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Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ellie
Tearsfilledmyeyes.I couldn’t stop them as they slid down my cheeks, running into the ends of my loose hair. My heart was breaking and part of me didn’t want to keep going, but I had to. I sniffed as I turned the page of my book.
A knock on the door made me jump. Buffy made a disgruntled noise from her spot curled up on my chest. She glared at me as another knock sounded. I set the book down, annoyed that someone had disrupted the most intense, harrowing scene of the whole novel.
“Who the hell could that be?” I mumbled, wiping away the tears.
I sat up slowly, shifting Buffy from my chest onto the bed. Another knock came, and I hopped up, hurrying to the door of the small cabin I was still borrowing at Willow Hope.
I opened the door cautiously, the hinges squeaking. I blinked as a pair of hazel eyes met mine. I held in my gasp as he smiled at me, his boyish half grin making my knees quake.
“Hey,” he said, lifting a hand in greeting.
My mouth dropped open. “Ty?” Part of me couldn’t believe he was here, standing right outside my door. I’d only seen him in the hospital for the last ten days as he recovered. He’d been severely dehydrated and was still recovering from smoke inhalation—not to mention the freaking bullet wound. I still couldn’t believe that a week and a half ago we were both held captive in that small shed. I swallowed, thinking about it made my anxiety soar, even though I knew we were safe now. Clara had survived, unlike her brother, but had been wounded when she shot Ty. She’d probably spend the rest of her life in an institution.
“They finally let me go.” Ty winked. “I couldn’t wait to come see you without being stuck in a hospital bed.”
“So, you came straight here?” I asked, surprised.
He tilted his head. “Well, not directly here. I made a few stops.”
“Is that right?” I stepped back, opening the door wider. “It’s not much, but you’re welcome to come inside.” The sun was starting to set, but it wasn’t fully dark. A beautiful summer twilight.
Ty stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. Buffy jumped onto the small desk next to the door and meowed loudly at Ty, begging for attention. He looked down at her, smiling as he patted her head. “Hey, Buff.” The cat purred so loud I heard her from a few feet away.
“She loves you,” I said, feeling both jealous and incredibly happy.
Ty shrugged one shoulder. “She just likes me because I pulled her out of a burning trailer and saved her from certain death.”
His words felt like a punch to the gut. “She wasn’t the only one you saved.” Ty gave me a sideways glance, still scratching Buffy behind the ears. “I don’t think I even thanked you for that.”
He didn’t answer right away. His hand trailed down to Buffy’s collar where the flat, silver GPS tag was secured firmly. He fiddled with the tag before he let his hand fall back to his side.
“You don’t have to thank me. You saved me too, after all.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. My eyes snapped to the glinting little tag dangling from my cat’s collar. The night I went to confront Callen, when I thought he’d been the one who took Ty, I’d slipped that GPS tag inside my shoe. I’d sent a text to Knox telling him everything I was doing and if something happened to me, gave him access to the tag’s information so he could track me. Luckily, Knox saw my text when he woke up in the middle of the night and immediately contacted Atlas. They’d been able to find my location easily and Atlas had come in with guns blazing just in time.
But barely.
“I didn’t do much but get you shot,” I breathed. I stepped closer, reaching out and grazing my fingertips across his wounded shoulder. We were lucky she hadn’t hit anything serious. The shot went clean through. A few inches down and she could’ve hit his heart.
My chest pinched thinking about it. Ty grabbed hold of my hand, placing it against his chest and squeezing. “You saved me, Ellie. If you hadn’t gotten yourself taken, the police wouldn’t have known where to find me. And who knows what Clara had planned for me.” He shivered and I stepped closer, our bodies almost touching.
“I’m still sorry you got hurt.”
He leaned down, brushing his nose against mine. “I’m not. I’d rather it be me than you.” His breath was hot on my cheeks and my heart fluttered. “Just promise me something.”
I looked into his eyes, not backing away an inch. I didn’t think I could ever be close enough to him. “What’s that?”
A grin tipped one side of his mouth. “If I ever get kidnapped by a very deranged ex-hook up again, please, never, ever, put yourself in harm’s way to find me.”
I let out a startled laugh, but my heart twisted. What Clara had done was wrong. But, it wasn’t completely her fault. She had issues, and she needed help. I took a breath, looking at Ty. “As long as you promise to never let yourself be kidnapped ever again, we have a deal.”
His eyes crinkled like they did when he was truly happy. “I promise. Cross my heart and hope not to die.”
His heart thumped beneath my palm as he came even closer. His lips brushed mine when Buffy let out a loud, wailing yowl and leapt between us, breaking us apart.
