Page 80 of Jase

“Jase, I’m serious; I can’t find her pulse. Put her down.”

Her pulse?

I lowered her body to the floor, replacing my fingers with his. Terror rolled through as I tried to focus and find a beat. Her lips were turning blue, and she was getting even more ghostly by the second.

“Fuck, she’s not breathing.”

“Hillary, find out for me who took up Mr. Colter’s food tonight. I want a name as fast as possible.”

As Miranda talked, her voice faded out. Sirens. I could hear them as I went down, breathing into Kody’s mouth. When I rose, Rian went right into chest compressions.

“Come on, baby. Kody, come back.Come on.”

I lowered, pinching her nose and breathing into her again. One breath. Two.

“Kody. Fight. Fight, dammit.”

Her body swayed with Rian’s movements. Time passed. Another set of breaths. Reality slowed. Nothing seemed real. I didn’t want it to be. I wanted to be back in the bathroom, bathing her. Kissing her. Loving her in every way possible. But I hadn’t stayed. I’d ran. I’d left her on her own. Sure, I wanted to find these sons of bitches who were behind this, but hadn’t I just promised I’d put her first? Hadn’t I made her promise that to me right in front of Rian, too?

A broken-up breath had my eyes flaring open. She coughed, her head rolling to the side.

“Oh, thank God. Hold on, baby. Stay with me.”

Boots pounded into the floor. I looked up watching everyone make room as the paramedics came through. I quickly turned to Rian, trying to hide my fury as I leaned in.

“You have your gun on you?”

“Always.”

“Play stupid on the food and poison. Go upstairs and sweep my apartment. I didn’t set the alarm when I ran out. Set it when you leave. And send me that fucking footage from Miranda the moment she has it. Stay with her. Make sure no one gets to her first. If he’s not here now, he was long enough to see you leave the elevator. Call Rush. Have him be on guard.”

“You got it.”

“Rian?” I stepped back as the paramedics took over with Kody. “Be absolutely aware of everything. Trust no one. One wrong move, blow their fucking brains out.” I stopped, fisting his shirt to pull him closer. “Better yet, hold them for me. They’ll wish they never tried to hurt what’s mine.”

Chapter 28

Kody

Beep-Beep.

Beep……Beep.

Beeeeeeeeep.

“Shit. We lost it. Move. Move!”Darkness…“Clear.”

Shuffling. Silence. Sweet silence.

“Kody? Kody, don’t you dare fucking leave me. Kody, fight. Fight!”

“Sir, you have to move.”

“Baby, I’m right here. Kody, please. Please.”

I knew that voice. Jase. Why did he sound so far away? So…agonizingly desperate?

“Come on, baby. Fight, dammit!”