whisper. “Please. Let him go.”
“Faith told you not to butt into my life.” He drove the gun harder into Nick’s head, drawing a moan from Nick that tore at Sam. “You should’ve listened to her.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Sam said. “I’m the one you want. Let him go, and take me.”
Nick let out a low growl and fought against Darius’s hold.
It all happened so fast. One minute Sam was pleading with Darius. In the next instant, the gun fired and Nick went down. She ran for him, screaming his name, but something held her back, keeping her from him. Sam struggled against the arms that held her tight.
“Babe, wake up. You’re dreaming.” His lips moved on her face as sobs shook her body.
The sheer, overwhelming relief at realizing it had been a terrible dream left her weak and clinging to him.
“Shhh,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
She breathed in his scent, letting the beat of his heart calm and comfort her.
“Want to talk about it?”
Shaking her head, she drew in another deep breath as the implications spiraled through her mind. In all the months since the crack house shooting, the dream had never changed. Until now. What did it mean?
During the course of her career, she’d been threatened plenty of times. Never once had a threat caused her to back down from an investigation. But she’d never had quite so much to lose. What if someone seriously threatened Nick’s life? What would she do?
Nick combed his fingers through her hair.
She nuzzled his chest and kissed his throat. The images from the dream kept running through her mind, making her shudder.
As he tightened his arms around her, Sam realized there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do to ensure his safety—including back off an investigation if it came to that.
“Just a dream, babe,” he said, massaging her shoulders.
“Yeah.” Except , she thought, it wasn’t just a dream . It was her greatest nightmare .
“Will you be able to go back to sleep?”
She nodded, telling him what he needed to hear so he would get some sleep. His insomnia had been bad lately as the campaign and wedding compounded his stress.
“Sure you don’t want to tell me about it?”
“Same old dream. You know the one.”
“Hasn’t happened in a while. What brought that on?”
“We were talking about the Johnson case today. Probably stirred it up.”
“I’m sorry you have to carry that horrible memory with you.”
Sam shrugged. “Goes with the territory.” Anxious to change the subject, she tilted her head back and kissed him. “Sorry I woke you.”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“Nick… Will you take a pill? Please? You can’t go another night without sleep.”
“I’m okay.”
She ran her hand from her chest to his belly. “I need you very well rested for this weekend.”
Laughing softly, he stopped her hand before it could go any lower. “And I need you well rested.” He linked their fingers and brought their joined hands to his chest.
“I will if you will.”
He rolled to his side and drew her in closer to him. “You got it.”
Sam took a deep breath and closed her eyes tight against the image of Gardner holding that gun to Nick’s head. A tremble rippled through her body. She blinked back tears, knowing if she broke down he’d never get the sleep he so desperately needed.
“I hate how you suffer over that job.”
“I’m all right, Nick. Really. I want you to sleep.”
“And I love how you care more about me than you do about yourself.”
Sam gripped his hand. “Always will.” Lying there in the dark, Sam vowed to nail Darius Gardner to the wall. She would get him before he could harm anyone else. And once she had him, she’d make sure he never saw the light of day again.
Chapter 6
Sam didn’t go back to sleep. She waited until she was sure she wouldn’t wake Nick before she eased herself out of his embrace and got up. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was just after three. Great , she thought.
“Faith told you not to butt into my life.” He drove the gun harder into Nick’s head, drawing a moan from Nick that tore at Sam. “You should’ve listened to her.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Sam said. “I’m the one you want. Let him go, and take me.”
Nick let out a low growl and fought against Darius’s hold.
It all happened so fast. One minute Sam was pleading with Darius. In the next instant, the gun fired and Nick went down. She ran for him, screaming his name, but something held her back, keeping her from him. Sam struggled against the arms that held her tight.
“Babe, wake up. You’re dreaming.” His lips moved on her face as sobs shook her body.
The sheer, overwhelming relief at realizing it had been a terrible dream left her weak and clinging to him.
“Shhh,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
She breathed in his scent, letting the beat of his heart calm and comfort her.
“Want to talk about it?”
Shaking her head, she drew in another deep breath as the implications spiraled through her mind. In all the months since the crack house shooting, the dream had never changed. Until now. What did it mean?
During the course of her career, she’d been threatened plenty of times. Never once had a threat caused her to back down from an investigation. But she’d never had quite so much to lose. What if someone seriously threatened Nick’s life? What would she do?
Nick combed his fingers through her hair.
She nuzzled his chest and kissed his throat. The images from the dream kept running through her mind, making her shudder.
As he tightened his arms around her, Sam realized there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do to ensure his safety—including back off an investigation if it came to that.
“Just a dream, babe,” he said, massaging her shoulders.
“Yeah.” Except , she thought, it wasn’t just a dream . It was her greatest nightmare .
“Will you be able to go back to sleep?”
She nodded, telling him what he needed to hear so he would get some sleep. His insomnia had been bad lately as the campaign and wedding compounded his stress.
“Sure you don’t want to tell me about it?”
“Same old dream. You know the one.”
“Hasn’t happened in a while. What brought that on?”
“We were talking about the Johnson case today. Probably stirred it up.”
“I’m sorry you have to carry that horrible memory with you.”
Sam shrugged. “Goes with the territory.” Anxious to change the subject, she tilted her head back and kissed him. “Sorry I woke you.”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“Nick… Will you take a pill? Please? You can’t go another night without sleep.”
“I’m okay.”
She ran her hand from her chest to his belly. “I need you very well rested for this weekend.”
Laughing softly, he stopped her hand before it could go any lower. “And I need you well rested.” He linked their fingers and brought their joined hands to his chest.
“I will if you will.”
He rolled to his side and drew her in closer to him. “You got it.”
Sam took a deep breath and closed her eyes tight against the image of Gardner holding that gun to Nick’s head. A tremble rippled through her body. She blinked back tears, knowing if she broke down he’d never get the sleep he so desperately needed.
“I hate how you suffer over that job.”
“I’m all right, Nick. Really. I want you to sleep.”
“And I love how you care more about me than you do about yourself.”
Sam gripped his hand. “Always will.” Lying there in the dark, Sam vowed to nail Darius Gardner to the wall. She would get him before he could harm anyone else. And once she had him, she’d make sure he never saw the light of day again.
Chapter 6
Sam didn’t go back to sleep. She waited until she was sure she wouldn’t wake Nick before she eased herself out of his embrace and got up. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was just after three. Great , she thought.
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