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“Shh. It’s okay. You’re all right. It’s all over, sweetheart.” Ryker runs his hands through my hair. I close my eyes and listen to his words. “It’s done. You’re free from him.”
The reality of everything starts to hit me. “Ryker …”
“Not now, Zo. Let’s deal with this first. We need to get you looked at, and then we can talk about it okay?” Ryker reaches into his pocket and grabs his phone. I don’t hear what he says as I focus on his heartbeat to calm me down.
I don’t know how long we sit there for. But I hear commotion around me. I see bags dropped on the floor, feet walking in front of me. I hear Ryker’s voice, he’s talking to someone, but I can’t make out the words. I can see and hear the snap of the medical gloves, medics. The medics are here.
My mind isn’t processing anything right now. I know they’re asking me questions, and I see lights flashing in my eyes, but my mouth can’t move. I feel myself being lifted and put on a something flat. Noises come from all around me as I get strapped in. While I’m loaded into the back of an ambulance, my voice finally comes through.
“Ryker. I need Ryker,” I croak out.
I feel the ambulance shift, and then Ryker appears next to me. “Right here, darlin’. I’m not leaving your side. Never again.” He leans in and kisses my lips. “Never again.”
* * *
Ryker pulls up to his house, gets out of the truck, and runs over to my side. This man hasn’t left me in over six hours.
Once the ambulance came, they took me in because I was going into shock. Once they got me calmed down, they monitored me for a little while before releasing me.
Ryker didn’t say much, he sat there next to me in the hospital and held my hand, kissing me and just letting me know he was there. When I went to say something, he had held up his hand and told me we would talk when we got home.
Home.
The door opens, and Ryker extends his hand out toward me. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you inside and get some sleep.”
Shaking my head, I look up and meet his eyes. “But we need to talk, Ryker.”
“And we will. But today was a lot to deal with. So, let’s get some sleep and tomorrow you and I can sit down and talk. All right?”
I nod. “Okay.”
When I step out of the truck, Ryker bends down and puts an arm around my back and the other under my knees. He scoops me up and carries me into the house.
“You know I can walk right?” My hands go around his neck, and our eyes meet.
“I know.” Ryker smiles and opens the front door, moving us into the house. He pushes the door closed with his foot and turns to reach for the lock.
We next move into his bedroom, and he sits me on his bed. Ryker bends down, unties my shoes, and removes them. He stands up walks into his closet, returning with a black t-shirt and a gray pair of basketball shorts.
He sets them on the bed and moves to take off the rest of my clothes. Everything he’s doing is slow and tender; caring. He finishes dressing me, his eyes meeting mine for a split second. I blush at the intensity in his gaze.
Ryker leans in and picks me up again, carrying me over to the side of the bed I used to sleep on when I lived here. He pulls the covers back and softly places me in bed before kissing me softly. After he gets dressed in a pair of flannel pants, leaving his chest bare, he slides in next to me.
He pulls me into him so that we’re face to face. My leg moves in between his, and my hands are on his chest. Our eyes lock, and we lay there silently.
No words need to be said right now; he’s right, it can all wait until morning. Right now, we just need each other. We need each other’s touch, comfort, and closeness.
Ryker leans in and kisses my forehead, then my lips. “Sleep, darlin’. You’re safe with me.”
I close my eyes, and in the comfort of the man I love, I let sleep take hold.
* * *
The heat coming from the body under me wakes me up. I slowly open my eyes and find sunlight lighting up the bedroom. I feel a hand caressing my hair, and I look up, meeting the most beautiful eyes with my own.
“Good morning.” Ryker smiles down at me. He shifts himself and rolls onto his side, pulling me into him. “How did you sleep?”
“Honestly? Like a log.” I laugh and flash a genuine smile. My hand comes up and caresses his cheek.