Better than on her. Maylin was grateful for small blessings.
“You know the problem with the kind of life we lead?” Jewel continued. “We’re not patient. And if we happen to fall in love, the people we fall in love with aren’t either. It’s not a common enough virtue. There’s too many other priorities out there. And we find ourselves having to choose. But you. You kept your focus through this and you’re loyal to a fault. You belong with them, with him.”
How...? Maylin opened her mouth to ask but Jewel hushed her.
“Nope. Don’t want to hear you talk. You might be headstrong enough to be good for him. Maybe. If you don’t get yourself killed first.” Jewel’s gun hand steadied and the musing expression wiped away from her face until there was nothing at all. “Me and him, we butt heads, but in a bad way. You, you’re better for him, and I’d have to scratch out my eyes not to see it. The problem with the both of you is tunnel vision. You only see what’s in front of you. It’s too simple. You want to do real good? Learn to notice the other things.”
Fear pinned Maylin down as she stared back up at death. Not too melodramatic, not when Jewel looked as cold-blooded as she did. The word was meant for Jewel when she looked like this. Then Maylin couldn’t look at her face anymore, not when she could only stare at the woman’s finger as it tightened on the trigger.
Another loud click.
“Good. Don’t ever close your eyes when there’s a chance to get away. I like that about you.” Jewel stepped away from her. “You keep that stubborn streak and stay with him. Give him what he deserves.” She turned then and disappeared down the corridor, past the kitchen and right into Gabe’s room.
Maylin wanted to have the courage to go after her, see where she was going. But her practical mind told her it’d be stupid. And the part of her that was truthful admitted she was too frightened to do it. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Because twice there, she’d thought she was about to die.
People came in the front door then and crowded around her. Caleb was there, and others, moving to secure the building and asking her if she was hurt. She was in shock, they were telling her. And yes, she was. But she was busy remembering what Jewel had said. Because it was important.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“She’s waking up.”
“Come see me when you’re done here.”
“Roger that.”
The voices echoed inside her head, low rumbles at different pitches. She struggled to wake faster, working to draw in more air and shrug off the heavy sleep. She wanted to hear one of those voices more. Wanted to talk. There was something important she had to tell it. Him.
Gabe.
“Easy there.” His voice flowed over her, his tone gentle tinged with worry.
He shouldn’t worry.
“Ah, but I do.” His lips brushed hers. Perhaps she’d spoken aloud. Or he’d gotten to the point where he could read her mind.
“I’d rather keep speaking out loud. Where’s An-mei?” Her throat constricted at the end and she coughed once, twice. A previously faint ache in her skull quickly escalated into a painful throb.
“Nearby, but let’s get some water in you first.” Gabe sounded amenable.
Suspicious, she cracked open her eyes. There he was, leaning over her, hale and whole and not a dream. And he was holding a glass of water.
She let her heavy eyelids fall, and she sighed as relief flowed through her. This had turned out much better than she’d been thinking it might not too long ago, however long that was. In any number of scenarios she’d thought it’d be her standing at the bedside with a glass of water and Gabe in the hospital bed.
“Want help sitting up?” The note of worry in his words had gotten stronger.
Careful of the throbbing headache, she nodded slightly.
There was the sound of a click and the bed started to adjust, the top half elevating gradually until she was in a sitting position.
She opened her eyes again and he stood there grinning, all sorts of proud of himself for having pushed a button. Smiling, she reached out and ran her fingertips over the button controls so she could do it herself later. If it was that easy, there was no reason she couldn’t do it on her own.
He handed her the water, holding the glass until she had her hands wrapped around it. She took a sip, then another, and her throat eased from its dried-up and scratchy state.
“I’ve only been gone forty-eight hours, but you managed to get yourself knocked in the head again since I left.” He reached out and touched her forehead. There was a tender spot, probably a decent-sized lump. “Did Jewel hit you?”
“No.” Maylin leaned her head into his touch and he curved his hand over her cheek. “My head hit the floor when she tripped me is all. Actually, she could have done a lot worse to me.”