jared asked.
“Better than all right,” she said. “I feel amazing.”
“You just got out of the hospital,” North pointed out. “How amazing can you possibly feel?”
“Oh, yeah, well that part sucks. So does the second head.” She swallowed heavily.
Do not think about that.
“Do you . . . should you both be going . . . to investigate?” She really didn’t want them to leave her.
“I’ll do that once you’re asleep,” North said.
“Oh.” Shoot. She really shouldn’t pressure him into staying. It wasn’t fair.
But she just wanted them both close.
Reaching over, North took hold of her chin, turning her face toward him. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you.”
“I know. You’ve got work to do. You really can go now.”
Don’t go. Don’t go.
“I’m not going anywhere. But I also don’t want to risk falling asleep and hurting you.”
“How would you hurt me?” she asked.
“Sometimes I have nightmares and I lash out. And I don't think I could fall asleep anyway. I’ve never been able to sleep with anyone.” He glanced over at Jared then back to her.
“What do you have nightmares about?” she asked.
“My old life. Before I meet Jared.”
“Have you ever talked to anybody about it?” she asked.
He gave her a stern look. “No.”
She knew that he didn't want to talk about it any longer and she nodded. Angie understood not wanting to talk about your bad stuff.
“If you ever do want to talk about it I'm here,” she told him.
“We both are,” Jared added.
“I know.”
They settled in to watch the movie and it wasn't long until her eyes grew tired.
She yawned and they helped her snuggle down further into the bed. As she drifted off to sleep she felt lips brush her forehead and murmurs of good night.
This felt right.
Why did it feel so right to lie here and watch her sleep? North wasn't sure, but he knew that he didn't want to move. There were a hundred things that he needed to do, but none of them seemed as important as watching over her.
Jared got up and used the bathroom, then climbed back into bed. “I’m here. You can go.”
North nodded. “Yeah, I will go soon.”
North opened his eyes, staring around in shock.
What the hell?
What was he doing? Why was he still in bed with Angie and Jared? And how was it close to five in the morning?
Understanding filled him.
He’d fallen asleep. With other people. And he’d slept for more than three hours at one time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that.
Jared leaned up on one elbow and raised his eyebrow at him. North just shook his head.
They didn’t say anything, not wanting to risk waking Angie, but he could see the surprise and happiness in Jared’s face.
Was North finally healing?
He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that his life was changing.
And it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Emiliano? Is everything all right?” Jared answered his phone as he walked out of the living room.
Angie had been home for close to a week and was feeling much better. They’d kept her in bed for the first few days and other than a really bad headache one day, she’d been pretty good. Right now she was sitting on the couch with a book and a blanket over her.
North had gone to talk to the guards about security.
“Great news, Jared!” Emiliano said.
There was cheering in the background and Jared came to a stop. That seemed odd. Emiliano was usually very serious and so were his men.
“What is it? What’s happened?”
“Beltran is dead!” Emiliano told him. “We found the safehouse that he and his top men were hiding in and we took them all out.”
“Are you . . . you didn’t tell me this,” he said as he took a seat in his office.