Page 94 of Fighting For You

"Nora."

His voice was thin. Barely there. But it was his voice and he was looking at me and he was alive.

I sat in the chair beside his bed and took his hand. My eyes were already burning.

"What happened?" I could barely get the words out. "Ian, what happened?"

He swallowed. His eyes moved to the ceiling, then back to me.

"I went to find them."

My stomach dropped. "Find who?"

"The guys. The ones who went after Knox." He winced as he shifted on the bed. "I knew who they were. I still know people, Nora. I heard things. I found out where they hang out."

"Ian, no."

"I wasn't going to do anything stupid. I just wanted to talk to them. Tell them to leave you and Knox alone. That I'm the one they have a problem with. That Knox has nothing to do with any of it."

Tears were running down my face. I couldn't stop them. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would have stopped me." He looked at me. "And I had to do it. They went after Knox because of me, Nora. Because of what I did. I couldn't let that keep happening to you."

"So what happened?"

"I found them. I said what I came to say." His jaw tightened. "It didn't go well. The guy I was talking to got in my face. I pushed back. It got ugly." He paused. "One of them had a knife."

I squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, but there was no strength in it.

"Some guys I know were nearby. They saw what happened. They got me in a car and drove me here." He tried to smile. "I told them to take me to CCMC. I told them my sister works there."

I put my forehead against his hand and cried.

"I'm sorry, Nora." His voice was quieter now. "I was trying to fix it."

"I know." I lifted my head and looked at him. His face was pale, his lips dry. The monitors beeped steadily behind him. "I know you were."

"Are you mad at me?"

I wiped my face with my free hand. "I'm so mad at you."

He almost smiled. "That's fair."

I held his hand. He held mine. The monitors beeped. The room was quiet.

"Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ian." I brought his hand to my face and held it against my cheek. "I love you so much."

He closed his eyes. His breathing was slow, steady, the oxygen cannula hissing softly.

I sat beside him, holding his hand, listening to the monitor count his heartbeats. I told myself the worst was over.

Knox was standing by the window. He hadn't said a word since we walked in. His eyes were red and his jaw was locked tight, but he stayed where he was and let Ian and me have the conversation we needed to have. When I looked up at him now, he tried to give me something steady. I took it.