look in his face. She’d never worried about him like this before. She’d never seen him injured, or at least not severely. It was devastating to her. She glanced back at Sophie and wondered if she was as distressed.
“Do you think he’ll wake soon?” Sophie asked Elise, as if she had all the answers.
Elise brushed the stubborn hairs from his brow again. “I don’t know.”
His eyes fluttered at her touch. Excited, she stroked a hand over his face again. This time his eyes came open.
“Oh, Gabriel, thank God,” she murmured.
He blinked several times trying to get his bearings. Finally, his gaze settled onto Elise. Licking his lips, he tried to speak.
She quickly grabbed the water cup on the side table and set the straw at his lips. He took a few sips and nodded his thanks. His gaze then went to Sophie, who stood still at the end of the bed.
“Hey, boss,” she said.
“Did you—” his voice came out dry and cracked “—find out what happened?”
She nodded. “It definitely wasn’t an accident. Someone tampered with the wiring that held up the lights and ceiling panels.”
He nodded. “I thought so.”
Elise looked from Sophie to Gabriel. “Are you saying that accident was meant for me?”
“Yes.”
She sat back in the chair, anger and remorse surging through her. Angry that someone would do this and remorseful that Gabriel had been the one injured in a trap meant for her. “I can’t believe this.” Elise shook her head.
Sophie took that moment to finally lay her hand on Gabriel’s foot. “Are you all right, Gabe?”
“I will be. I just need to shift.” He lifted his hand and touched the side of his head, where a huge black bruise had started to form along his temple and up under his hairline. “It’s only a bump on the head.”
Sophie smiled at him, and Elise felt she was spying on them.
But before she could stand up and give them some privacy another person bounded into the room. It was a male someone, and a vampire to boot. Grinning, he came up behind Sophie and wrapped his arms around her.
“Hey, Gabe, good to see you awake.”
Sophie covered his hands with hers and she lit up like someone had turned on the light inside her body.
“We missed you,” the vampire went on.
“Yeah, I bet,” Gabriel said with affection.
The vampire glanced at Elise, and his eyes widened as if truly noticing her for the first time. He leaned past Sophie, without letting go of her, Elise noticed, and offered his hand. “I’m Kellen Falcon. I’m really pleased to meet you, Ms. Leroy.”
She shook his hand. “Elise, please.”
He nodded and went back to hugging Sophie.
Elise let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and, leaning forward, grabbed Gabriel’s hand.
He looked down at their joined hands curiously, then up at her. “Did I miss something?”
“Just the last three hours.” She gave him a half smile. “Can’t a girl thank the man that saved her life?”
“It’s my j—”
She put her fingers over his lips to silence him. She shook her head, tears still threatening to fall. “Don’t you dare say it.”
Someone, either Sophie or Kellen, cleared their throat. “We’re going to go,” Sophie said. “I’ll come back when they’re ready to release you, boss.”
“I’ll be out in a couple of hours.”
Sophie nodded and, hand in hand with Kellen, left the hospital room.
“I think you should stay a little longer and make sure you’re okay,” Elise suggested. “Your leg is pretty ripped up.”
Gabriel was already in the process of sitting up. “I don’t need to stay. I just need to get out and shift and go for a run. I’ll heal better that way.”
“You’re very stubborn.”
“Me? I’m stubborn? Woman, you wrote the book on obstinacy.”
“I’m just determined, is all.”
He shook his head. “The all is, because of this, you need to shut down filming and get out of town for a bit.”
“I’m not going to hide.”
“Elise, this isn’t some silly love letter you’ve
“Do you think he’ll wake soon?” Sophie asked Elise, as if she had all the answers.
Elise brushed the stubborn hairs from his brow again. “I don’t know.”
His eyes fluttered at her touch. Excited, she stroked a hand over his face again. This time his eyes came open.
“Oh, Gabriel, thank God,” she murmured.
He blinked several times trying to get his bearings. Finally, his gaze settled onto Elise. Licking his lips, he tried to speak.
She quickly grabbed the water cup on the side table and set the straw at his lips. He took a few sips and nodded his thanks. His gaze then went to Sophie, who stood still at the end of the bed.
“Hey, boss,” she said.
“Did you—” his voice came out dry and cracked “—find out what happened?”
She nodded. “It definitely wasn’t an accident. Someone tampered with the wiring that held up the lights and ceiling panels.”
He nodded. “I thought so.”
Elise looked from Sophie to Gabriel. “Are you saying that accident was meant for me?”
“Yes.”
She sat back in the chair, anger and remorse surging through her. Angry that someone would do this and remorseful that Gabriel had been the one injured in a trap meant for her. “I can’t believe this.” Elise shook her head.
Sophie took that moment to finally lay her hand on Gabriel’s foot. “Are you all right, Gabe?”
“I will be. I just need to shift.” He lifted his hand and touched the side of his head, where a huge black bruise had started to form along his temple and up under his hairline. “It’s only a bump on the head.”
Sophie smiled at him, and Elise felt she was spying on them.
But before she could stand up and give them some privacy another person bounded into the room. It was a male someone, and a vampire to boot. Grinning, he came up behind Sophie and wrapped his arms around her.
“Hey, Gabe, good to see you awake.”
Sophie covered his hands with hers and she lit up like someone had turned on the light inside her body.
“We missed you,” the vampire went on.
“Yeah, I bet,” Gabriel said with affection.
The vampire glanced at Elise, and his eyes widened as if truly noticing her for the first time. He leaned past Sophie, without letting go of her, Elise noticed, and offered his hand. “I’m Kellen Falcon. I’m really pleased to meet you, Ms. Leroy.”
She shook his hand. “Elise, please.”
He nodded and went back to hugging Sophie.
Elise let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and, leaning forward, grabbed Gabriel’s hand.
He looked down at their joined hands curiously, then up at her. “Did I miss something?”
“Just the last three hours.” She gave him a half smile. “Can’t a girl thank the man that saved her life?”
“It’s my j—”
She put her fingers over his lips to silence him. She shook her head, tears still threatening to fall. “Don’t you dare say it.”
Someone, either Sophie or Kellen, cleared their throat. “We’re going to go,” Sophie said. “I’ll come back when they’re ready to release you, boss.”
“I’ll be out in a couple of hours.”
Sophie nodded and, hand in hand with Kellen, left the hospital room.
“I think you should stay a little longer and make sure you’re okay,” Elise suggested. “Your leg is pretty ripped up.”
Gabriel was already in the process of sitting up. “I don’t need to stay. I just need to get out and shift and go for a run. I’ll heal better that way.”
“You’re very stubborn.”
“Me? I’m stubborn? Woman, you wrote the book on obstinacy.”
“I’m just determined, is all.”
He shook his head. “The all is, because of this, you need to shut down filming and get out of town for a bit.”
“I’m not going to hide.”
“Elise, this isn’t some silly love letter you’ve
Similar Books
