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“Saving your best friend’s life?” she offered.
Jagger gave it a moment of consideration. “Not good enough, sorry.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Get Barrick to help,” I suggested. “I don’t think Jagger has the muscles to assist you.”
“Hey,” Jagger whined, hearing what I’d said. “I can take either one of them.”
“Yeah, okay,” I snorted skeptically, knowing it would push his buttons.
“Don’t believe me?” I shook my head, and he growled something under his breath I couldn’t hear. “Fine. Let’s go, Shaw. I’ll save the asshole.”
Shaw bumped her fist with mine. “Gets him every time,” she said with a wink before rushing out the door with him to hopefully save her brother’s life.
Chapter 43
Violet
Valentine’s Day, I woke up feeling…off.
My love bug was kicking up a storm, making me have to pee so badly, I was forced to make a mad dash to the bathroom. Even after I’d finished, though, I just sat on the toilet and tried to calm my racing heart. I didn’t know what was going on with me, but I didn’t like this anxious feeling that was making my heart feel heavy and my stomach queasy.
Once I washed my hands, I pulled the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet to make sure I wasn’t running a fever, thinking maybe I was just coming down with something and that was why I was feeling so off-kilter. But the reading was normal, and I didn’t feel stuffy or chilled.
Just…anxious?
I touched a hand to my belly, where Love Bug was kicking away. She’d gotten even more active in the past few weeks, which I loved because Remington could feel her as much as he wanted to now. I’d gone to sleep the night before to him rubbing his hands across my belly as he read to our daughter. The sound of his voice as my eyes closed had left a smile on my lips.
But that smile wouldn’t even form this morning as I debated whether or not to even get dressed for the day. With how I was feeling, I didn’t want to face the world, let alone the housekeeper over breakfast.
Sighing, I walked into the bedroom. Krush whined at the door, and I frowned. Hadn’t he been in bed with us the night before? I couldn’t remember, but the bedroom door was always open so he could come and go as he pleased. Rarely did we shut it because Krush had gotten even clingier with me since I’d started showing.
Changing direction, I crossed to the door and let him in. He let out a huff, but he licked my face when I bent to kiss the top of his huge head. “Sorry, buddy. I guess Daddy accidentally closed the door last night.”
Krush whined again and stayed by my side as I waddled to the bed. Remington was still sound asleep, and I debated crawling back under the covers with him. The drapes were drawn, and the only light was coming from the bathroom where I’d left the light on so it cast a soft glow over the bed.
Smiling down at my husband, I stroked the backs of my fingers over his jaw and started to bend to kiss his brow when I noticed how chilled his skin was.
My heart in my throat, I quickly snapped on the lamp beside the bed and slowly turned my head to look down at Remington. I knew what I was going to find even before my eyes landed on him once again, and my knees gave out on me.
“No,” I thought I whispered, but I must have screamed as I grabbed the headboard and clung to it so I didn’t fall and harm the baby. My other hand touched his face again. His waxy, blue-tinged face. “Remi!” I shouted. “Wake up! Please, wake up.”
But he didn’t move, and I couldn’t hold back my sobs a second longer. I felt Krush beside me, heard his whimper as he tried to push his face into my side. Blindly, I touched his head, trying to soothe him even as my cries echoed off the walls.
The scream and sounds of my crying drew the housekeeper’s attention, and she must have run to tell Jenner, because moments later, I was being lifted into my bodyguard’s arms as Mrs. Briggs called Remington’s doctor.
There was no use in calling 9-1-1. The plan was to call the doctor, and he was supposed to take care of all the other details regarding Remington’s body since the funeral arrangements had already been made in advance.
Remington had thought of everything so I wouldn’t have to deal with anything when he passed. To make it easier on me, he’d said. So I wouldn’t have to worry about the mundane things like a casket and other decisions. He’d been so thoughtful, and I’d sat and nodded through it all as he’d talked so cavalierly about his impending death.
While the whole time, I was dying a little on the inside because it was just one more reminder that my husband was going to leave me far too soon.
I buried my face in Jenner’s chest as he carried me downstairs to the living room. He placed me on the couch, and Krush jumped up beside me as soon as Jenner stepped back. I wrapped my arms around my dog, sobbing so hard my entire body shook.
Jenner stayed in front of me, and I heard him on the phone a few times. The first time, all I heard was, “It’s time, sir. Sawyer said to call as soon as it happened… Yes, sir… I will, sir.”
I didn’t know who he was talking to, and it made no sense to me, so I just buried myself closer into Krush until I felt someone touch me. “Violet sweetheart.”
I gasped at the sound of Mom’s voice and threw myself against her. “Mom, he’s gone,” I whispered, my voice too hoarse from crying to go any higher. “Remi left me.”
