Page 31 of Jack

“Not yet, but my team will find out. Fortis is going to make sure the Royal family is safe while we run point on this.”

“You’re still bleeding, you know.”

His thumb rubbed over her pulse. “I know, firefly, and Waggs will fix me up back at the hotel.”

They remained silent until they got back to the hotel where Waggs met them. Jack never let go of her hand as they went up in the lift to the top floor and walked towards Jack’s room where Waggs would meet them after grabbing everything he needed to treat Jack. She had no clue if they’d try and kick her out, but there was no way she was going. A base part of her needed to be close to him, to see for herself that he was really okay despite the bullet hole suggesting otherwise.

Astrid had seen her fair share of blood and gore, from bullet wounds to knife wounds and everything in between and it never got to her, but this one did. She was having a hard time not throwing up or passing out.

Jack sat on the couch, and she scooted into the other side giving Waggs room to work as he cut the ruined jacket and shirt away. Her eyes couldn’t seem to leave the wound, which was oozing blood down the muscular bicep that had saved her.

That was why this was different; this bullet had been intended for her and Jack jumping in front of it meant he could have died to save her. Waggs continued to work, but Jack’s eyes were on her.

“Astrid?”

Her head felt light as she stared at the broad chest covered with spatters of blood, an inch over in either direction, and his body could be sitting cold in the morgue. She swallowed, her breathing coming fast as she stood abruptly and backed away.

Waggs was suturing the wound now and covering it with gauze.

“Firefly? Where are you going?”

Her eyes shot to Jack as he stood, ignoring Waggs who grunted something at him. Tears hit her eyes and cotton seemed to fill her ears as she moved away from the reality, not wanting to face it.

Jack stepped towards her, and she found herself in his arms, surrounded by his scent now tainted by the smell of blood. His mouth at her ear. “Talk to me, firefly. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Her body shook, and she knew it was adrenaline leaving her body, but it was more than that, it was the abject fear that Jack could have died and how she felt about that. This, whatever it was between them, was bigger than she’d thought—at least on her side. She should pull away, run from the truth today had revealed but she didn’t, she stood in his arms and shook.

She heard the door click and realised Waggs had left the room.

Jack lifted her in his arms, and she let out a squeak. “Jack, your shoulder.”

“Will be fine.” He carried her to his bed and placed her in the middle, coming to lie beside her and gathering her into his arms. The sheets smelled like him, clean and fresh like the ocean with woodsy undertones that made her think of their date. Her head rested on his good shoulder, his hand rested on her hip, holding her body flush to his, and she could hear the steady beat of his heart.

“Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

It was such a simple question, yet the answer was anything but. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do, Astrid.”

“You could’ve died.” Her voice shook on the last word, and she had to pull in air through her nose to keep the panic from consuming her.

“But I didn’t.”

“But you could have, Jack. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m finding I’m doing a lot of things I shouldn’t do when you’re around, firefly, but that wasn’t one of them. When I heard that shot, it wasn’t even a conscious choice. I just knew I had to protect you and, news flash, I would do it again and again.”

“Why?” She knew she was blatantly fishing but needed to know.

“Because despite not wanting you there, you seem to have found your way under my skin. In that second, Astrid, I couldn’t breathe for the fear that you’d been shot. Nothing else mattered. Not the Queen or the job, only you.”

She smiled against his chest, her lips brushing the warm, naked skin. “You like me.”

“I already told you that.” He sounded a little grumpy, and she looked up as he dropped his chin to look at her, his eyes warm and expressive.

“No, you like me, like me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”