Chapter 27

After her chat with Judy, she ended the call and moved to sit next to him. “They’ll be here tomorrow. It’s too late for them to find a babysitter for Chrissy tonight. But they’re thrilled that you’re awake.

“Honestly, I’m relieved they’re not coming. I want you all to myself.” She traced her fingers over his cheek. “I was so scared for you. I thought I was going to lose you.”

“Come lay next to me. Let me hold you.”

She slid in next to him, hoping they wouldn’t get caught. Lying on her side, she draped her arm over his stomach, her head resting on the pillow, and she looked at him.

“Are you really happy about the baby?”

He turned his head to meet her gaze. She looked so worn out. He knew the past few days must have been tough on her.

“If I wasn’t stuck in this bed, I’d be lifting you up and twirling you around. I want this baby very much. So yes, I’m incredibly happy.”

He took her hand. “Kiera, I love you. Will you marry me?”

She sat up to get a better look at him. “Kyle, are you seriously proposing to me now? Here in your hospital bed?”

A sleepy grin spread across his face. “I know this isn’t very romantic. I should do it in a more romantic setting. I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now, and I can’t wait any longer.”

“You’re not just asking because of the baby, are you?”

“Darling, you know how I feel about you. You being pregnant has nothing to do with me asking you. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should wait until I can propose to you properly.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling at him.

“You will?” he asked, taking her hand in his.

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answered. Leaning over him, she kissed him.

After talking for a while, they both finally drifted off to sleep. Being beside him in bed, she was able to sleep right through the night.

Judy showed up the next day with more fresh clothes for Kiera to change into. She burst into tears when she saw Kyle. “You big dumb jerk. What were you thinking getting yourself shot like that?”

“I love you too, sis.”

She gave him a kiss and wiped her tears away. “Roy will be here soon, and Chrissy drew you a picture. She wanted to come, but I thought it was too soon. It might scare her, seeing you like this.”

He took the picture and smiled. “I take it this is me and Kiera. But what is this in my arms?”

“That’s mittens, you goof. Make sure you don’t let on to Chrissy that you didn’t know that. She’ll be crushed.”

“I love the drawing. I’ll keep it right by the bed.”

When Roy finally arrived, Kyle was determined to find out what all had taken place. Neither of the women would tell him what happened. All he knew was Joe was dead. But how, he still didn’t know.

“Okay, Roy, I want you to tell me everything.”

“Kyle, wait until you get your strength back,” Kiera said, worried that the truth would affect his recovery.

“No, I need to know,” he said more sharply than he intended.

“Charlie told us everything, how Joe hired him to find the girls. It was Joe who started the site. He bought that house of horrors under a different name a couple of years back.”

“Hold on. Two years ago he asked me for a loan, said he wanted to buy some property in Florida. Oh my God, he used the money to buy that house. How could I not have known what he was up to?”

“Joe is, or was, very smart. A tech whiz. He knew how to set up the site without getting caught. He knew how and where to hide things.

“He had Charlie go with the two men to kill the women. The bigger one thought he was their main man, and when he was told to kill the other man, Charlie was told to get rid of him too.

“Joe would have gotten away with it if Charlie had left the country like he was supposed to.”

“So who shot and killed Joe?”

“I did. I’m sorry, Kyle. I had to. He was about to kill Kiera, and I couldn’t let him do that.”

“I know, and I thank you for saving her,” he said, taking her hand.

“The thing is, when I looked into his eyes, I could see how much killing us was hurting him, but he was still going to do it. I thought I knew him. I trusted him alone with her.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I think he was going to leave you both alone, but since you knew about him, he couldn’t leave any loose ends.”

“What about the men who were watching all of us? Where the hell did they disappear to?”

Roy sat down, rubbing his hand over his face. “Both men got a text from me saying the job was over and they were to go home.

“The thing is, I never sent them that text. Joe did. And he hacked into their phones and fixed it so that they wouldn’t receive any calls or texts.

“Joe had booked a private plane. My guess is he was planning on leaving that night he came over to your place.”

“But he told us he wasn’t going until that Friday,” Kyle said, still confused. He couldn’t understand why he would tell them one thing but do another.”

“I can’t answer that. We’ll never know what was going through his mind. If he hadn’t been found out, he would be living somewhere else, would have kept in touch with you while living a double life.”

Kyle closed his eyes. He couldn’t help feeling hurt and betrayed by the man he thought of as a brother.

Opening his eyes, he was determined to move on, to try and forget Joe, and maybe in time learn to forgive him.

“Okay, let’s switch gears from Joe and all that drama. I’ve got some good news to share.” He grinned at Kiera, then glanced at the others. “Last night, I asked Kiera to marry me, and she said yes.”

“Wow, that’s fantastic! But couldn’t you have picked a more romantic setting?” Judy asked, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

“It was perfect to me,” Kiera said, leaning in to kiss him.

“About time you settled down, you rascal,” Roy said, moving over to shake his hand and hug Kiera.

After a bit, the nurse came in and announced that everyone had to leave because Kyle needed to rest.

“I want you to go home with them,” he said, pulling Kiera closer.

“No, I’m not leaving you.”

“Honey, you’ve been here with me for days. You need a home-cooked meal and a good night’s sleep in a real bed. Don’t forget, you’re pregnant and need to take care of yourself.

“I love you, but honestly, you’ll keep me awake with your chatter. This way, I can get a good night’s sleep too.”

“Oh, so now I talk too much.”

“Darling, I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’ll rest easier knowing you’re being looked after.”

“Fine, one night. Then I’m coming back, and I’m staying until you’re discharged. And before you say anything, I don’t care how long it takes. This will be the only night I leave your side.”

After saying goodbye to Kyle, Judy and Roy waited outside the room for Kiera. They wanted to give the couple a few minutes alone.

She sat on the bed next to him. “I love you. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“I just want you to rest.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning in to kiss him. It was supposed to be a quick, tender kiss, but he cupped the back of her head with his hand and deepened the kiss.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said once he released her.

When she left the room, he closed his eyes. He missed her already, and when he heard the door opening, he kept them shut. He didn’t want to see anyone but her.

But he did open them quickly when he felt someone climbing onto the bed.

“Kiera, what are you doing back here?” He was surprised to see her, but it was a pleasant surprise.

“I changed my mind about leaving, and I promise not to talk too much.”

He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’m glad you’re here. And talk as much as you want. I love hearing your voice.”

The next week flew by. Every day, she would take him for short walks down the hall and back.

The doctor said he needed to get up and move around, but only for short periods, and that he still needed plenty of rest.

Judy and Chrissy came to visit him, bringing more drawings for him and some for Kiera that had pictures of a baby in them.

On the tenth day, he was taken in for some tests to make sure his heart was okay after the scarring. When the doctor came in to see him, he pulled up a chair and opened his file.

“Mr. Hicks, I’m pleased to tell you that your heart is fine. You’re young and strong, which really helped, so I’m going to discharge you today.

“But—and I can’t stress this enough—you need to take it easy for a while. That means more bed rest and no strenuous activities.”

Kyle looked over at Kiera and smiled. “Looks like you’ll be doing all the work for a while,” he said, winking at her.

Her face turned red when he said that in front of the doctor. She wanted to disappear.

The doctor chuckled. “I’d hold off on that for a bit. I’ll get your discharge papers ready, and you can leave in a couple of hours.

“Take care. And I want to see you back here in two weeks for a checkup.”

“You’re so bad,” she said when the doctor left. “I’ll call Roy to come pick us up, and then I’ll help you get dressed.”

“You’ve done so much already. Why don’t you let the nurse dress me?”

She turned to him, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

“No way, buddy. And watch what you say, or I’ll follow through on my threat to shave you down there, and you better hope my hand doesn’t slip.”

He laughed and held up his hands. “Okay, I’m joking. And there’s no way you’re shaving me down there. It’s not natural for a man.”

“Then behave yourself,” she said, and called Roy.

To avoid his staff and their inevitable questions, they took the back way through the underground parking.

After making sure Kyle and Kiera were inside their suite, Roy said goodbye. He had to get back to his office.

“Alright, mister. Go to the bedroom, take off your clothes, and get into bed.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his lips finding her neck. “Okay, but you’ll have to go easy on me. You heard the doctor.”

She turned to face him, trying to hide a smile. “There will be none of that right now, not until you’re up to it. Now go, while I make us some lunch.”

She had felt his arousal pressing against her and knew he was ready, but because of his heart and the doctor’s orders, she had to stop him.

She heated up some soup and made a couple of sandwiches, put them on a tray, and carried them into the bedroom.

He was sitting up in bed, and it pained her to see him looking so pale and weak. But at least they were home and could sleep in a more comfortable bed, together.

She ensured he finished his meal before she moved to clear the dishes.

“Hold on,” he called out, extending his hand to her. “Leave those and come lie down with me. You need to rest just as much as I do.”

He was right. Now that she was expecting, she needed to slow down. So, she slid out of her jeans and shirt, leaving her bra and underwear on, and snuggled up next to him.

She nestled her head on his shoulder. She hadn’t planned on drifting off to sleep so quickly, but being enveloped in his arms brought her a comforting sense of safety.