The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four by Heather Topham Wood Read Free Book Online Page B

assault return.
    “Katie, you’re okay. You’re safe now,” her mom whispered fervently, sensing the source of Kate’s distress.
    “What happened?” she managed.
    “You were attacked by someone when you came back from Wildwood. You were in a coma for three days. You woke up yesterday morning, but haven’t been able to say much since then,” her mom clarified in a breathless rush.
    Kate had more questions, but was interrupted by the arrival of a doctor. The doctor fired question after question and it left her with little chance to completely regain her bearings. Between each breath of explaining how she was feeling she wanted to ask the question most nagging her at the moment: Where is he?
    The doctor explained she’d been stabbed five times and had gone through surgery to repair the damage and suture the lesions. Because of the severity of her wounds, she’d been put in a medically induced coma as part of her recovery. She was unresponsive to motor tests and they’d feared the worst. But then her vital signs improved and they were able to wean her off of the drugs keeping her comatose.
    She was on medications to deal with the pain and prevent infections. The drugs were making her loopy, and it was a struggle to stay alert during the conversation. She wiggled her fingers and toes, but found it a struggle to try and lift her legs and arms more than a couple of inches. The doctor explained she’d most likely need extensive physical therapy to regain full motor function.
    After the doctor left she was quiet for a second, trying to process everything he’d said. As she opened her mouth to talk, she shut it quickly when she heard a disruption at the door of her room. Declan and Kate’s father were forced to step back as Jared’s tall form went barreling past them.
    Abruptly, he stopped at the side of her bed and grabbed her hand. Although she felt a sense of disconnection due to the painkillers being pumped into her body, she managed a smile for him. “Jared,” she sighed.
    “Kate, I love you,” he said hurriedly.
    Her eyes enlarged and she swore she stopped breathing for a second. Kate waited for the alarm to sound, alerting the hospital staff of the spike in her heart rate. Before she could overcome her shock and manage a reply, she heard a dark chuckle from the foot of the bed.
    Declan walked over and tossed his arm around Jared’s shoulders. “Dude, tone it down a notch. You haven’t even exchanged pleasantries and you’re busting out with I love you.” He chuckled. “Too soon.”
    Jared shrugged off Declan’s arm and addressed Kate. “Sorry. I’ve just been waiting to say that to you and I had to get it out.”
    Jared’s gray eyes found hers and she found herself lost in the intensity of his stare. It seemed like minutes ago she imagined it was the last time she’d see him. She’d told him she loved him as part of saying goodbye, and her body sagged with relief as she realized the most miraculous thing had happened: she survived.
    Kate’s mom cleared her throat. “Boys, maybe we should give Katie some space and let her get some rest.”
    Kate found her voice. “That’s okay, Mom. Can everyone give us a minute? I’d like to talk to Jared alone.”
    Darlene nodded while Kate’s dad looked sternly against the idea. He shouldered Jared and Declan out of the way to lean at her bedside. “Katie, you’ve been through one hell of an ordeal. You’re on a lot of medications and should be supervised by your parents and the doctors. Not left alone with people who may not have your best interests at heart.”
    “Robert,” her mother snapped. “Jared is the reason Katie is alive. If he hadn’t come to our house when he did, God only knows what could’ve happened to our daughter. Katie is twenty-two years old, and if she wants to be alone with her boyfriend, then you need to step aside.”
    She sounded furious and it made Kate curious over what had been happening while she was unconscious.