Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Chapter Nine
Bethany
I stare at my fiancé and cry one more time. He’s lucky to be alive and so am I. We missed the messages from his guard, warning us to hide and they were almost to us. Alex had found our location and was armed.
Unfortunately, it was too late when Colter bent over to kiss me, Alex took his shot through the glass. He hit Colter right in the chest, missing his heart by a half-inch. I was missed completely, but the bullet went into the wall behind us. I’ll never forget the look on Colter’s face when he was struck; it was pure shock. The last words from his mouth ring in my head as he said, “Goodbye.”
Before Alex could get away the Russians got him, gunning him down and dealt with the matter. I don’t know what happened and I won’t ask because he’s out of our lives.
However, I lay beside my loving man in the lounge chair, trying to understand how I could be so foolish. This is all my fault. If I never got in the car with Alex, never gave him the time of day, he wouldn’t have attacked me, and then shot Colter.
“How is he?” Grant asks, stepping into the room.
I stand up and quietly answer to ensure Colter rests, “Stable condition.” The words come out of my mouth sounding normal, but they sound brutal to my ears. The thought of Colter ever being hurt never crossed my mind.
“The doctors have him sedated so he can recover.” He woke up twice in a panic, fighting the doctors to the point where they needed to fix his exterior stitches.
He cuffs my shoulders and stares down at me with brotherly concern, asking, “How are you?”
“I hate myself,” I sob. “This is all my fault.”
“It’s not.” He shakes his head and then pulls me into his arms. “He loves you and would do anything and everything to protect you.”
I tip my head back and say, “I should leave him to find someone who isn’t going to put his life at risk. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“The fuck I don’t. Get your hands off my wife,” Colter snarls from the bed.
We pull apart quickly and I grin, wiping my tears. “You’re awake.”
“Although I’m glad you’re alive. Beth’s not your wife yet, jerk. Besides, she’s trying to run.”
Colter’s expression hardens, but he’s not directing that hostility at his brother anymore. No, those blue eyes are focused on me. “Lock the door and stand guard. I’ve got to teach her a lesson.” he snarls.
“About damn time. She sure as fuck needs it.”
I turn and glare at the snitch. “You’re a tattletale, Grant North.”
“You have no idea what it’s like dealing with this man the past five damn years,” Grant says. “There’s no way, you think leaving him is for the best.” He steps outside, twisting the lock before he exits.
“Bethany Faith North come here,” Colter commands.
“We aren’t married yet,” I repeat Grant’s point.
“As far as I’m fucking concerned, we are. Get your ass over here, or I’ll get off this bed.” I hurriedly moved to his side because he’s already reaching for the cords that connect all his machines to his body.
When I’m in his reach, he wraps his strong arm around me and lifts me onto his lap as if he’s not in the hospital, fighting for his life.
“Colter, you need to take it easy. You were shot in the chest. You could open your wound.”
“Bethany, I don’t give a fuck. If you walk out of my life, he might as well have shot me in the fucking heart.” Way to hit me harder as if I needed to feel guiltier.
“You wouldn’t be in here if it wasn’t for me.”
“Whether you got in that car with or without him wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. He had an obsession with you and we already discussed it.”
“So you wouldn’t have been in danger if we never became a thing.”
“Do you hear yourself? In what world was it ever okay for us not to be together? Like Grant said, it’s been five years of obsession. My love and hunger existed long before it should have been.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Grab my personal belongings bag. I was going to wait until Christmas morning, but there’s something I held onto every single day for an particularly long time. It’s what held me in control when I wanted to cave and claim you over the years.” I get up and grab his bag from the night. It’s not full like it should be since his clothes aren’t in there. They were ruined with the blood, but they emptied his pockets and put everything in there.
He pulls out a small ring box. “My love, this is for you. It’s the first engagement ring I bought for you. I saved up for a couple of years in between my college fund and when you turned eighteen, I bought the ring just in case I lost my mind and asked you to marry me when I had no resources and about seven more years of medical school and residency to go.”