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“There you are, darlin’,” he said softly. “It’s about time I saw those pretty eyes again.”
To hear Rooster greet me with so much gentleness and fondness compared to Jed’s cold, unfeeling cruelty was like night and day. My face crumpled and fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Hey, hey,” Rooster whispered. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart. Does it hurt that bad? I’ll get a nurse—”
As he started to rise from his chair, I squeezed his hand tight and shook my head.
“Don’t leave.”
Rooster sank back down into his chair. He leaned over me, brushing his fingers tenderly through my hair. I must be a mess but he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world.
“You’re going to be okay, Lou,” he murmured. “The bullet missed your lung by an inch and there was some internal bleeding. But it’s all taken care of now. Just rest. That’s all you need to worry about.”
My chest ached at his words. I had so much to worry about—Jed’s increasing manic violence, losing Rooster, going back home to a loveless marriage I couldn’t escape. But Rooster was willing to shoulder all that worry for me.
“Jed tried to kill you,” I said, my voice trembling. “He wasn’t aiming for me. He was shooting at you.”
“I know, baby, I know. Try not to think about it. You’ll get yourself worked up.”
I choked on a sound somewhere between a sob and a dry laugh. He had no idea that Jed paid me a visit, threatening me, threatening Rooster, laying down an ultimatum that left me no choice but a miserable future. And I couldn’t breathe a word of what happened if I wanted Rooster to live.
“I have to go home,” I whispered.
He went still. I swore he stopped breathing. His fingers flexed tighter around my hand. Then he brushed his knuckles against my cheek, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.
“No, no…I don’t believe that’s what you want, Lou. Not really.”
“I want this to be over,” I croaked.
As long as I’m with you, there will always be a target on your back.
If I said that, Rooster would sacrifice himself. He had already risked his life to protect me. I was the one to put him in danger in the first place. Now I was the only one who could get him out of it.
“I will always love you, Rooster,” I said. “But we missed our chance at being together.” My throat went tight and it felt like swallowing broken glass when I added, “You are not my husband. And you never will be.”
Pain flashed across his face. I hated doing that to him—pushing him away, hurting him. It would have been so much easier if he was angry and stormed out.
Rooster remained by my bedside with a small nod. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to change my mind. He didn’t insist that he would find a way to fix this.
Instead, he simply held my hand.
When Rooster left me behind twelve years ago, I thought my heart could never hurt that much again. But this was worse—a thousand times worse.
Carefully, I curled onto my side despite my body’s protests at the movement. Rooster’s arm came around me as he kissed the top of my head. My eyes drifted closed again, surrounded by his body heat, soothed by his heartbeat and the scent of his skin.
Chapter Nine
Rooster
The last thing I wanted to do was leave Lou’s side. She was scared, worn down. Seeing her lying in that hospital bed, so weak she could barely speak, with tears in her eyes, made me want to hold her even tighter. The joy that used to emanate from her like sunshine had dimmed to a dull, flat gray.
Whether Lou really believed going home with Pruitt was the right choice or not, it didn’t matter. That piece of shit would break her. I wouldn’t stand by and let that happen.
I had stayed at the hospital longer than I should have, sneaking in, risking arrest. But it was worth it just to see Lou, to kiss her forehead while she slept and feel the perfect fit of her hand in mine.
I brushed my thumb back and forth over her knuckles. If I had a choice, if Jed Pruitt wasn’t ruining everything, I wouldn’t budge from this spot. I would be here every time Lou woke up and when she fell asleep again. I would here when the doctor announced she was free to go.
I needed to deal with Pruitt though. Even if Lou truly did want to return home, I would make sure that he didn’t go anywhere near her again.
