Witness in the Dark (Love Under Fire #1)(50)

She smiled as she handed the cup to him and then the pills. “Here. Do you want something for the pain?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t look too closely. She’d been careful to word her question the same way he had.

“Thanks.” He held the cup up in a toast and drank it down after swallowing the pills. He took a quick breath at the end and winced, but held the cup out. She gave him a second shot, a little bigger than the first.

He kicked it back and winced again, though not as badly.

She set the bottle down next to him. “Why don’t you lie down and watch TV while I go shower?”

“You can have the bed,” he said, as she’d known he would.

“Okay. But you can relax there until I’m ready to go to sleep.”

He grunted, and reached for the bottle. She helped him top off his cup again, hoping she was giving him enough to fall asleep but not put him into a coma.

He blinked a couple times as he finished it off. “Thank you, Sam. You’d make a damn fine nurse.”

She propped some pillows behind his head. “Would I make a fine deputy U.S. Marshal?”

His eyelids drooped as he bobbed his head. “Yeah. As long as you weren’t my partner.”

“Why wouldn’t you want to be my partner? I think we make a pretty good team,” she said, affronted. Had she not just saved his ass?

“Yeah. But I’d be too worried about you. I wouldn’t want you to be in any danger.”

“Ah.” She’d noticed that. Many times.

“You’re pretty,” he whispered as she took the empty cup from him and set it on the nightstand.

She chuckled as she took in his dazed expression. “Thanks.” The medicine and the liquor were obviously beginning to kick in.

“No. You’re freakin’ gorgeous. And you kiss like a house on fire.” His words were slurred, but it didn’t deter from the compliment. If a house on fire was actually a compliment. “I really wish things were different. So I could fuck you in a bed.”

Okay.

She smiled, happy that he was still thinking about her in that way. She brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. She would have continued, but it was pretty clear he was fading fast.

“As much as I’d like to take you up on that romantic offer, I think you’d better get some sleep.”

He gazed up at her with a dopey smile. “Thank you.”

“No. Thank you for risking everything for me. I cost you your home, and you’ve been in constant danger ever since I got in your Jeep. I want you to know that—”

Her gratitude was cut off by his soft snore.

She smiled and brushed her hand against his cheek. “Don’t worry, cowboy. I’ll keep an eye on the ranch tonight.”

She flopped down on the loveseat by the window. Better to be uncomfortable. She didn’t dare lie down next to him, she’d be sleeping in no time. She pulled out her gun to begin her guard duty.

At six thirty in the morning, she was beginning to nod off. Only the rumbling of her stomach was keeping her awake. Deciding she would rather be shot than starve to death slowly in their hotel room, she hurried over to the fast food place next to the liquor store, and bought three breakfast sandwiches. There was a coffee pot in their room, which she would start when she got back.

Assuming Garrett didn’t kill her for leaving the room again without him.





Chapter Thirty-Eight


Garrett began to stir, knowing immediately that he’d been asleep a lot longer than he’d planned. The bright morning sun coming through the curtains made him squint. He looked at the clock. It was almost eleven. And he was still in bed.

He glanced over at the other side. It was empty, and had not been disturbed.

Sam was on the sofa wearing the same clothes as she had the day before. There was a breakfast sandwich and a cup of steaming coffee on the table.

He tilted his head to the side to test how it felt, and frowned. No way he would have slept that long normally. Even with his injury, he would have slept lightly enough to keep watch.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What did you give me for the pain?”

“Um. Maybe I got confused?” She batted her eyelashes, all innocent.

For Christ’s sake. What was he going to do with her?

“Not cool,” he grumbled and sat up, glaring at her. “I can’t believe you drugged me.”

“I learned from the best.” She gave him that cute little smirk, and he found he couldn’t raise the appropriate amount of anger with her. “Do you want some breakfast? I got you a sausage sandwich and one with bacon so you could mix it up.” She handed him the bag.

He took it and peered at the contents. “You left the room again?”

“Coffee?” She handed him a cup, probably hoping it would get her off the hook.

He eyed it warily but took it. Her plan worked.

“It’s more cream and sugar than coffee. Just the way you like it.” She smiled.

“Thanks.” He took a sip and looked at the loveseat. “Did you sleep on that?”

“Actually, I didn’t sleep. I stayed up the whole night watching you and making sure no one broke in.”

That surprised him. “You didn’t doze off?”

“No.” She yawned. “I’m going to go take a shower now that you’re up and moving around. Do you feel okay?”