Tease Me (Private Listing #4)

“What happened, Noah?” I try to sit up, but he holds my shoulder down.

“You need to stay in bed.” Noah sighs. “After you passed out, Anna escaped from Patrick. She found us on our way to rescue you. I took Anna back to the helicopter while Coop, Seth, and Blake went to get you.”

I swallow because they aren’t here. Oh my god, why aren’t they here? Tears choke my throat at the possibilities. But maybe they’re in a waiting room, maybe it’s only one visitor at a time. My voice shakes when I ask, “Where are they?”

“Patrick had a gun.”

A shot rings in my memory, followed by another. I cover my mouth, remembering. “He shot Hunter. Hunter’s dead.”

Noah nods. “Blake and Coop got hurt.”

I grab onto Noah’s hand to steady myself as my world tips on its axis. “What?”

“When they came for you, Blake got shot in the arm. He’s getting stitches now. But Coop got shot in the side.” Noah quickly continues. “It went through and he just got out of surgery, which went well. Seth is with him in the recovery room.”

“I have to go to them.” I try to rise, but Noah pushes me back down.

“You need to wait for the doctor. Some of those drugs are still in your system. We don’t need you to get hurt. They’re being taken care of. I’m here to take care of you. I just left Blake, who waited until Coop was out of surgery before he got his stitches. Coop is still not awake yet from anesthesia.” Noah brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss there. “Everyone is safe. Everyone is taken care of. You can rest and recover.”

I blow out a breath. I still want to see for myself, but I sit back. They were hurt and I wasn’t there for them. Everyone was hurt because of Patrick. “What happened to Patrick?”

“The police arrested him. Anna got treated for her head wound and insisted on giving her statement. She went home to her kids. The police picked Yvonne up on her way to the house. They blocked off the road. She was more than willing to talk when she found out Patrick killed Hunter.”

“Good.” I rub at my head, trying to get the details out of my memory from before I passed out.

“I’m fine. It’s just a little blood.” Blake’s voice comes through a moment before he bursts through my door, followed by a nurse with a bandage.

“I need to put this on you, sir.”

Blake stops beside my bed. His green eyes rake over me probably the same way mine rake over him. Besides the fresh stitches, nothing looks wrong with him. His shirt has dried blood on it and I think of Coop. The nurse presses the bandage to Blake’s arm and shakes her head before leaving.

Noah stands and moves out of the way. Blake takes his place, curves his hand behind my neck and pulls me into his chest.

“Fuck, tiger,” he whispers as he rests his head down against mine. “You scared at least ten years off my life.”

I wrap my arm without the IV around his back, wanting to climb onto his lap and let him hold me, but this is good. The fear flows through me like I’m back there in the apartment, back in that basement, back in that house. Tears run down my cheeks as I cling to him.

“You found me,” I whisper. “I knew you would.”

“Always, love. Always.”

Chapter 168

Pieces of Me

Madison

I’m in a freaking wheelchair when my feet work perfectly fine, but it was the only way the doctor would allow me to go see Coop. And that was only after Blake threatened to carry me, which would have been bad on his arm.

I’m nervous as Noah wheels me down the hall to the recovery room. I don’t know what to expect. Patrick shot Coop. Coop could have died. All because of me.

The guilt settles like a lump in my stomach. I know this is Patrick’s fault. I know he’s to blame for everything. He manipulated this situation to his liking, and that’s how this ended with Coop recovering from surgery.

But what if I had talked to the guys before running off? What if I hadn’t trusted Yvonne to deliver that message to Blake? What if I’d been the reason Hope died?

My stomach twists.

“What is she doing here?” Victoria Graham’s disdain carries to me.