“She’s getting you painkillers; she’ll be back soon.”
“Not morphine,” I said. “I hate that stuff, it makes me feel sick. I don’t take to it well. A little bit of it and I’ll be drowsy for hours.”
Anderson nodded, slowly.
“Try to relax,” he soothed, his thumb moving back and forth across my wrist. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you things from your past that could upset you . . . the doctor said information like this is overwhelming and could harm you, but you had a right to know, baby. It’s only been the two of us . . . now they want to keep you away from me. My own wife.”
My head was hurting, but through the fog of pain I could hear the anger in Anderson’s tone, and to an extent I could understand it. He felt ambushed by Elliot and my family, who had apparently not been in my life for the last few years. Some of this new information was clearly among the things that Elliot had decided to keep from me for my own good. I couldn’t lie, I was somewhat angry at him for leaving out that I’d jumped into a brand-new relationship not long after I left him.
That was something I’d needed to fucking know.
“I’ll hold off on visiting you again for a while.” Anderson gained my attention once more. “The doctor wants me to wait until your mind is stronger to merge our lives back together, but your family, and him, are making things difficult, so I want you to memorise my number and our home address. When you learn the things that are being kept from you, you can come to me. You’ll be safe with me and I’ll be honest with you . . . like I always have.”
I groaned. “What things?”
“You’ll learn,” he answered gruffly. “Your parents, and him, will fill in the blanks for you.”
I felt like the years I couldn’t remember had been lived by a stranger inside my body, because the things that I had done, the decisions that I had made, were just not things that I could imagine doing in my current frame of mind. I couldn’t believe that I had done the things people had told me about and I found myself wishing it was all a big lie or a horrible nightmare, but I knew it wasn’t. This was my life now . . . and I somehow had to figure it out without making any more dire mistakes.
“Anderson,” I said, licking my lips. “This is really a lot for me to deal with.”
His anger suddenly vanished, and an expression filled with concern came over his features.
“I know, baby,” he murmured. “But I’m going to help you get through this, okay?”
I didn’t want his help, but how could I turn him away? The man was innocent in all of this; he’d done nothing wrong other than love and marry me. It wasn’t his fault I was in an accident and had lost my memory.
“Okay,” I answered, my eyes feeling heavy.
We spent a few minutes with him telling me his phone number and home address, and when I could say them by heart he gave me a smile. I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer and allowed them to drift shut.
“You’re mine, Noah,” his voice whispered. “I’ll not let them take you away from me.”
I hummed in response – not really hearing his words, only the sound of his voice, which was soothing in that moment.
“Sleep,” Anderson said softly. “This will all be over soon.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ELLIOT
“Well, slap my arse and call me Daisy! Irish is here!”
I heard shouts, laughter and whoops from all corners of the station as Pretty jumped to his feet and crossed the common room. He embraced me in a hug and patted the hell out of my back. I stepped back and grinned as he scowled at me.
“You’re not allowed around my wife.” He roughly shoved my chest, sending me stumbling backwards. “She thinks you’re ‘ruggedly handsome’ without your ten-inch homeless-man beard. Why’d you have to go and get all groomed?”
I snorted. “Noah’s orders.”
“Her word was always law with you.” His lips twitched. “How is she doing?”
“She’s getting there, she’s on the mend.”
I didn’t mention about her collapsing the day before, because I was still reeling from the shock of it. Explaining it to my friends would be like reliving it all over again, and I was doing my best not to think about it.
I smiled when my other buddies filed into the room. Tank, Stitch and Texas were walking behind AJ, laughing at something he’d said. I got fist bumps and manly hugs with a lot of back-patting before everyone took a seat.
“How’s the watch goin’?” I asked.
“Not a peep so far,” Pretty answered. “I never really want the siren to go off because I don’t want people hurt or worse, but days like this drag.”
Tank rolled his eyes. “Hit the gym with me then. You don’t have to sit on your arse.”
“I’m not working out with you,” Pretty grunted. “I nearly died the last time. Not everyone can lift what you can, you fucking mountain.”
I looked between them, grinning. The banter between my friends was one of the reasons coming to work on days that were rough were worth it. I had known these guys for years, and they were truly a good group of men even though no insult was too far for them when it came to giving me stick.
“Frenchie, Wilds, Tune, Pops and Boyo are out in the drill yard. If you don’t want to go join them, you can help me clean the kitchen and maintain some equipment when Irish leaves,” Stitch piped up, his rank as watch manager clear. “You’ll become a part of the sofa otherwise at this rate, mate.”
Pretty made the motion with his hand to suggest he thought Stitch
