The desperation in her voice nearly guts me. But those words, the words I’ve held off saying, have my heart slamming so hard against my sternum I’m certain it’ll snap it in half. But I don’t care if it does. I never want it to stop beating like this. I’d do fucking anything to keep feeling this way.
I need her. Now.
I start to move off the bed when the nurse slams her hand on my shoulder. “I have one more stitch. And then you’ll have to wait to see if the doctor will release you. You have a lot of bruises from those bullets and you’ll be in a lot of pain. You might want to think about going home with some medication.”
I turn my head and make sure she is looking right into my eyes. I don’t want to have to repeat myself.
“I don’t care about the pain. I’ll endure anything to get to the woman I fucking breathe for. She needs me, and as soon as you’re finished with that last stitch, I’m going to her.”
Her eyes widen slightly, and she steadies the needle against my shoulder. “But the doctor will want—”
“Tell him that I’m not waiting to get discharged. Say I went against orders. I don’t give a shit.” I look at my shoulder and then back at her. “It doesn’t need to be pretty. Just finish it so I can get out of here.”
She gets to it, and I hold Tessa’s phone out to her.
She waves me off with her hand. “No. Take it. You’ll need to call her so you two don’t pass each other on the highway.” She looks down at Nolan and smiles before looking back at me with a saddened expression. “Her message kind of killed me.”
I rest my head back on the bed. “Yeah. It kind of killed me, too.”
The nurse stands and pulls off her gloves after placing a bandage over my stitches. “All finished. I’ll go grab the paperwork you need to sign.”
I’m out of bed before she leaves the room and my speed startles her.
“Uh, you’re not going to stick around and sign anything, are you?”
“Nope.” I turn to Tessa who is scooping up Nolan as the nurse utters something under her breath while leaving the room. “You got him?”
“Yup. Go to her. But please be careful. I’ve suffered enough stress today.”
I give Nolan a kiss before I sprint out of the room and down the long hallway to the stairwell. I’m out the door and running toward my truck that thankfully, Luke had made sure would be here for me when I was released. But it didn’t matter. I’d fucking steal a car at this point to get to her. As soon as the bars register on Tessa’s phone, indicating the reception, I dial Mia’s number.
“Hey, I’m still like an hour and a half out. This traffic is ridiculous! Does nobody work anymore?”
I start up my truck and pull away from the hospital, the sound of her voice sending an ache throughout my entire body. “Baby,” I whisper, my voice a strained plea. I hear her soft gasp, and then her staggered breathing fills my ear.
“Ben,” she says through a soft cry.
My name on her lips blankets the pain I’m feeling right now. The pain that I’ve felt for the past several hours. Hope and pure need flood my senses, and I push my foot down on the gas pedal until it touches the floor.
“Oh, God, babe. I’m so happy to hear your voice. I was so worried.”
“Angel, where are you? I’m getting on 215 right now.”
“I’m on Route 7. Why don’t you just wait there for me? We might pass each other.”
I laugh slightly, my first laugh since yesterday. “There’s no way I’ll let you pass me, baby. Just keep driving to me and I’ll find you.”
She pauses for a beat, and I can almost see her fidgeting through the phone.
“Ben, I have to say it. I can’t go another second without saying it to you.”
Christ, I needed to say it, too. But not like this. Not fucking yet.
“Don’t say it, Mia. I want to be looking into your eyes when I say it to you. And then you can say it back. Okay? Just hang on for me.”
She sniffles several times. “Okay. But you better say it the second you see me or I’m saying it first. I’ve waited long enough for you, Benjamin Kelly. Don’t make me wait anymore.”
I shake my free hand out of the fist that is beginning to permanently set in. Knowing Mia is this close to me feels like having an itch I can’t scratch.
“No more waiting, baby. I promise you that.”
“Good.” She pauses and a muted grunt fills the phone. “Shit, babe. My phone’s about to die. I should get off here in case we completely miss each other and I need to call you. I’m actually betting on that happening.”
“Don’t doubt me, Mia. I’d find you anywhere.”
The possessive hunger in my blood yearns to prove her wrong on this one. She won’t need that phone again. I’m drawn to her like a fucking honing missile.
She laughs slightly. “Yeah, you better.”
I knew I’d run into her on Route 7 somewhere.
It’s the longest stretch of highway that connects Alabama and Georgia. I’m only looking out for one vehicle across the grass covered median that separates east and west bound. And as soon as that cherry red Jeep comes into my line of sight, I feel like someone plugs me into an outlet.
My entire body stiffens in anticipation as I cross the three lanes and drive my truck across the median. My back end fishtails several times given the speed I take it at, but it doesn’t slow me down. I drive toward the direction of the traffic, still in the median, and the red Jeep darts
