“Heard that, huh?” My voice roughened despite myself, full of emotion I very rarely let show. “Then open your eyes so I can yell at you.”
The cat stopped growling, sniffing her as if he sensed her waking up.
Good.
The sooner she opened her eyes, the sooner I could let go of my temper.
Taking my chances, I crept closer and tossed my jacket overRook’s very white, very naked body.
The panther grumbled but didn’t bite me, and I took yet another risk as I ducked to my haunches, looped the red string around her ankle, then fastened it tight.
My heart eased the moment the GPS tag was on her.
When she woke and found I’d tagged her like a lost sheep, she’d probably cut it off and throw it in my face, but for now...at least I was appeased.
I’d found her.
Just like I always did.
And with a groan of absolute exhaustion, I sat down and waited for backup to arrive.
Chapter Five
I NEVER KNEW SUNSHINE COULD BE a weapon.
I opened my eyes andwow,it hurt.
I winced, trying to shield my face, but my arm wouldn’t obey. Everything hurt. My body felt dense and heavy as if it’d been torn apart and stitched back together all wrong.
Even breathing hurt—every inhale scraping like knives, and every heartbeat stinging with a thousand papercuts.
W-Where am I?
Squinting, I tried to focus on the dark beams, gauzy mosquito net, and familiar pearlescent walls—
Two golden eyes appeared above me, blocking the sunshine and giving me a reprieve. “Whisper—”
A rustling sounded close by, followed by the clomp of heavy boots.
The panther was shoved aside as another face filled my vision—this one just as familiar with bloodshot eyes, messy blond hair, and grooves carved deep into his skin as if he’d aged twenty years since we’d last met.
“You’re finally awake.” Dillon grabbed my shoulders and hauled me upright. “Thank fuck for that.”
Not good.
Not good at all.
The world sloshed, a rush of nausea made me flush with sweat, and the white nightgown I’d been dressed in weighed a hundred pounds.
“You certainly know how to piss me off.” Dillon glowered. “Three damn days you’ve lain here like a corpse! I wasthisclose to taking you to the hospital. I would’ve had you there the second I found you, if only you were normal—”
My ears rang with a high-pitched squeal, blocking out the rest of his sentence. “Wait...” I tried to fight him off—to push him away so I wouldn’t embarrass myself by vomiting all over my bodyguard, but his fingers dug into my shoulders and...
I retched.
He cringed but didn’t let me go, almost as if he knew that the moment he stopped supporting me, I’d collapse.
At least nothing came up.
