Page 67 of Devoured By You
“My cousin is a proud man. Honestly, our entire family has way too much of the pride gene. We’re also ‘blessed,’ if you can call it that, with oodles of self-confidence and a healthy amount of competitiveness.”
“Your point being?”
“When Blaize wakes up, he’s going to have a hard time coming to terms with what’s happened.”
“Who wouldn’t?”
“True. But for him… if it were Nolen or Asher, then I wouldn’t be as worried. But Blaize is going to hate having to depend on people for the most basic of needs. I mean, sure, they’ll fit him with a prosthetic, and knowing my cousin, he’ll work his ass off until he’s back to being as close to the man he was before as possible. But on that journey, he’s going to get frustrated and angry, and he’ll probably hit out at those he loves the most.”
I’d kind of expected all this. Even though I hadn’t known Blay all that long, I knew him. I couldn’t explain it, but it was as if we’d met in a previous life. We’d clicked from that very first meeting, and we’d only gotten closer as each day had passed. Of course he’d be angry and frustrated and sad. Losing a limb would push him into the grief cycle. But eventually, he’d come out the other side and accept his new reality. I planned to be there every step of the way.
“You seem so confident that he loves me, yet he hasn’t said he does.”
“Honey, I don’t think he knows himself. And even if he does, he’ll rail against it. Blaize is a playboy, a grazer, a one-and-done kind of guy. Or at least he was. Until you. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in complete denial. But trust me. He’s fallen hard.” She patted my arm. “You might have to wait longer than you would have for him to admit it, given what’s happened. You mark my words, though. That man is a goner.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for being a friend.”
“Like I said, you’re in the bosom of the Kingcaid family now. We take care of our own. I’m here for whatever you need.” She got up, cocking her head. “How about a bite to eat? They have a passable cafeteria, from what my uncle Jameson told me. Gotta keep your strength up.”
I wearily rose to my feet. “Guess so.” I linked her arm, and we trudged inside.
Chapter 25
Blaize
Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?
Fuck me.
Pain. Sharp, hot, unrelenting. I forced my eyes open. A light flickered overhead. My lids fell shut. I shifted my weight and groaned.
“Blaize.” A hand touched mine, fingers curling in a gentle grip. I opened my eyes again, moving my head toward the voice.
“Mom.” I tried to smile. Not sure if I managed it or not, but Mom smiled back.
“You sound like you’ve smoked forty cigarettes straight.” She rose from her chair and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. Funny how it didn’t matter how old I got—Mom’s tender touch always took me back to my childhood. “Your dad’s here. He’s just gone outside to get me a cup of coffee.”
I licked my lips. “Thirsty.”
“Nurse?” Mom looked over her shoulder. “He’s thirsty. Can he have something to drink?”
A straw appeared, nudging at my lips. I gulped down the water. She pulled it away too soon.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“Yeah. I got shot.” I tried to lift my left arm. A searing agony exploded in my shoulder. “Fuck.”
“Try to stay still. Everything’s still raw.”
“How long was I out?”
“About forty hours. You kind of came around earlier this morning, but you went right back to sleep.”
I had no memory of that. “Christ.” I let my head sink further into the stack of pillows. “What about the ship?”
“Darling.” Mom’s head angled to the side, her eyes filled with reprimand. “There’s plenty of time for that.”
“I want to know. I need to know.”