Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(13)

He looked down at his body. Back up at her.

“Didn’t mean…” Her voice trembled. “I…had a bad dream. I didn’t know…where I was…sorry.”

“Willow…” He moved around the bed, stepped toward her.

But she stiffened. “You don’t want to touch me.”

He sure as all hell did.

“I can control it.” She gave a quick nod. “I can, I promise, I can. But I wasn’t myself. I didn’t know what was happening, I—”

“You had a nightmare.” His heart still raced too fast. “That’s normal, Willow. Everyone has nightmares.” His hand reached out, and he turned on the nearby lamp. A soft pool of light spilled onto her.

Willow flinched. A tear slid down her cheek. “I made you fear.”

“Yes, I was worried when I heard you cry out—”

“I made you see what you feared.”

And he tensed. “Is that why you’re pressed against the wall? Because you woke up from a bad dream, and you accidentally used your power on me?”

“I made you fear. You won’t touch me again. Won’t let me touch you. You—”

He closed the distance between them. Caught her hand. Put it over his chest. She tried to jerk back, but he tightened his hold. The woman had super strength, if she really wanted to break away, Jay knew she could.

But she didn’t.

Her breath hitched. “Jay…?”

“Do you know what I saw?” But he didn’t wait for her to answer. “You. I saw you, in the limo, dying.” Dead. “That’s what I fear. And it’s not a secret. I fear hurting you. I fear not being able to help you. That shit has happened to me before, you see. West and I…we had a foster sister once. Emeline. Sweetest little girl you’ve ever seen. But one day while West and I were in school, our foster dad—the sonofabitch got angry with her. He pushed her, and Emeline, she was so fucking little. She fell when he pushed her. Hit her head. Only the bastard thought she was okay. Just a little bump.” His voice roughened as he kept her hand against his heart. “When I came in from school, I knew something was wrong with her. West and I—we got her. We took her out of that house. The SOB tried to stop us, but West hit him.” West had been fifteen, and more than a match for the prick. He and West could have taken the guy any day. But Emeline… “She was eight. And I was carrying her. Running down the road because there wasn’t a phone anywhere, and we had to get her to the hospital. I was carrying her, holding her, when she stopped breathing.”

When she’d died, he’d fallen to the ground. He and West had begged her to wake up. They’d tried CPR, they’d just learned it in their health class at school, and they’d thought they could get her to come back.

Emeline hadn’t come back.

But Willow had. He swallowed and tried to keep his voice gentle. “You were afraid, and you just acted instinctively. It’s okay.”

Another tear leaked down her cheek. “No, it’s not.”

She was breaking his heart. “It’s late, baby. Come back to bed. Get some sleep.”

Her breath hitched. “And you’ll be here in the morning? Just like you say?”

“Of course.” I’ll be where you are. “Where else would I be?”

She shuffled back to the bed. Slid under the covers. He stood there, watching her, feeling absolutely helpless. After a moment, he turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness before he turned for the door.

“I like the light.” Her soft voice stopped him.

He looked back, straining to see her in the darkness. “I can turn the lamp back on.”

“Just…will you open the blinds? Let the moonlight in.”

And he wondered if she really liked the light or if she liked to see outside. To know that she wasn’t a prisoner any longer.

Another sin on his soul. He’d been the one to design the rooms—the cells that Wyman Wright had used with the Lazarus subjects. Rooms that had allowed the researchers to see inside, to watch the subjects at all times. Like they were lab rats. Without a word, Jay pulled open the blinds, letting the moonlight trickle into the room. “Better?”

“Thank you.” Her voice was so soft.

He gave a grim nod and headed for the door.

“Stay?”

Jay froze.

“Just for a little while? I can’t remember the dream. I never can, but I think it would be better if I wasn’t alone.”

He glanced around the room. Saw the chair against the wall. “I’ll sit here—”

“Would you…could you…”

Jay’s head cocked as he padded toward her. “What do you need?” I’ll give you everything.

“Could you just maybe stay beside me a moment? I was always alone in the lab. And I just—never mind. Forget it.”

He’d never forget. Jay slid into the bed with her. He reached for her and pulled Willow into his arms. She stiffened for a moment.

“You don’t have to touch me,” Willow whispered. “I know you’re worried about what I’ll do—”

“I’m not worried about a damn thing. You just close your eyes and relax.” His hand stroked along her side. “You won’t be alone. And you won’t be in the dark.” Not ever again on his watch.