Chapter 41

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Ingrid sat on the hospital bed. Glen let her cradle his hand in her lap because it hurt to fucking breathe and he had no problem letting her touch him for both of them.

"The doctor is going to move you up to the fourth floor to a regular room in the morning." She stroked the back of his fingers. "All the monitors will come off you."

"Good." He looked into her tired eyes. "What time is it?"

She looked up and then over her shoulder. "A little after four o'clock in the afternoon."

"Friday?"

"No. Wednesday. You've been here three days." Her throat muscles constricted. "Your, um, parents had to take care of things at home but will be back this evening before visiting hours are over. They haven't left your side. They love you so much."

"You need to rest." His dry mouth made talking hard.

Ingrid let go of his hand, picked up the cup of water off the bedside tray, and manipulated the straw to his mouth. "Just a sip."

Sweet, wet relief came at the first drop of water. He rubbed his lips together. "Have you left the hospital?"

She shook her head and placed the cup back on the tray. "I don't want to leave you. The nurses have let me sleep in the waiting room. Considering the other places I've slept in the past, it's pretty comfortable."

Even exhausted and probably hungry, she tried to lighten the situation. He squeezed her hand. "Kiss me."

"I'll hurt you."

"I'm hurting if you don't kiss me," he said.

She stood, leaned over him, and hesitated. "You're sure?"

"Don't make me kiss you first because I will."

She lowered her head, and her lips softly skimmed his. He curled his fingers, wishing it didn't hurt like hell to lift his arms because he'd catch her and kiss her the way he wanted to be kissed.

"Deeper," he said against her lips.

She opened her mouth, slowing down, and there it was. That little hesitation wanting him to take over. He dipped his tongue in her mouth, and she sucked softly. That was it. There was nothing wrong with his tongue, his fucking cock, or Ingrid.

She pulled back gently with another soft kiss. He looked into her eyes and whispered, "Love you, Blue. I haven't told you that, but I do."

Her shoulders rolled forward and her eyes...damned if he couldn't see how much the words meant to her.

"I love you, too," she whispered back. "So, much."

The door to his hospital room opened. Ingrid straightened beside the bed, and he patted her leg before she could move away. "Sit back down. You're not going anywhere."

Wayne, Chuck, and Thad strolled in. He remembered seeing them yesterday standing over his bed. High on pain medicine, everything had seemed like a dream. Today was the first time he'd put together what happened inside the old Police Academy with Evan Kingsley.

Wayne stood at the end of the bed. "He looks better."

Thad walked behind Wayne and planted himself on the other side of the bed. "Nah, he still looks like shit."

Chuck joined Ingrid beside Glen, and muttered, "Ugly fucker in and out of bed."

"Do you think I give a shit what you guys think after going back on my favor?" Glen looked into Wayne's eyes. Fuck, if he'd do the same thing if the positions were reversed. He'd go to hell and back for each one of them.

"We got the official word last night that each one of us has been cleared of Kingsley's death. I told Gomez I'd pass the information along to you. He mentioned he'd stopped by yesterday to tell you, but you were sleeping. Apparently, whatever you said after your surgery convinced the detective that Kingsley shot you first." Wayne cleared his throat and looked at Ingrid.

Ingrid sat on the bed gently at Glen's hip without jostling him. "It's okay. You can talk."

"Appreciate it." Wayne put his attention back on Glen. "They matched the bullets that hit Kingsley and because it was —"

"I know which gun they came from." Glen inhaled, wincing at the discomfort.

Nobody needed to tell him he'd killed Kingsley. It was too important for him to protect Ingrid for him to miss. Blinded by the light or not, he'd emptied his pistol and knew damn well that at least one of the bullets took Evan's life.

"So, we're good with the P.D.?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks to the bullets the doctor picked out of your body." Wayne leaned forward and braced his hands on the footboard of the bed. "I also notified the union about why you're away from work. They expect a call as soon as you're able. Once they hear from you, you'll have six weeks of off-job disability you can collect that should see you through."

He closed his eyes. Notus had taken care of everything. "Yeah, I'll do that."

Ingrid stroked his hand. The others quietly talked. He'd walked into the building expecting to kill Kingsley and be arrested. Seven to ten years in prison, knowing Ingrid was safe was worth the hell that he would've gone through in the penitentiary.

He couldn't open his eyes. The damn pain pills already starting to kick his ass.

"What about Officer Kingsley?" he said, wondering if he slurred or only thought he asked the question.

"He's taking a leave of absence from the department." Thad's voice came in his ear. "They found some stuff in Evan's apartment after they obtained a search warrant that verified Evan's intent toward Ingrid and also gave them insight into what he had planned for her after he killed you."

Ingrid's hand stilled in his. He struggled to open his eyes. Only his need to comfort her made it possible to overpower the drugs in his body. She stared at him without saying a word.

"It's okay, Blue." He licked his lips and gave up fighting to stay alert. "It's over."

His body relaxed, and the others continued talking. He only perked up at Ingrid's voice when she said, "No, I'm staying here. But, can one of you go to his house and take care of Daisy? That's the cat. She's inside and needs to be let outside. You can feed her on the deck, then leave her out. She'll be fine. She's done running away."

Damn right, the cat wouldn't run away. Either would Ingrid. He planned to keep what belonged to him. Damned or not, living without her was impossible.