Can't Slow Down (11 page)

I can’t listen to this shit anymore. I can feel the warm breath from him on my neck, so I know he’s right behind me. I slam my head back, crashing mine into Patrick’s. He sweeps his leg under mine knocking me on my ass. Punches are thrown. And then it happens. The dumbass remembers he has a gun. I reach for his hand to try and knock it away, but I’m too late.

Suddenly it feels as though time is standing still. The shot is too close. My ears are ringing and the right side of my chest is excruciatingly hot and wet as the crimson fluid pour from my body. Everything is in slow motion as I fall back onto the ground. My head falls to the side and I just want to close my eyes. The last thing I see is Derek and the cops charging at Patrick. The blackness starts to swallow me whole as I smell Lexi’s perfume as she kneels down, screaming in tears beside me.

WHEN I COME TO
, the smell of anesthetic and bandages fills my senses. Lexi is there, sitting beside me on the bed. Her beautiful freckle-dusted cheeks are tear-stained and she looks exhausted, but still just as gorgeous as the day I met her.

“Hey, sweet cheeks.” I clear my throat. “Are you okay? Where’s the asshole? Where’s Derek?”

She slugs me in my good arm.

“What the hell, woman? I’m injured here.”

“You could have gotten killed, Coen!”

I place my finger under her chin and urge her closer to me, gently pulling her into a kiss.

“I didn’t think he would have a gun, Lex. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

She sighs.

“I’m fine now that I know you’re okay. Derek went to get us some food.” She places her hand on my cheek for a brief moment and then runs her hand through my hair and places a kiss on my forehead. Her caresses are better than any modern medicine. This girl is my drug. “Derek called the cops the moment we saw the gun and they pulled in and caught Patrick as he was trying to escape the scene after shooting you. He’ll be gone for awhile with all the charges pressed against him.”

Lexi gets up and walks over to the window. It’s dark out now, the city lights shine off in the distance and I hear her sniffle.

“Lexi, I’m okay.”

“I know. I was just so scared that I lost you. I don’t want to go back to a life without you, Coen.”

“Marry me and you’ll never have to.”

She turns to look at me with tear-filled eyes.

“You’re on pain meds, you don’t know what you’re saying right now. We’ve only known each other a little over a week.”

I laugh. “I’m serious, Lexi. I don’t want to go back to a life without you, either. I obviously don’t have a ring right now, and I know we haven’t known each other long, but I will ask you one day. I love you, sweet cheeks.”

She hops up onto the bed and straddles me; being mindful of the tubes and wires I’m hooked up to, and devours me in a deep kiss.

“I love you too, Coen Walker.”

DEREK WENT TO
Sarah’s house the day after Coen was shot and explained everything to her—about how Patrick lied about being her son, and everything that he put Coen and me through. She immediately came to the hospital and apologized. They’ve both decided that the past is just that and they are both ready to move forward. Their relationship still isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely a lot better than it was before all of the craziness with Patrick.

We even helped her track down her
real
son who was put up for adoption. His name is Tyler. He is a couple years older than Coen and he is a dentist in the city about an hour away from here. He and Coen share a love for fast cars and tattoos. Tyler has a wife named Gwen and she is pregnant with their first child. Coen is so excited about meeting that baby; he’s already started talking about giving it driving lessons.

We’ve been seeing each other for about four months now. In fact, he and I have been inseparable. The days when we do stay at our own places are spent falling asleep on video chat with each other. Some people would say that’s clingy, but when you find the other half of your soul it’s difficult and even painful to let it slip too far away for fear of losing it again.

I’m sitting here in the parking lot of the Stoplight Diner where he told me to meet him, but I don’t see his car anywhere. I decide to go inside anyways. Maybe he took a cab. When I walk in the door, Brea is there, sitting at the same table we were sitting at the first time I saw Coen.

I walk over and give her a hug.

“What a nice surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” I say as I sit down across from her. “Have you seen Coen? I’m supposed to be meeting him here for dinner.”

“Nope, sure haven’t,” she chimes with a silly grin on her face.

I grab my phone and start to text Coen to find out where he is when the waitress arrives at our table with a huge bouquet. It’s filled with a dozen red roses, brand new, shiny chrome springs, and new spark plugs decorated to look like flowers. Most girls would find this strange, but to me, it’s absolutely perfect.

“Open the card!” Brea’s bouncing up and down in her seat.

It reads:
A perfect blend of flowers and engine parts for my Piston Princess. I’m sorry, Sweet Cheeks, something has come up and I can’t make it to dinner. Brea should be there in my place to keep you company. I love you and I’ll see you soon.

“That’s odd.” My brow furrows and I bite the inside of my cheek. “Did Coen tell you why he couldn’t make it to dinner?”

“I don’t know, girl. He asked me to have dinner with you in his place and that he would text you as soon as he could. I haven’t seen you in a little over a week with the way you two are so wrapped up in each other, so I was excited when he asked. Aren’t you?”

“Aren’t I what?” I stare out the window in a daydream, wondering what on earth has him tied up.

“Lex.” Brea sticks out her bottom lip and fakes a pout. “Aren’t you excited to see me?”

“I’m sorry, Brea, yes of course I’m happy to see you. It’s just odd of Coen to miss an opportunity for cheese fries.” We both giggle.

Brea and I catch up on what’s been going on in each other’s lives lately while we have dinner. We have our usual cheeseburgers and cheese fries. No sooner than I take the last bite of my burger when my text alert dings. It’s Coen.

Meet me at Diamond Tattoo, please. I have something I want to show you.

I read Brea the text and she looks just as clueless as I do. We pay for our food and head over to the tattoo studio where my friend, Josh, works. When we get there, Derek’s truck is parked out front.

“What are those two up to now?” I wonder out loud.

Brea shrugs. “Who knows.”

When we walk in the door, Derek and Coen are standing in front of the mirror. Coen has his shirt off checking out some fresh ink he just got. He hears the door chime and turns around to face Brea and I.

“Hi, Lex. Hi, Brea.” Derek smiles sweetly at Brea and gives me a quick hug as he walks past us to sit in the waiting area.

“Hi, Derek.” We both answer back at almost the same time. Coen starts walking over to us.

“I just remembered something I wanted to tell Derek.” Brea says and goes to sit with him.

Why is everyone acting so strange?

“Hey, beautiful.” Coen kisses me slow and sweet.

“Hey, you. You ditched me and cheese fries to get touch-ups with Derek?” I lift an eyebrow at him in confusion. “Thank you for the beautiful flowers, by the way. They’re in my car.”

“You’re welcome, my love. And no, actually it’s Havoc who wants to show you something.” He whistles and calls Havoc, Josh’s pit bull, and she and Josh come out of the back room.

“Hey, Lex.”

“Hey, Josh. Hoggin’ my man for your own torturing pleasure, I see?”

He laughs. “I have to make sure he’s treatin’ my girl right.” Josh winks and hops up to sit on the tattoo table.

I lean down to give Havoc a pat as she’s nudging her head against my leg for attention.

“Hey, Havoc.” I give her a scratch behind the ear. “Did you get some new bling?”

I squat down to get a closer look and the room goes silent. My hand makes a popping sound as I cover my mouth and stand back up. Coen reaches over and unties the ring from Havoc’s collar. “Good girl, Hav,” he whispers and pats her on the rear, motioning for her to go back to Josh’s side. Then it happens.

Coen gets down on one knee and takes my left hand in his.

“Lexi Taylor, from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you would be mine. What I didn’t know was that you would fully capture my heart, my mind, my body, and my soul. I didn’t know what living was until I met you and I know I don’t want to go back to what it was like living without you. Sweet Cheeks, you are the other half of my soul and my entire world. I love you with every fiber of my being. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Tears fill my eyes as I look around the room to take in my surroundings. Everyone in this room cares about me and wants to see me happy. Running into this gorgeous, amazing man three times in one day was the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has saved me in more ways than one and I truly believe fate has brought us together.

“Yes, Coen Walker. Yes, I will marry you!” I throw my arms around his neck and he picks me up and engulfs me in a toe-curling, magical kiss. Everyone else in the tattoo studio claps and cheers.

My knight in tattooed armor.

THE END

Fast Lane (Consumed by Love #1):
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