EPILOGUE
One week later…
Reed remembered the pain. It had been excruciating, the worst he’d ever felt. He’d thought dying would have been worse, but it wasn’t. No, nothing could be worse. A thousand elephants stomped on him, crushing him. The darkness from it engulfed and choked him. When he thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. Nonetheless, just when he thought he was lost to the darkness the pain, a warm hand, a soothing voice pulled him back.
Denver.
The pain subsided and he felt her breath on his skin, her warmth, her touch and her energy. He heard her voice as she whispered his name, calling him back.
The darkness receded and he inhaled and she was there. He attempted to speak, call out to her to let her know he was okay but the fatigue overwhelmed him. He didn’t have enough energy to even open his eyes. But he knew she was there, holding on to him by a thin thread, whatever she could find to keep him on this side of heaven.
When he moved, the pain returned and he moaned, only to feel her gentle touch as her hand stroked alongside his face, across his chest. He heard her weep, felt her tears drip to his face as he slipped back toward the darkness.
“Shh, baby. Don’t cry.” He coughed, swallowed.
His throat was as dry as the desert. He opened his eyes and the light, even though it wasn’t bright, sent a shard of pain through his head. He squelched his eyes shut, counted to ten, and opened them again, first the right, then just as slowly the left.
The room came into view, the fog lifted and he stared into Denver’s shining eyes. Thank you, Jesus. When he opened his eyes, she was there, his familiar, his heart. But how? When? Confusion swarmed around him. He had no recollection of time, day or place. The only thing he was sure of, the darkness and coldness were gone. He inhaled and captured her scent, the fresh earthy, womanly scent that was all hers and no one else.
“Hey you.” Her voice washed over him like a balm on a cut. And when she smiled it was heaven. “How are you feeling?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Missed you.” He reached up to touch her face and she grasped his hand and brought it to her mouth. She pressed her lips against his palm. More tears dripped from her eyes. “You’ve got to stop crying, babe. It’s okay. I’m okay.”
She nodded and tilted the corners of her mouth into a subtle smile. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, baby. I’m alive and I woke up in your arms. I couldn’t ask for anything else.” He tried to sit up and was greeted by stiffened muscles. “Ouch.” He gritted against the discomfort and allowed her to help him. He swung his legs to the side of the bed as his eyes scanned the room. It wasn’t familiar.
“Where are we?”
“Prague.” She laughed when he quirked an eyebrow. “No, silly, actually we’re somewhere in the Adirondacks. Maggie set it up. I think it’s one of his homes.”
“How’d we get here? How long was I out?”
“Too long. You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
She waved off his apology. “You think you can stand?”
“I’ll try.” Denver grabbed his arm, swung it across her shoulder and pulled him to stand. He wavered and flopped back onto the bed.
“Give me a minute.” He sucked in a breath, blew it out. “Is it supposed to be like this?”
“I don’t know.”
He pushed up, took a tentative step and then another. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins, weakened muscles strengthened, synapses fired. He swung around, dragging her with him.
“That sonofabitch. What happened to Schemellie?” He hadn’t had the pleasure of killing him. He didn’t even get the chance to bring him to justice. Disgust choked him, made his stomach waver.
“It’s okay.” She read his emotions, understood. “Maggie said the last he saw of him he was blowing his wife’s head off, screaming she was one of us now. He then killed himself. He’ll burn in hell now, next to her, and Laura and your family will rest in peace. Such a fitting end to his madness.”
“You know, Magnimus didn’t turn her. It was only a simple bite.” Loud boisterous laughter erupted from his belly. It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be alive. “What now?” He turned her to face him. “You missed it all.”
“Sorry. Maggie told me you were magnificent, beautiful.”
“Think it’ll happen again?”
“Only time will tell and we have forever to figure it out.”
He allowed the smile to curve the corners of his mouth right before she leaped up into his arms and knocked him back to the bed.
“Oh, yeah.” Denver moaned when Reed sunk his incisors into the crook of her neck and suckled. “We’ve got forever.”