Durability (The LockDown Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

pale than earlier and her body rid of her dress. It makes me sad that I never got to remove it from her the way I should have, enjoying her perfect body.
    I walk to her side, her eyes just starting to flitter open as the anaesthetic works its way out of her system. “Hey baby.” I speak to her, kissing her forehead and swiping her hair from her face, still clogged with blood and tears.
    She attempts to croak out something but the tube in her throat puts her at a disadvantage.
    “One second angel, we’ll get it taken out.” I turn to the doctor who is talking with his team as they sort through my wife’s care. “Could she have the tube taken out, she is trying to talk to me?” I ask them politely, feeling happy that I can look into her blue eyes once again.
    “Of course Mr Lock,” the doctor replies, pulling some gloves onto his hands. A nurse assists him, removing the tube from Abbi’s throat, her reflexes kicking in and making her gag.
    “Hello Mrs Lock, good to see you awake. How are you feeling?” he asks her, and she looks around blankly. I have known the effect of anaesthetic, it made me feel like I was outside of my body, like I had no control of my movements or recollection of where I was until I was completely awake.
    All I can hear is a croak. She looks to me pleadingly, pointing to her mouth. “You thirsty baby?” I ask her, stroking her hair from her face once again. She nods to me, her skin looking more vibrant than it had a few hours back as she took what I thought would be her last breath in my arms.
    I help her to sit up, supporting her back and lifting the bed with the control at the same time.
    I fill a plastic cup with some water from the jug, handing it over to her. She tries to move her arm to take it from me, but nothing happens. Her eyes flitter nervously and agitatedly from her arm to me, to the water.
    Her eyes are begging me to help; it breaks my fragile, cracked heart into a million shards at her desperation. She begins to sniffle, tears pooling and eventually dropping down her cheeks. “Shhh, baby, it’s okay, shhh,” I tell her, standing up from my chair to sit on the edge of the bed.
    She drops her head heavily onto my chest and cries, hard, fierce and gut wrenchingly. “Angel, it’s okay. Let it all out.” I soothe her, stroking her hair, twirling it in my fingers for my own benefit to feel that she is real and is here with me.
    She eventually lifts her head, her eyes sore and puffy, and her cheeks blotchy and sad. “I love you baby,” I tell her simply as I lean forward and kiss her forehead. I lift the plastic cup to her lips, tipping it back lightly to allow a small trickle of water to enter her mouth.
    She sighs as she swallows, clearly feeling better. “Hey,” she says quietly, her mouth in a slight frown.
    “You don’t know how good it is to see you,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her head hard. I am crying myself, tears of joy and sadness, trickling from my eyes and onto her hair.
    “Back at you baby,” Abbi replies, sitting sadly in her bed.
    “How you feeling?” I ask her seriously, looking into her eyes for the truth.
    “Nothing, I feel nothing Leighton,” she answers me, once again crying.
    “Baby, I promise you, you’ll get it back, if it’s the last thing I do, you will feel your arm again.” I hold onto her hand, squeezing gently, even though she can’t feel it, just so she can see I will love her no matter what she looks like or can or can’t do.
    “Melissa?” she shouts as she clearly remembers.
    “They’re looking for her baby, they have some leads, leave them to it, and they will find her,” I assure her. I know Mel is my daughter and I should be out there with my men, finding her and killing the sick fucker who has taken her, but my wife is my every breath and I have to make sure she is safe and well before I even think of leaving her side.
    “You should be with them,” she pleads.
    “No, I’m no good there,