Chapter 24 A Second Slower
Elena laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, her fingertips pressed against her lips.
She could still feel it, the warmth of Pierce's hand on her neck, the way his breath had felt against her skin.
Elena rolled onto her side, punching her pillow in frustration. It was past 4 AM and she still couldn't sleep. Her mind kept replaying the moment over and over, the look in Pierce's eyes, the way he'd almost looked hurt when she'd pulled away.
She heard movement in the living room. Water running in the kitchen, his footsteps.
He couldn't sleep either.
Elena closed her eyes, trying to will herself to stay in bed. To not go out there. To maintain the distance she'd so desperately created.
But her throat was dry, her water bottle empty.
It's just water, she told herself. Get water and come right back.
She slipped out of bed, pulling her robe tighter. When she opened her bedroom door, she found Pierce standing by the window, backlit by the streetlights outside.
He turned at the sound, and their eyes met.
"Sorry," Elena said quietly. "I just need water."
"Don't apologize." Pierce's voice was rough, like he hadn't used it in hours. "It's your apartment."
Elena moved to the kitchen, hyperaware of every step, every breath. She could feel his eyes on her as she filled a glass from the tap.
The silence was suffocating.
"Elena..." Pierce started.
The window exploded.
Elena didn't even have time to scream. One second she was standing at the sink, the next Pierce's body slammed into hers, tackling her to the ground behind the couch.
Another shot shattered what was left of the window. Then another.
Pierce's weight covered her completely, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other braced above her to take the impact as they hit the floor. Glass rained down around them, tinkling against the hardwood.
Elena couldn't breathe. Her ears rang from the shots.
"Stay down," Pierce's voice was in her ear, low and commanding. "Don't move."
Another shot punched through the apartment, in the wall where Elena had been standing seconds ago.
Gunfire erupted outside, it was Derek and Leo returning fire.
Elena's heart pounded against Pierce's chest. Or maybe that was his heart. She couldn't tell anymore. They were pressed so tightly together, his body a shield between her and whatever was trying to kill them.
More shots. Shouts from outside. The sound of a car speeding away.
Pierce didn't move. His hand stayed firm on the back of her head, keeping her face pressed against his shoulder, protecting her from the glass still falling.
"Pierce..." Elena's voice came out strangled.
"Stay down." His grip tightened. "Just stay with me."
Seconds stretched into what felt like forever. Elena could feel every point where their bodies connected, his chest against hers, his legs tangled with hers, his breath hot against her temple.
Finally, Pierce's phone buzzed against her hip.
He shifted slightly, pulling it out one-handed. "Talk to me."
Derek's voice came through, tinny but clear. "Threat has been neutralized. Sniper on the building across the street. He's down."
"Rodrigo's?"
"Yeah. Found his credentials. One of the lieutenant's men."
Pierce's jaw clenched against Elena's hair. "Secure the perimeter. I want eyes on every entrance."
"Already done."
He hung up but still didn't move.
The silence after the chaos was deafening. Elena could hear her own ragged breathing, could feel Pierce's heart still racing against hers.
"Is it..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
"It's over." But he still didn't let go.
They lay there in the darkness, glass glittering around them like deadly stars. Pierce's hand was still cradling her head, fingers threaded through her hair. His other arm braced above her, keeping his full weight off but staying close enough to shield.
Elena's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She could see his face now, inches from hers. His jaw was tight, eyes scanning her face like he was memorizing every detail.
"Elena." Her name came out ragged. "Are you hurt?"
"I don't... I don't know."
Pierce pushed up slightly, his hands immediately going to her face, her arms, checking for blood. "Where? Tell me where."
"Pierce, I'm fine..."
"You're not fine. There's glass everywhere." His hands moved frantically, checking her shoulders, her sides. "Tell me if something hurts."
"I'm okay." Elena caught his hands, stilling them. "Pierce, I'm okay."
He stopped, his hands trapped in hers. That's when she noticed the blood.
A thin line of red ran down his cheekbone from a cut near his temple. Glass glittered in his dark hair.
"You're bleeding." Elena reached up without thinking, her fingers ghosting near the wound.
Pierce caught her wrist gently, his thumb finding her pulse. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing." Her voice was sharp.
"Compared to what could have happened..." His voice cracked slightly. "It's nothing."
Their eyes locked and neither moved.
The reality of what had just happened crashed over Elena like a wave. The window. The shots. The bullet hole in the wall where her head had been.
If Pierce had been one second slower...
"You saved my life," she whispered.
Pierce's grip on her wrist tightened. "I almost didn't."
"But you did."
"One second, Elena. One second slower and..." He couldn't finish, his jaw working.
Elena's free hand came up, cupping his uninjured cheek. Glass crunched beneath her as she shifted. "But you weren't. You were fast enough."
Pierce leaned into her touch, his eyes closing briefly. When they opened again, something in them made her breath catch.
"I can't lose you." The words were barely audible. "I can't."
Before Elena could respond, Derek's voice came from the doorway. "Boss, we need to sweep the apartment. Make sure there's no secondary threats."
The moment shattered.
Pierce pulled back, climbing to his feet in one sharp motion. He offered Elena his hand, pulling her up carefully.
Her legs shook as she stood. Adrenaline was crashing through her system, making everything feel unreal. She looked around her apartment,the destroyed window, glass covering every surface, the bullet holes in the walls.
One hole was at head height, right where she'd been standing.
Elena swayed slightly.
Pierce's hand shot out, gripping her elbow. "I've got you."
"I almost died." The words came out detached. "I was standing right there."
"But you didn't." Pierce's other hand came to her shoulder, steadying her. "You're here. You're safe."
Elena looked up at him, at the blood still trickling down his face.
"You could have died too," she said quietly. "You threw yourself in front of a sniper for me."
"And I'd do it again." He said without hesitation.
Something cracked in Elena's chest. The distance she'd tried to maintain, all of it felt meaningless now.
Because he'd been willing to die for her. And she'd almost lost him before she'd ever really had him.
Derek cleared his throat from the doorway. "Apartment's clear. No other threats. But we need to move you both to a secure location."
"No." Elena's voice was stronger than she expected. "I'm not leaving."
"Elena..."
"This is my home." She looked at the mess around her. "I'm not letting him take that too."
Pierce studied her face, then nodded slowly. "We'll double the security. Derek and Leo stay inside until we can install bulletproof glass."
"Already called in," Derek said. "Should be here by morning."
As Derek moved away to check on things, Elena became aware of Pierce's hands still on her, one on her elbow, one on her shoulder. Neither of them had let go.
"You're still bleeding," she said softly.
Pierce's thumb traced a small circle on her shoulder. "So let me get this straight, someone just tried to kill you, and you're worried about my cut?"
"I'm a doctor." She said sharply. "It's what I do."
"Elena..."
"Let me look at it." Her voice was gentle. "Please."
"Okay," he said quietly. "Okay."