Page 6 of Loving Her
Breaker
Three Days Later
“Jeff? I fixed supper. Why don’t you come grab a bite with all of us?”
“Come eat with me!” I hear the little girl named Tinny exclaim. I’ve been like this for a few days. I can hear them, but I can’t make myself wake up completely. It’s getting better. Today, I feel a lot more alert. I’m pretty sure I moved my hand a couple of times. I can’t open my eyes to see, but I could feel my fingers. I’m trying not to panic because I can’t wake up. I’m also jealous that some other man is eating with Indy and Tinny. I listen to them anytime I can. Jeff never says anything. His phone rings occasionally. He talks to someone and lets them know I haven’t woken up yet. I don’t know who he’s reporting to. It’s even more frustrating that I can’t ask. He’s had two calls that he just let ring. I found that strange, but maybe it’s a telemarketer. Maybe this guy spends his days online shopping with his phone as contact and gets spam calls often. He sure as hell doesn’t seem to do anything else. I think I’ve even heard him snore a few times. If this is the kind of men Indy surrounds herself with, she needs someone to watch over her.
Their voices are distant now. I hear Indy tell Tinny that Iva is doing some filing and minding the phones in her clinic. It’s obvious they’ve moved into another room. Eventually, all I really hear is laughter—Indy’s in particular. Their words, though, just become mumbled. The desire to join them is so strong that I can feel my body vibrate from it. I need to break free. God, what if this is how I’ll live the rest of my life? Am I in some kind of long-term care facility? Does Indy run it and live here with her daughter? My heart begins running away with me. I can feel sweat pop out against my skin. I have too many questions. The lack of answers is intensifying my fear, making it hard for me to breathe. I don’t want to die. Ireallydon’t want to die like this.
Somehow, I manage to get my hand to move. It feels like it weighs a fucking ton, but I ignore it. The weight is so heavy it’s painful to make my muscles work. It takes what seems like forever to raise my hand. When I do, it’s trembling so fucking bad that I feel like it’s jerking the bed. I slap it against my face, forcing my hands to curl around the oxygen mask I’m wearing. I hear a door open, and a man yelling out his hello about the time I finally manage to rip off the mask. I let out a hoarse yell as my eyes finally open.
Footsteps begin running in my direction. My eyes are somewhat blurry. I blink them, trying to focus. I stare at the door. There’s a lot of crap rolling through my mind. It probably shouldn’t be, but the first thought that seems clear in my mind is putting a face to the voices. I want to see Indy. Anticipation fills me with each footfall that I hear. I zero in on it, despite the loud rushing of blood that echoes in my ears.
I’ve tossed the mask somewhere and now my fingers are bunching into the blanket that is covering my leg.
The door flies open and there’s a man in faded jeans and a black thermal henley coming in first. He’s wearing a Stetson. I frown at him. Thankfully, a gorgeous woman pushes him asideand stares at me with her eyes wide. She’s blonde. I don’t know why that’s important, but it is. In fact, as I stare into her beautiful blue eyes, she seems really familiar. My mind seems to be a blank slate. Any other time, I’d be worried about that, but I can’t right now. I’m too busy drinking her in. Her body is voluptuous. She has curves that go for days, tits that draw your attention, despite the fact she’s not trying to showcase them. She’s wearing jeans and a blue sweater that I’m instantly jealous of. I want to be the one to cover her body. Her shoulder length hair is wavy and silently begs me to slide my fingers through it.
“You’re awake,” she whispers, and it’s not my imagination that she’s relieved or, at least, I don’t think it is.
“Yes,” I manage to respond, sounding hoarse as hell. My throat burns just trying to get the word out of my mouth.
“Jeff? Can you go get a bottle of water from the fridge?”
“Okay,” he says, giving me a look—his eyes narrowed as he stares into mine. He’s protective over Indy. I’m not sure if it’s personal or if it’s just as a friend. He walks away and I turn my attention back to Indy.
“You were starting to worry me, Breaker,” she says softly as she walks over to my bedside.
“Breaker?”
She frowns at me. “Yes. That’s your name, right?”
I frown. It doesn’t sound familiar. “It’s a weird name,” I mutter, trying to sort through my chaotic thoughts and tell her what my name really is. The only problem is … I don’t know it. I can’t remember anything—not my name, where I live, how I got here …Nothing.It’s all just blank.
“I don’t remember anything,” I quietly confess. “What’s wrong with me?” I ask the woman, and even I can hear the panic that seems to stick to every syllable. I see the shock written on her face and fear claws at me. I swallow it down and concentrateinstead on the way it feels when Indy puts her hand in mine, squeezing it.
“It’s going to be okay, Breaker.”
I don’t truly believe her, but if she’s holding my hand, I’ll push through it. Nothing around me seems familiar but her.
I’m going to let that lead me.
Chapter 5
Indy
It seems odd as hell to see the fear in the man’s eyes when he looks at me. I decided to call him the name that was on his cut that Cooper got rid of. I was hoping that would calm him. He’s got a death grip on my hand, but he’s doing his best to push the fear down. I’m not sure I could be as calm as him if I were in his place. With my hand still in his, I finally sit beside his bed and try to let my presence give him something to concentrate on. I lick my lips as I try to figure out how to proceed with the man trying to act like he’s not terrified.
Jeff comes back in with the water, unscrewing the top and holding it out toward Breaker. I intercept it, standing back up. I grab a straw that I put there earlier in anticipation of him waking up. I actually thought he would have been more alert yesterday. I was starting to worry a bit, but with his vitals strong, I was pretty sure he was fine. If it had taken another day or so, however, I was going to take him to the hospital. I didn’t know how I would handle things. I was very aware that taking him to my place to treat a gunshot wound would have cost me my license—especially since I didn’t check him into the hospital.
I quickly tear the plastic wrapper from the straw and push it into the bottle. “This will be better. Drink slow,” I warn him withwhat I hope passes for a kind smile. There’s this private worry in my mind that he’ll be upset that I didn’t take him to the hospital.Will he sue me?Shit, I really should have thought things over better before I got involved in all of this.
He sips the water, and I watch as his Adam's apple moves. That shouldn’t be sexy, and yet it is. I force my gaze up to look at the man’s face and he’s staring straight at me. I think he can see the desire I’m feeling in my eyes.Crap.His lips twitch, but the intensity on his face makes me feel like there’s electricity flowing through my veins.What in the hell is going on with me?
“Thanks,” he says gruffly as I pull the water back.
“Want some more?”
“Not yet,” he says. I nod, setting it on the nightstand.