AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Six
DELILAH
“Thank you so much for—”
“AAHHH!”
The other guy from the aquarium let go of me quickly, as I hissed in the next breath. My ribs were on fire. For a few brief seconds, the pain was all-consuming.
“Oh my God you’re still hurt!”
Liam rushed forward to help, as I slowly regained my breath. The one with the plywood had removed his goggles and was pulling off his gloves. The guy who’d hugged me looked horrified.
“I’m so sorry!” he cried. “I didn’t realize—”
“It’s fine,” I cut him off, although the man didn’t look all that convinced. “It’s okay, really. I… I just can’t be squeezed right now.”
An arm slid over my shoulder, and a hand gingerly touched my waist to guide me. Before I knew it I was sitting on a stone bench, surrounded by three monster-sized men.
“You saved our son’s life,” the one who squeezed me said. “We owe you everything!”
I chuckled, then realized my mistake as the pain flared again. “Could you start with names, maybe?”
“Sorry,” the man apologized. “I’m Duncan.”
I shook the big hand he offered. It felt like a catcher’s mitt.
“You’ve already met Liam,” he went on. “And he’s Julius.”
The third man — the one who’d been in the grass — silently stared down his nose at me. His hair was lighter than the others, and longer too. He was also clean-shaven, with piercing, sky blue eyes.
Blue eyes…
As colorful as they were, they still didn’t seem to match the little boy’s cerulean blue.
“The guys told me what you did,” Julius said in a deep voice. “You’re a hero.”
“You would’ve seen it yourself if you were quicker with the food and drinks,” quipped Liam. “But yeah, she went flying through the air after Jace. Fastest reflexes I’ve ever seen.”
“I just did what anyone would’ve done,” I countered. The little boy was staring at me now. He recognized me and immediately ran over, grinning like a maniac. “I’m just glad he’s okay,” I added, tousling his hair.
It was a little strange, these three dark-haired men watching over a pair of tiny blond toddlers. Somehow, without a mother in sight.
“We tried to catch you at the hospital,” said Liam, “but they wouldn’t let us in. They said you were resting. By the time we showed up the next morning, you’d already been discharged.”
“Discharged, huh?” I smiled. “You could put it that way, yeah.”
“They still wouldn’t give us your info, but we were able to leave the flowers with this very nice woman who promised to forward them along. I guess you got them.”
“I did, and thank you,” I said. “I also brought back your leather jacket. It’s still in the car.”
I didn’t tell them I’d spent the past few days actually wearing the jacket, and enjoying its heaviness against the crisp fall weather. Or that the distinct smell of it, especially with the cologne, had been kind of a turn-on for me.
“We already told the hospital we’d take care of any expenses,” said Duncan. “But if you get any bills from them—”
“I think it’s all pretty much covered,” I told them. “But thanks. I appreciate that.”
Julius nodded. “Least we could do.”
