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Chapter Five
Beauty
He’sawake.
“Who is Sam?” He repeated, louder this time while lifting himself to a seated position. He winced in pain, scooting his bad leg slightly back. He reached his hand toward the open hole in his thigh. I grabbed his wrist before he got there.
“Your hands are dirty, don’t.”
“Okay. I wouldn’t want to undo your hard work.” His eyes were ice blue. It was the first time I’d seen them fully open.
“Please whisper. The boys are still asleep, and they need to rest.”
“Are they okay? Are you?”
I added more antibiotic cream to his wound and held the new bandage in place, thinking about how to respond. My heart pounded hard in my chest. I didn’t know if he would ever awaken, yet, there he sat, ice-blue eyes watching my every move. “We’re here, aren’t we? More okay than others. What do you remember?”
He brought one hand to his jaw, rubbing his stubble and pinching his brow. “I remember pieces of things. I don’t remember how I got into your car, but I remember the crash. I remember the boys. You call them BeLew. Everything else is blurry. Where are we?”
I started on the duct tape, wrapping it snug. “Does that hurt?” He shook his head and stared, waiting for my response. “We are on an Island Jumper. I have a close friend in the military. He got us on. Do you know what those are?”
Sam tensed, and he lowered his head. “I know several people thought that was a bunch of conspiracy shit. But, yeah, I know what they are.” He rubbed the back of his neck and brought his eyes back to mine. “Sorry, I shouldn’t curse in front of your sons. I remember that too,” he muttered.
I finished his bandage and placed my hands on his knee and shin, looking down at my work. The way we sat felt intimate, and now that he was awake… inappropriate. But I didn’t want to leave the bed. Where would I go in the tiny room if I did?
“I wondered if it was all a hoax too, but I trusted Dean, and I’m glad I did. We will be on this ship for a year. Maybe less if we find a safe-haven, but it’s supplied for a year.” I stilled my hands and paused.
He bit his lip, taking in the information. I had trapped him on the ship. Would he be angry?
“BeLew are my nephews, not my sons,” I continued. “My sister and her husband are… they’re gone. They passed away. I’m all they have now.” My throat closed when the words slipped from my tongue. The memory of my sister with a boy on each hip flashed through my memory. The way she held them like her most precious possessions… so beautiful.
I frowned and pushed the thoughts aside. “Sam is the name I decided for you. My friend, Dean, who got us on the ship, someone he knew had a spot here because she’s former military. She’s gone, and we’re assuming her family’s identity.”
I exhaled and stared blankly at the opposite wall before I told him the worst of it. My words were falling out of my head so quickly I wasn’t sure if he was digesting any of the information. I had to get it all out at once. We could put together any missing pieces later, but for now, I had my nerve.
“To get you approved onboard, I told them you were my husband. Sam, Sam Lawson. Ashley was a friend of Dean’s, but you can call me Rowan Lawson. We can say Rowan is a nickname. BeLew are Beau and Lewis Lawson. Do you understand? To stay, you need to go along with this until Dean can think of another solution… which, honestly, may never happen. They are getting blood and fingerprints this afternoon for all of us. For our… our family, for the Lawsons.”
My eyes stayed glued to the wall for several minutes, and all I could hear was Sam’s steady breathing. His hand lifted, and I felt the warmth of his palm on my back. I slowed my breath until it was in sync with his. His hand moved up my spine to the back of my neck. I flinched at first and then tried my best to relax. He held it there for a moment before he spoke. “Thank you, Rowan. Thank you for what you did.”
I met his gaze as my eyes flooded with relief. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words escaped. He rubbed my neck and reached for my other hand, squeezing it. “I like the name Sam,” he said with a smile. “I like the idea of… a fresh start.”
We sat there, intertwined in silence, examining each other. We were in this together now.
“How about another hour of sleep?” he pleaded, lowering us both to the bed. I eased onto the mattress, resting my body on his chest.
“What’s your actual name?” I whispered into the warmth of his body.
“It doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “I’m Sam. Sam Lawson.”
I waited until his breathing became slow and even, then I left the bed. I stared down at him, wondering what happened next.
What the fuck are you doing? Dean’s going to kill you — or him.
I couldn’t sleep, and I needed to occupy my mind. I paced the small area, wringing my hands. I had paperwork that needed to get done. I dreaded it, but being a problem or on someone’s list would make matters worse. I doubted they would make anyone walk the plank for missing documents, but we needed to stay under the radar.
I filled in every blank box I could until I had no choice but to wake Sam again. Most of our information was false, but some items would get tested. We had to inject our story with some truth to pull this off.
BeLew had awoken and started in on the food. I motioned for them to come over. “Boys, Sam is okay to wake up now. Do you want to nudge his shoulders and say hello?” They nodded their heads eagerly. “Please, just his shoulders and be very gentle.”
