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Ash and Brodie stood in the entrance while Iker, Myles, and Zain were present behind them out in the hallway.
“Yeah. You don’t want the first thing Aspen smells when she awakens to be your funk.” Brodie chuckled.
Ashton rolled his eyes and gave Brodie a slight shove with his arm.
“Cut it out.” Mac glared at their team before turning his attention back to Declan. “They’re right, you know.”
“We can hold down the fort. I’m sure the hospital has a shower you can borrow. I bought some clothes for you,” Myles announced, pushing past Ash and Brodie. He walked over toward Declan and tossed a duffle bag at him.
Declan caught it and stood from the chair. He glanced down at Aspen and gave her hand a slight squeeze.
“Well, if you insist,” Declan began.
“We do,” Brodie, Iker, and Myles replied simultaneously.
The tension was broken up by chuckles floating around the room.
What would he do without his team? They were as close as brothers, and he wouldn’t want to work with any other group of men. They truly looked after one another.
Declan shook his head and leaned down and pressed his lips to Aspen’s forehead. Her dark eyes remained closed. Her chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.
“I’ll be back in soon,” he murmured.
He straightened and moved away from Aspen. He stood at the foot of the bed and caught the eyes of his team who filed into the room. Iker and Zain found a spot on the floor while Mac sat next to Sarena. Myles took the seat vacated by Declan while Brodie remained near the door.
“Thank—”
“No need.” Ash held up his hand, cutting Declan off. Ash leaned back against the wall and shook his head. “Just go. We’ll stick around until you come back.”
Declan grimaced and ran his hand along his face, feeling the week’s worth of a beard filling out on his face. Brushing past his men, he headed down the hallway knowing Aspen would be in good hands until he returned.
Aspen feltherself floating amongst the clouds in her dream. She didn’t want to leave the peaceful state. There, she’d been lounging around in Declan’s arms. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought it had been real. She’d found safety and solace in his embrace and knew that like in real life, she wanted to stay there forever.
But the vision of Declan vanished before her eyes, leaving her to float aimlessly amongst the white fluffy clouds. Her vision of the serene place began to dissipate, and reality hit her.
She breathed in deeply and blinked. The walls of a hospital room greeted her once again. The sounds of beeping filtered through along with the slight rumbles of snoring. Her gaze went to the IV pump that was placed near her bedside. She tried to move her body and found her leg was just sore. Remembering the pain she’d felt before, she assumed they’d had her on pain medication.
She turned her head to the opposite side of her bed, and her gaze landed on Declan slouched down in the recliner next to her. His dark hair fell over onto his forehead, and she ached to brush it back. In a dark t-shirt and jeans, he slept.
Her lips curled up into a small smile as she took him in. Memories of him rescuing her came to mind, and she froze in place. Tears flooded her eyes, and everything came forward.
The shoot-out.
The hostage situation.
Ray taking his own life.
With him dead, she was free.
A cry tore from her lips, and Declan’s eyes flew open.
“Aspen,” he gasped, sitting forward. He stood and immediately sat on the bed next to her.
“Declan,” she croaked.
He reached over and grabbed a small cup of water and a straw and held it to her lips. She took a few sips to alleviate the aridness from her throat. He put the cup back down on the side table and turned to her. His large hands gently brushed her tears away off her cheeks.
“Welcome back, baby,” he murmured.
