Read Online Shades of Deception by Amanda Meadows - Free Book Online Page B

safe eyes and felt a pinch in her arm. She could feel the medicine traveling up her arm, warming her, making her feel sleepy. Those green eyes. She could swim in them forever.
    “You can close your eyes if you want. I'm not going anywhere.”
    Amber shook her head. She needed to see him, needed to know that she was not going to wake up alone in the shed.
    At last, the ambulance stopped and the doors swung open. Everything else after that was a blur. There were ceiling tiles flashing by overhead as Hunter gripped her hand. The lights. Oh, the lights were so bright. And everything was finally so warm. But there were scary things too. Police officers and badges. But the doctors pushed those people away. Hunter?
    “Hunter?” she croaked, her voice desperate.
    “Let us check you out first, sweetie,” a soothing voice said somewhere above her head.
    “We'll let him back in later. I promise.”
    Someone was dabbing at her face while another person pulled away the remaining plastic on her body. She closed her eyes. So tired. She found she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
    The next time she looked, the bright lights were gone. She was lying on a hospital bed and Hunter was sitting in a chair, holding her hand. The room was softly lit.
    She stared at him in wonder. He had fallen asleep with his head on her lap.
    She tried to move her free hand, but it was stiff and attached to something. She looked up and saw that her arm was connected to an IV. She tried to speak, but her throat was still raw. She stared at Hunter's face until she fell asleep again.
    Another time she woke and Hunter held her hand while she answered questions from a police officer. At one point, she remembered sobbing and a nurse giving her medicine to help her sleep. Then everything had grown soft and fuzzy before she fell asleep again.
     

Chapter 11
     
    It was morning when she woke again. The IV was gone, but there was a Styrofoam cup on a table by her bed. She vaguely remembered a nurse helping her take sips of juice from it earlier. Hunter was gone. Had she simply imagined him in the night?
    She heard a soft click and the door to her room opened. Hunter appeared with a large vase of flowers. He put them on a side table.
    “Hey, gorgeous,” he said softly. “How do you feel?”
    “I love you,” Amber whispered. “When I was . . . all alone, I kept thinking that I never told you.”
    “Oh, baby! I love you, too!”
    Hunter leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. Were those tears in his eyes?
    “When I found out that you were missing, I thought I was going to go insane.”
    “I don't understand . . .” Amber started to say when there was a knock on the door.
    She looked up to see Caleb and Megan with their faces pressed against the window.
    “If you feel up to it, baby, they really want to see you,” Hunter said, squeezing her hand gently.
    “They've been here since we brought you in.”
    Amber nodded. “It's okay. I'd like to see them.”
    Hunter gave a thumbs up and Caleb and Megan tumbled into the room. 
    “Amber, are you really okay? We've been so worried.”
    Megan and Caleb gave her gentle hugs.
    Amber tried to sit up in the bed. “I'm a little achy. But other than that, I feel okay. I'm wondering if they would let me eat something.”
    Hunter reached over and pressed a call button for the nurse.
    “That should be easy enough to take care of.” 
    Amber studied her friends. “I still don't understand how you guys found me.”
    Hunter leaned over anxiously. “You don't have to talk about this now, baby.”
    Amber gave him a wan smile. “It's okay, really. Talking about it means that I won't simply be wondering.”
    Hunter looked doubtful. But he scooted his chair closer to her and took her hand.
    “In that case, Caleb and Megan should start with their end of the story.”
    The nurse entered and motioned everyone aside. “What can I get for you, sweetie?”
    “Is it okay if I eat?” Amber said. “I'm