Page 84 of Mountain Shadow

Jens shrugged. “She’s alive, Gael. That’s all that matters.”

“Kat told me the whole story. Your woman’s a warrior.”

My warrior.

Jens couldn’t have been prouder of her—but that pride warred with the instinctive need to protect her, to keep her safe from anyone and anything who might wish her harm.

“What happens now?”

“She should be discharged from the hospital in a few days. She’s no longer in any danger. She’ll fly back to London, I suppose.” He put his head in his hands. It wasn’t something he wanted to think about, but he couldn’t stop her from leaving.

Sarah stirred in the bed. Jens stood up quickly, but by the time he got to her bedside, her eyes were closed and she was snoring gently once again.

27

Sarah

Sarah lifted the cup of black coffee to her lips. Despite the slight twinge from her collarbone, she was aware of how lucky she was to be alive and able to enjoy a coffee in Starbucks.

She concentrated on that spark of gratitude, knowing it was better than the toxic sadness that had followed her out of the hospital.

She still couldn’t quite figure out what had happened.

One moment, she’d felt safe and loved in Jens’s embrace. The next moment, she’d overheard him saying that, now that she was no longer in any danger, she would be flying back to London.

It wasn’t so much the words, as the matter-of-fact tone he’d used, that had devastated her.

Like he couldn’t wait to get me out of his life.

She’d pretended to be asleep so he wouldn’t see just how much his words had hurt her. She knew, deep inside, that she didn’t have the right to be angry. That Jens didn’t deserve her anger—just her gratitude.

He’d killed a man for her. He’d saved her life, and she would always owe him for that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look like this, Sarah,” Tess said across from her.

“I’m sorry. I was distracted.”

Tess shook her head. “I don’t mean distracted. I mean sad. You look so sad, Sarah.”

Sarah couldn’t talk about this, even with Tess. “I’m … coming to terms with a lot of things, Tess,” she said.

“Why are you leaving so soon? I thought you and Jens were—”

Please don’t say his name.

“It’s in the past, Tess. Let’s not talk about that.”

“I just don’t understand, Sarah. He moved heaven and earth to get you back. He didn’t sleep, didn’t eat, didn’t move from your side until he was sure you were going to be okay. I understand why you have to go back home, but why are you breaking up with him, when it’s clear you both care about each other so much?”

“He expects me to go back,” she said simply. She tried to make it clear, through her body language, that she didn’t want to continue this conversation. “I have half an hour before I have to go through security, Tess. Can’t we just enjoy this time together, you and I?”

They both turned to look at a figure racing through the airport terminal hallway. It didn’t register at first—because she’d been seeing Jens everywhere she went since she was discharged from the hospital—that it was actually Jens.

While Sarah sat frozen in her spot, Tess stood up and raced out of the Starbucks. “Jens!” she shouted.

He stopped and turned, relief evident in his face. He was wearing faded jeans and a navy blue polo shirt that hugged his biceps to perfection. Sarah’s lower belly clenched.

Why does he have to be so good-looking?