AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Harrison
When I woke yesterday morning, my chest was tight with dread and Raegan was in my arms.
Today, the dread is gone. But so is she.
I’m in the guest bedroom, and I roll to one side, exhaling hard as I hit my shoulder, which hurts like someone ripped it from its socket.
Last night comes back to me in a rush.
Our friends headed directly back to their hotel from La Mer, but Raegan and I were at the police station until after five.
We answered questions independently. Somewhere along the line, a medic put five stitches in the cut in my chest and reset the shoulder that had been dislocated before my dive across the room.
After the police released us, Raegan and I drove home in near silence. Raegan took a shower in the guest bathroom, and I washed off in the en suite. After, I padded out to the hall to see if she was still in the bathroom—only to see the guest bedroom door closed.
I opened the door to find her lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. I crawled in next to her, pulling her body to mine.
She hasn’t talked about what happened in that room. The way she kept her cool to gain the upper hand on Mischa in a way I couldn’t have was amazing. It might’ve given me a heart attack, but I respect her even more than before.
But as I lay next to her, I wondered…
How sure was she that someone was coming? Did she think we’d left her?
I’m relieved Mischa is dead. But witnessing her at his mercy, knowing I won’t forget it for a long fucking time, is a parting gift he would’ve appreciated.
The ache in my shoulder is nothing compared to how it felt to see her helpless in that room. That will linger on my soul.
Now, the door nudges wide.
I shift up on an elbow, hoping it’s her, but the top of Barney’s head and furry back appear as he pads to the bed. He noses at my hand and lifts hopeful eyes to my face.
Fuck, it’s impossible to be a dick to a dog.
After stroking his head, I get up and pad out into the hall.
The shower’s on—second one in twelve hours.
I want to talk to her, but accosting her while she scrubs extra blood from under her nails isn’t the right time.
I head down the hall to my room for clean clothes. Barney follows, and after, we head downstairs together.
My brother is already drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.
“How was your evening?” I ask.
Ash frowns. “Uneventful. Boring even.”
My brows lift.
“Relatively,” he adds.
I take the paper from him.
He’s not as pale as he was last week. Instead of being lethargic, his voice is light. His reactions are quick and irritated.
“I was a dick about you using,” I say.
He shifts an arm over the back of the next chair. “Is this some kind of ‘near death experience’ remorse?”
