Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(6)

“West and Sawyer,” Elizabeth added. Her face softened a little when she said the second name.

Sawyer Cage. Her lover and the first Lazarus test subject. Elizabeth had walked through hell to get Sawyer back, and Jay had helped her. After all, he’d paved that road to hell, hadn’t he? “With Sawyer’s super senses, he should be able to hunt down the shooter.” The words were gritted out because fury rode Jay so hard. If he could get his hands on the man who’d shot Willow…

“He’s definitely better equipped than the cops.” Elizabeth reached over and put her fingers on Willow’s throat. “She’s coming back. I feel her pulse.”

Jay tensed.

“I, um, I think I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll go call and see what Sawyer’s found. And you know, you’ve got cops at your door. You might want to think about handling them soon.”

He’d handle them after he took care of Willow. He had power in D.C. Power and pull, and the cops could wait a little longer on him.

She eased from the room, and the door clicked closed behind her. As soon as he heard that soft sound, Jay’s shoulders sagged. He released a deep breath, and he sat on the edge of the bed. His hand reached for Willow’s. Caught hers. Held it tightly. “Open your eyes.” He realized he sounded close to begging. Screw it. She’d been dead. He needed her eyes to open. He needed her back with him.

He’d never been so fucking scared in his whole life. Not even when he’d been an eleven-year-old kid, tossed onto the street with no shoes, torn clothes, and not a damn thing else in the world to call his own.

He felt her hand jerk in his grasp. A quick, light flinch. “Baby…” He leaned toward her.

Her eyes opened. She stared straight at him, and then she screamed. Her scream pierced Jay straight to his soul. “Willow, Willow, it’s okay, you’re safe, you’re—”

She jerked upright in bed and screamed again.

The door flew open behind him. He heard it thud into the wall. “What’s happening?” Elizabeth cried out.

Willow had jumped from the bed. She stood on the far side of the room, her back pressed to the wall, her gaze darting between him and Elizabeth.

Slowly, Jay rose. “Willow.” He said her name deliberately. Tenderly. Carefully. “You were hurt when we left the ball tonight.” He reached for the covers. Jay held them in his arms as he began to make his way toward her. “But you’re okay now. Everything is okay.”

She blinked. Once. Twice. And then her eyes widened as recognition finally flared in her gaze.

His heart was beating so damn fast. Jay was sure the thing was about to jump out of his chest. For a minute there, Willow hadn’t remembered him. He knew she hadn’t.

Fucking hell. I did this to her.

“J-Jay…?”

He nodded. Still advanced slowly. When he was close enough, he lifted the covers and wrapped them around her naked body. She shuddered and her breath panted out.

“I was…shot…”

Something else that was his fault. He’d taken her out in public and put her on display. He’d used her as bait. Why the hell hadn’t he considered that she could get hurt? “Yes.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Willow, are you okay? I know coming back can be a bit unsettling…” Her voice trailed away.

Willow clutched the covers. “Coming back,” she repeated. She looked down at Jay’s hands. “That’s…my blood, isn’t it?” Her gaze rose. The blue was so bright. “I died?”

“Yes.”

Her shoulders hunched.

Fuck. “Elizabeth, give us a minute, okay?”

She retreated without a word. The door shut once more.

And Jay pulled Willow into his arms. She stiffened, but a moment later, her body softened against his. He held her, cradling her, wanting to take away all of her fear and pain.

“I…died?” Willow asked him again, but there was a hitch in her voice. Fear. He didn’t want her to be afraid.

“You came back.” He eased away a few inches so that he could slide his hand under her chin, tipping her head up and staring into her eyes. “You came back, Willow. Everything is okay.”

A tear slipped from her eye. One, then another.

A guttural growl tore from him. Her tears were killing him. Killing him. “Don’t, baby, don’t.” Jay pressed a kiss to her cheek. He kissed her tears away.

And her body stiffened.

Shit. He’d overstepped. He hadn’t meant—Jay immediately lifted his head. “Willow—”

“Kiss me.”

Those were the last words he’d expected to hear her say. Stunned, he just stared at her.

Another tear slid down her cheek.

His chest burned. “Baby…”

She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. The bed covers dropped a bit, but then got caught between their bodies. “Kiss me,” she whispered again.

Since there was pretty much no damn thing that he wouldn’t do for her—and since he wasn’t a fool—Jay’s mouth took hers. The kiss was light at first. A brush of his lips against hers. She’d just died, for shit’s sake. He didn’t want to rush or scare her.

But her lips parted beneath his. His tongue slid into her mouth. He tasted her. And he was lost. The kiss deepened as he tasted her. Savored her. He pulled her even closer, and his cock shoved hard toward her. Willow. She moaned, a soft sound in the back of her throat, and his desire surged even higher. Her hands were digging into his shoulders, she was pressing her body to his, and all he wanted was to taste every single inch of her. Right then and right there.