Page 60 of Keeping Lilith

“Yeah, Lil. It’s me.”

“Hurts,” she muttered. Her body turned strange, almost boneless. Her legs numb.

“I know. Hang on. Please hang on. Help will be here soon. Don’t leave me, Lil. I love you.” Lips pressed against her forehead as she absorbed what Julian said, but it was like he was talking in a tunnel. Everything echoed around her.

Lilith wanted to answer him. Wanted to tell Julian the same, but dark spots were gathering behind her eyes, and, again, she didn’t know if she’d heard him correctly. In the end, words were impossible as she sank behind the dark veil of her consciousness.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Julian stared at Lilith,his hand clasping hers carefully so that he didn’t disturb the IV line. Her dark lashes rested against her cheeks, and her chest moved up and down in a hypnotizing motion.

It had been twelve hours since they’d stormed the cabin, and his world had stopped as he saw the blood coloring Lilith’s shirt. He’d made it to her side and held her tight as chaos reigned around him. His focus had totally been on the woman of his dreams. The woman he loved. For the second time in his life, he prayed to a God he struggled to believe in to save someone. The first had been to save Rose after their father had shot her, and this time, he needed Lilith saved because he didn’t think he could go on without her.

God had listened both times.

Rose was safe in San Antonio, and Lilith was recovering from surgery. The stab wound had nicked her spleen but hadn’t hit any other organs. She had been lucky. The woman who’d stabbed her hadn’t been. While he’d been holding Lilith, the team had subdued Micah and Richard. Stella though, she’d screamed a banshee’s cry and had raced toward Micah, her intent clear. Ox had shot her in the shoulder. She’d fallen to herknees, and as if she’d known that nothing would be the same for her again, took matters into her own hands and had ended her own life.

Julian should feel a little remorse for her, but he didn’t. Stella had tried to kill Lilith. In his mind, her ending was too quick. He would’ve rather seen her rot in jail for what she’d done.

Ox had filled him in on her part in Lilith’s kidnapping, how she’d been following Micah’s instructions. Micah had wanted to start his own following. He’d dreamed of being another Staunton Rello. Fortunately, hewouldrot in jail, and Lilith would be safe from him.

“Julian?”

He lifted his head from where he’d been studying her hand, and smiled at seeing Lilith’s beautiful green eyes, dulled a little from their brightness because of the aftereffects of the anesthesia. “Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?”

God, why did he ask that question? She certainly wouldn’t say she was feeling wonderful and like she could run and jump. “Don’t answer that. It was a stupid question.

She shifted and grimaced. “Sore, and not stupid. What happened?”

“How much do you remember?” What she recalled would determine how much he told her.

“I was stabbed. Stella was manic, ready to hurt anyone. Micah demanding. Richard was a follower.”

Even with her senses a little dull from her surgery, her observations were pretty accurate. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the look on her face when she lashed out at Stella. “Your knife wound, while serious, isn’t life threatening. You’ve got stitches in your spleen, but won’t have any future issues from it. As for the others, you don’t have to worry about any of them. Micah and Richard are in custody, and they will not get outanytime soon—I’m going to make sure of it. Stella, well, she’s not going to hurt anyone anymore either.”

Lilith nodded, her eyes drifting down again. “Good.”

“Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He picked up the hand he’d been holding and kissed the top of it. Her fingers closed around his, giving it a slight squeeze.

He wanted to climb up on the bed and lie next to her. Hold her while she slept, but he knew it wasn’t possible, and it wasn’t the best thing for Lilith either. So he’d stay where he was and keep his word, because he didn’t plan on ever letting Lilith down.

She’d given him a second chance, and he was going to make sure that he honored her like she deserved to be. She’d been through so much, but she was still standing. His Lilith was strong, and he was proud to call her his. The question was, did she feel the same way about him? Did she even remember him telling her he loved her? It didn’t matter if she did or didn’t, the next time she woke, he would tell her, and if she told him she didn’t feel the same, he'd walk away, even if it would be the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Lilith becameaware of the low buzz of conversation. Of a hand on her wrist, checking her pulse. The last time she’d woken up, Julian had been holding her hand. He’d also told her he would be there when she woke next.

Had he gone back on his word?

Why wasn’t he there, holding her hand?

Her heart rate sped up a little, and she could hear it in the way the heart monitorbeeped beepedquicker than it had been a few seconds ago.

“Lil?”

Julian.

He was there. That was his voice she’d heard. A tiny word, but it was her favorite. She loved it when he called her Lil.

“J?” she responded and forced her eyes open.