CHAPTER 41
Aiden arranged for her to return to work thenext day. She didn’t like the idea of him messing with her friends’minds again, but she didn’t have much choice on this one. It feltgood to be back at work, kidding with her coworkers and takingtheir ribbing about her concussion. They all agreed she couldn’tbruise a brain that wasn’t there.
She’d expected their teasing, and she tookit in stride, but something about it didn’t feel right. None ofthis felt like her life anymore. Her apartment, a place she’dworked to make a home, was no longer inviting to her.
When she saw Roger, she didn’t want to letgo of him as she hugged him. “You’re gonna break a rib, Mags,” hegrumbled, and she released him.
“Sorry.”
“Hmm,” he said as he straightened his shirtand fixed his hair. Then he hugged her so tight her backcracked.
She laughed when he set her down and huggedhim again. “Did you go to Glenn’s funeral?”
“Yes. Doctor’s orders be damned.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you.”
“It’s okay, kid.” He turned away from her,but not before she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. “How youbeen feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good.”
“I love you too, Roger.” She knew it wasn’texactly the time to tell him, but she’d never gotten the chance tosay it back to him during their phone call.
He waved his hand at her as he busiedhimself with taking inventory of their supplies. They fell into acomfortable silence with each other as they prepped for theirshift.
“You remember anything about what happened?”he asked when they were pulling out of the station.
“No,” Maggie said and clicked her seat beltinto place. She was glad she couldn’t see his face as she utteredthis lie. “I remember leaving here for the night. I have someflashes of being in an alley, and then I was at home.”
She resisted scratching at her arms. She’dfound herself scratching often since she’d parted from Aiden, andher skin felt like it had the night he’d gone after Carha. Shehatedthe sensation. Without Aiden lying beside her, she’dalso been unable to sleep last night. Tossing and turning, sherealized she missed his arms around her.
Giving up on sleep, she’d climbed out of bedand gone for a run when the sun came up. The slap of her feet onthe sidewalk lulled her, the rush of running propelled her onward,but it had done nothing to ease the pressure building in her chest.She’d run ten miles, gone home, and collapsed onto her bed.Finally, she fell asleep at nine and woke up often before shefinally crawled out of bed at two to get ready for her shift.
Maybe she would adjust to a life without himagain after a few days, but she worried she knew too much now to goback to the way things were. Scratching absently at her skin, shestared out the window as they passed the Prudential building.
“You okay, Maggie May?” Roger asked afterthey’d been on duty for a few hours.
“I’m fine. How are you feeling?”
“Me? I’m fit as a fiddle,” he said. “You’vebeen quieter than normal, and I think you’re going to scratch yourskin off.”
Maggie glanced at the backs of her red handsand the scratches on her arms. Her hands had become so raw she’ddrawn blood and never even realized it. She folded them in her lapto hide the marks.
“I guess I’m still a little out of it,” shesaid.
“Concussions are a tricky thing.”
“Yeah,” she muttered.So are vampireswith green eyes who somehow manage to dig their way under yourskin.
“Maybe you should have stayed out of worklonger.”
“No. I’m fine. If I weren't, I wouldn’t behere. I wouldn’t risk someone’s life that way.”
But aren’t I? She’d never actuallyhad a concussion, but her mind wasn’t in the game right now. Sheshouldn’t be here, but she didn’t know where else to be. Back inAiden’s arms? Jumping into a life with no preparation for itfalling apart on her?
She’d spent her entire childhood and teenyears uncertain of where she’d be the next day. Once she was oldenough to be on her own, she swore she’d never again know that kindof uncertainty. One of her biggest dreams had been knowing whereshe would be sleeping the next night, and she’d achieved it. Theidea of letting her security go scared her more than the Savagesever had.
