“Do you want me on my knees?”
A swift inhale. “Right now, I just want to be told that Lily is okay. That the baby is okay.” She raised her chin as her focus locked on Preston. “I want Lily out of this town. She can’t get caught in the crossfire because of me.” Nothing can happen to her because of me.
“So you told Atlas to kidnap his wife.”
“Caught that part, huh?” She rocked forward, then back, feeling the too big shoes slide a bit against her feet.
He nodded.
Naughty Preston. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you it isn’t nice to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?”
Preston simply shrugged. “I never claimed to be nice.”
No, she supposed that he had not.
“They’re not going to leave if they think you are in danger.” He’d taken a step closer to her. “Your friend Lily won’t abandon you.”
She knew that. Getting Lily to leave would be problematic but…
“So she has to think you’re safe. If you want her to leave, that is. Let her believe that your protection is fully covered.”
What was she supposed to say to Lily? That the sheriff had given her a guard? That?—
“Tell her that you’ll be staying with me. That I’ll provide you with twenty-four, seven security.”
He was almost touching her. Almost. Not quite. His gaze had swept down over her body. He seemed to be paying particular attention to…wait, was he staring at her hand? Her wrist?
His fingers reached out and curled along her forearm. He lifted up her hand, staring at her wrist. At the darkening circle around her wrist. The bruise from the handcuffs. “It won’t happen again,” he said.
“What won’t?” He should be far more specific. “A bastard shooting at us? You believing I’m here to kill you? What, exactly, won’t happen again?”
“All of the above?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t make jokes right now.”
“I’m not joking.” He brought her wrist to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to the skin. “My priorities have shifted.”
“What in the world does that even mean?”
Once more, the doctor exited the hospital room. This time, he marched past her, his white coat flapping.
Sloane took that cue to rush into the room. But, once inside, she staggered to a stop because Atlas was sitting on the bed next to Lily, holding her hand tightly, as his head bowed near her. “Oh, God. Oh, no.” Tears stung her eyes. “Lily…?”
“I’m okay,” Lily assured her instantly. “The baby is okay. It’s just a graze. Something I believe that I told you all at the scene. But no one seemed to be paying much attention to my diagnosis.”
If Lily was okay, then why did Atlas look that way?
He turned toward Sloane. “The doctor says…two heartbeats.”
“Two?” Well, yeah, that would be Lily and the baby, right?
“Twins. Two heartbeats when they put the monitor on her because she’s carrying twins. They’re going to take her for an ultrasound any moment.” He stood up and faced Sloane. “She’s so small. How the hell is she supposed to carry two babies? My babies?”
“Uh…” Lily was not, in fact, particularly small. And lots of women had twins. Sloane craned around him.
Lily rolled her eyes.
“And some fucker shot at her,” Atlas added grimly.
