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Sloane
I smooth back of Jules’s matted hair and smile at her as her eyes flutter open.
“What the fuck?” she mutters in a groggy voice.
I lace my fingers with hers and squeeze. “Not to say I told you so, but how many times have I warned you about going home with strange boys?”
Jules lets out a groan and clutches her head. “Jesus Christ! I just wanted to have a little fun! And next thing I know, I’m thrown into the back of some minivan, drugged, and tied to some bed with a bunch of derelicts watching me squirm around in my fucking underwear.
I bite down on my lower lip. “Did they…did anyone…?” I don’t want to finish the question.
Jules shakes her head, her expression shadowed by anger. “Yeah, a couple of them did. I guess that’s how I got these.” She points to the bruises around her neck, wrists, and jaw. Tears pool in her eyes. “I didn’t think I’d ever manage to escape. And if I did, I doubt I’d be alive long enough to tell anyone what happened.”
I lean down to hug my friend without pressing too hard against her. The last thing I want to do is cause her more pain. She’s suffered more than enough already. “Your mom is outside. She’s been waiting for you to wake up.”
Jules groans and shifts on the bed. “Yeah, whoever doped me up today did a fucking bang-up job. I didn’t know what planet I was on until a few minutes ago.” She narrows her eyes. “And what about the assholes who snatched us? Did the cops catch them? Please tell me they’re gonna be ass-rammed hard when they get thrown in prison.”
“They’re dead, sweetie. Max showed up right in time to help us get away. Some of the guys he works security with found out where we were being held and they took care of Gianni and his brother.”
“Like…killed them? With guns?” Jules sits up slightly, her dark eyes wide.
I nod. “Yes, well, they’re all licensed to carry, so when they heard we were kidnapped, they came running.”
“Damn.” She taps her bruised cheek with a broken fingernail. “So, Max…he’s like…connected or something?”
I furrow my brow, trying as hard as I can to look confused. I know from Max what details to admit to, and what questions to avoid answering. I hate lying, but I have to think of it more as protecting from now on. “Connected? No. He’s just…” I pause, a smile playing at my lips. “He’s just a badass who happens to carry a gun for a living, that’s all.”
My badass.
Jules nods. “Well, I guess he must be pretty good at his job, huh?”
“Guess so.”
“I’m sure Dr. Kiley is devastated.” Jules waggles her eyebrows at me.
“He’ll make some other nurse a very happy lady one day.”
“And what about you? Are you going to be a very happy lady one day? Is this guy Max going to give you what you’re looking for? Because you’re giving up a lot to be with him, sweetie. You know that, right?”
The grin spreads across my face, so powerful that I can’t stop it if I tried. “Max has already given me more than I ever knew I needed.” I wink at her. “And just for the record, I’m a very happy lady right now.”
What can I say? I knew I loved him the first time he threw a worm at me when we were kids digging around in the dirt together. Stupid little girls and their fantasies about knights in shining armor coming to rescue them from evil.
Who knew it would ever become a reality?
Sloane
I pull the door to Jules’s room closed and head down the hallway to Max’s room. She drifted off a little while ago, and now I need to get back to Max. He’s headed in for surgery soon, and even though it’s minor, I want to spend some time with him before he goes under.
I knock on the door and push it open when I hear his voice. I recoil once I step inside of the room. “Daddy? What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to the cafeteria.”
Dad stands up and smooths the front of his pants. “I did, but I, uh, wanted to come back here to wish Max well.” He looks down at Max and nods.
Max gives him a salute. “I appreciate the talk, Mr. C.”
“Take care of yourself,” Dad says in a gruff voice. He holds out a hand to Max, and Max grasps it. “And thank you again for everything you did. Thank you for rescuing my daughter.”
I throw my arms around my father’s neck. “Thank you, Daddy. That means so much to me.”
