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The drive was short, and we pulled into a long driveway that led up to a large farmhouse. I parked next to a beat-up old truck and got out. Thea followed, and together we walked past the house. I had to lean heavily on my cane, the long day catching up with me.
Thea frowned at my leg, about to ask what had happened. But I cut off any questions by mouthing ‘later’ to her. Frowning, she nodded.
Carter followed us to a small building that looked like a shed with a small porch. Thea typed in the code and we walked into a cozy room with a couch that sat in front of an unlit fireplace.
Carter squeezed Thea’s arm, then clapped me on the back. “I’ll leave you to it. Call me if you need anything.”
With a lift of his chin, he was gone, the dark swallowing him as soon as he was a few steps away from the big house.
I locked the door, then collapsed onto the couch, Thea gracefully folding herself into my body. Her eyes traveled over my injured leg and I knew I had to tell her.
“I got shot in the leg. It still hurts, especially after I overdo it.”
I didn’t have to add on “like tonight.”
Her eyes wide. “You got shot?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Holding her as close as I could without pulling her into my lap, I kissed the top of her head. “Hey, hey, no, baby, no need to worry. I’m fine. I just need to take my meds.”
“Is that why you didn’t come for me earlier?”
I adjusted her against my side. “Gunner sent me on a mission the same day you went back to San Diego. And that means no cell phone. No contact with anyone who’s not working for Locked Security.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come back.”
“I didn’t want to use my injury to get you back.”
She sat up, shaking her head. “You’re an idiot. I love you. I want to be there for you.”
“Hearing that makes it all worth it.” I tugged on her hand. “Now come back here?”
She settled back against me and my eyes drifted closed. The last thing I remembered was Thea placing a kiss on my chest.
20
THEA
I woke up slowly,my brain sluggish, my neck screaming at me to move. It was bent at an uncomfortable angle. My eyes blinked open and the first thing I saw was Archer’s chest. Tilting my head back, I took in his familiar features that I’d come to love so much. He’d get embarrassed if I told him how beautiful I thought he was.
My eyes hit the dark room next, the time on my phone reading three in the morning.
I sat up, careful not to move my legs too much. Once I was close enough to touch him, I did just that, brushing his hair out of his face,
I itched to brush my lips over his. His brows were pinched together, and his body twitched. He groaned at the movement, his eyes opening, meeting mine.
The tight expression on his face and his wince as soon as he was awake made me sit up straight.
His hand lifted to my cheek, and I leaned into the touch, kissing his palm. He pulled me closer, and I shuffled onto his lap. He let out a pained groan, and I scrambled off his lap.
“I’m so sorry. I forgot about your leg.” I shuffled to the side, biting back tears. “I should have been there for you.”
Taking my hand, he brushed his lips over the back before placing it on his thigh, our fingers interlaced. “Don’t do that to yourself. This is not your fault. I chose not to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
I studied our joined hands. “I wanted to be there for you. Please don’t cut me out like that again.”
He leaned in, placing a kiss on the side of my face. “I won’t. And I want you to know that if I hadn’t been sent on assignment, I would have come for you as soon as you’d left.”
Lifting my gaze to his, I took in his full lips, thinking how good they felt on my body. “I missed you so much.”
