Amber Eyes (Amber Eyes #1)(45)

She covered her face in her hands as sobs spilled out. Her shoulders shook violently as she tried to keep the raw noise from escaping.

In an instant she was enfolded and surrounded by both men. They held on to her while months of fear and grief erupted. She clutched at them, simultaneously furious and overjoyed that they were here, holding her.

“I’m so sorry, honey,”Jericho murmured. “When I realized how long we’d been gone, I went crazy.”

She went still and then pushed away so she could look up at him. “What do you mean?”She took in his haggard appearance, the weight he’d lost, the pallor of his face and the unmistakable evidence of pain. All the things she’d seen when he’d appeared on the porch, looking weak. “Jericho, what happened to you? Why wouldn’t you know how long you were gone?”She clutched frantically at his chest. “Tell me what happened!”

Hunter gently pried her away from Jericho and led her back to the couch. Jericho came with her and collapsed beside her on the cushions, looking for the world like the last of his strength had been sapped.

“Come here,”Jericho said, holding his arms out to her.

She went willingly, her earlier anger evaporating as the sweetness of his embrace surrounded her.

“We were set up. When we arrived in the encampment to rescue the medical workers, no one was there. There was an explosion. Hunter and I didn’t get out in time.”

She gasped. “No!”She touched his face frantically then ran her hands down his chest, searching for evidence of his injuries, wanting to know how bad they were.

Then she turned to Hunter as Jericho’s words sank in. “You too? You were both hurt?”

Hunter gave a short nod.

“I’m so sorry. I had no right to be angry, no right to yell at you.”

Hunter thrust his hand in her hair, smoothing the strands with his fingers. “No, honey, we understand. You were alone and afraid. For all you knew, we’d abandoned you like your family did.”

“But it was you who were alone,”she whispered. “How bad was it, and don’t lie to me.”

Both men sighed.

“Jericho nearly died,”Hunter said.

“Goddamn it, Hunter.”

Kaya’s stomach fell to her feet. She swallowed the rising nausea. If he had died, she would’ve never known.

“And you?”she whispered to Hunter.

“For a while I couldn’t walk. I was paralyzed when a piece of shrapnel lodged in my spine. I’m just lucky they were able to remove it. We were both beat up pretty bad, but we made it, Kaya. We came back to you.”

She threw herself into Hunter’s arms, burying her face in his neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I had no right to feel as I did. I didn’t know you were hurt.”

He stroked her hair and held her close. “No, honey. You had every right. But we’re home now, and we’re never going to leave you again. Do you understand that?”

Slowly, she pulled away and reached for Jericho’s hand, wanting to touch him and gain reassurance that he was here and whole.

“You aren’t going away again?”

“Never,”Jericho vowed.

“But, it’s what you do,”she said. “It’s how you honor Rebeccah’s memory.”

“No, it’s what we did,”Hunter said quietly. “But not anymore. Rebeccah is gone. We loved her, but now we love you.”

She went completely still. “You love me?”

Jericho nudged her chin until she stared back at him. His eyes were alight with emotion. Love.

“You’re everything to us, Kaya. You’re what kept me alive. We fought to get back to you.”

She threw herself into his arms as she had done Hunter. “I love you too, Jericho.”And then thinking better of her actions, she jerked away, her hands running down his chest. “I’m sorry. Are you all right? Do you still hurt?”

To her surprise, he laughed and captured her hands with his. He brought both up to his mouth and kissed her palms. And then he looked down at her belly, his laughter dying as a look of intense longing filled his eyes. Love softened his entire face, and if she ever had doubts as to whether he welcomed the idea of a baby, she shed them now.

He lowered his hands to her belly, cupping it through the thin layer of her shirt.

“I want to see,”he said huskily. “Will you show me?”

She glanced over at Hunter to gauge his reaction, and his eyes went soft as he followed the direction of Jericho’s hands.

“Show us our child, Kaya,”Hunter said.

She wiggled from between them and turned on the couch until she was on her knees. Then she raised her shirt and pushed down her pants until she bared the curve of her belly.

Strong, blunt fingertips tentatively pressed into her sides.

“You won’t hurt her,”she said gently.

“You’re so sure it’s a girl?”Jericho asked.

She nodded solemnly. “She will have blue eyes.”

“We have to talk about her, your pregnancy, I mean,”Hunter said. “You need care, Kaya. You haven’t been eating properly. You need extra vitamins. Tests. Sonograms. A doctor.”

She stared curiously at him. “Sonograms? Tests?”

“He means you’ll need help when it comes time to have the baby,”Jericho said. “A hospital.”