Planting half of a baby monitor isn’t exactly a dangerous, covert mission, but getting caught would still suck. Just as I’d hoped, I find her sleeping, my huge bed all but swallowing her tiny frame up. Griffin is in the little baby bed, wrapped up snuggly in what I can see is a new blanket.
I place the baby monitor behind the nightstand on the side of the bed she’s sleeping on. She shifts uncomfortably in her sleep. It dawns on me that she hasn’t had a pain pill since the IV was disconnected from her hand.
I reach down and gently brush her dark hair from her face. “Misty,” Her face turns into my touch. “Damn,” I say softly looking at her beautiful face in repose. Even tired, swollen, and deceptive I know I’d still choose her over hundreds of other women.
Her eyes flutter open, and she stiffens at my presence. “What’s wrong?” she asks shuffling away from my hand and looking over at the baby.
“Nothing,” I say reaching into my pocket to grab the pills. I grab a quick glass of water from the bathroom and hold them both out to her. “You were fitful. You need to take this.”
She looks from my hand to the baby, and back again. Finally, she reaches out and takes the medicine. “Thank you,” she says softly. “I won’t be able to hear him cry.”
“I’m right next door,” I explain. I’m not going to tell her about the monitor, but I’m pretty sure I would be able to hear his strong lungs through the wall. “Do you want me to take him so you can rest?”
“No!” she says quickly grabbing my arm as if I just threatened to take him forever.
What kind of man does she think I am? Don’t get me wrong, if she gives me any reason to believe he’s in danger I won’t think twice about it, but we’re not to that point yet. Her reaction rubs me the wrong way.
I take a step back, creating more distance between us. “Do you need anything else?” I ask, unable to hide the frustration in my voice. “Have you eaten?”
“No,” she says shaking her head. “Emmalyn brought me some crackers, but I’m just not hungry.”
“You need to eat more.” She just had a baby four days ago, and she’s tiny.
“The pain pills make my stomach turn,” she says with an equally frustrated tone. “I’ll eat when I feel like it.”
I look up at the ceiling, trying to keep from losing my shit. “How can you feed my son, if you don’t feed yourself?”
I’m tired, extremely pissed, and for some fucked up reason, I’m taking it out on her.
She hangs her head, attempting to hide the tears that begin to darken the sheets below her downturned face.
“I’ll try harder tomorrow,” she says quietly.
Fuck. And asshole of the year award goes to…
I take a step closer to her, reaching out my hand to comfort her, but stop before I reach her. I just don’t have it in me tonight. I drop my hand to my side and turn to leave the room. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll wake you if he wakes up.”
I close her door softly, leaning against it and hanging my own head. No matter what she’s been through, she didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I slowly make my way to my room and fall into my bed. I don’t even bother to pull my boots off.
I lie there absolutely exhausted, but unable to go to sleep as I listen to her quiet sobs through the baby monitor.
Chapter 17
“Misty.” I feel a warm hand caress my face. “Wake up, Darlin’. He thinks he’s starving to death.”
I smile at the sweetness of Shadow’s voice until I remember the horrible way he spoke to me last night. I blink my eyes open to see early morning sunshine billowing from the window. I feel more rested than I have in days, but my body still feels weak and tired.
“What time is it?” I ask as I sit up on the bed. I cringe at the tightness in my lower stomach. Even when I’m careful, it feels as if I’m ripping my incision open.
“Almost seven,” he says handing Griffin over to me.
“Can you grab me a diaper?” I
I place the baby monitor behind the nightstand on the side of the bed she’s sleeping on. She shifts uncomfortably in her sleep. It dawns on me that she hasn’t had a pain pill since the IV was disconnected from her hand.
I reach down and gently brush her dark hair from her face. “Misty,” Her face turns into my touch. “Damn,” I say softly looking at her beautiful face in repose. Even tired, swollen, and deceptive I know I’d still choose her over hundreds of other women.
Her eyes flutter open, and she stiffens at my presence. “What’s wrong?” she asks shuffling away from my hand and looking over at the baby.
“Nothing,” I say reaching into my pocket to grab the pills. I grab a quick glass of water from the bathroom and hold them both out to her. “You were fitful. You need to take this.”
She looks from my hand to the baby, and back again. Finally, she reaches out and takes the medicine. “Thank you,” she says softly. “I won’t be able to hear him cry.”
“I’m right next door,” I explain. I’m not going to tell her about the monitor, but I’m pretty sure I would be able to hear his strong lungs through the wall. “Do you want me to take him so you can rest?”
“No!” she says quickly grabbing my arm as if I just threatened to take him forever.
What kind of man does she think I am? Don’t get me wrong, if she gives me any reason to believe he’s in danger I won’t think twice about it, but we’re not to that point yet. Her reaction rubs me the wrong way.
I take a step back, creating more distance between us. “Do you need anything else?” I ask, unable to hide the frustration in my voice. “Have you eaten?”
“No,” she says shaking her head. “Emmalyn brought me some crackers, but I’m just not hungry.”
“You need to eat more.” She just had a baby four days ago, and she’s tiny.
“The pain pills make my stomach turn,” she says with an equally frustrated tone. “I’ll eat when I feel like it.”
I look up at the ceiling, trying to keep from losing my shit. “How can you feed my son, if you don’t feed yourself?”
I’m tired, extremely pissed, and for some fucked up reason, I’m taking it out on her.
She hangs her head, attempting to hide the tears that begin to darken the sheets below her downturned face.
“I’ll try harder tomorrow,” she says quietly.
Fuck. And asshole of the year award goes to…
I take a step closer to her, reaching out my hand to comfort her, but stop before I reach her. I just don’t have it in me tonight. I drop my hand to my side and turn to leave the room. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll wake you if he wakes up.”
I close her door softly, leaning against it and hanging my own head. No matter what she’s been through, she didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I slowly make my way to my room and fall into my bed. I don’t even bother to pull my boots off.
I lie there absolutely exhausted, but unable to go to sleep as I listen to her quiet sobs through the baby monitor.
Chapter 17
“Misty.” I feel a warm hand caress my face. “Wake up, Darlin’. He thinks he’s starving to death.”
I smile at the sweetness of Shadow’s voice until I remember the horrible way he spoke to me last night. I blink my eyes open to see early morning sunshine billowing from the window. I feel more rested than I have in days, but my body still feels weak and tired.
“What time is it?” I ask as I sit up on the bed. I cringe at the tightness in my lower stomach. Even when I’m careful, it feels as if I’m ripping my incision open.
“Almost seven,” he says handing Griffin over to me.
“Can you grab me a diaper?” I
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