A Perfect Chance by Becca Lee Page A

I even found it in me to have good dreams, but others were play-by-plays of that day. There were times that the details altered, though. I'd wake up at different moments. It could be when the first shot hit the young guy making coffee. Other times it was when blood splattered in my face. Or the moment in the bathroom stall.
    I tended to wake up at that scream, though, not ignorant to the fact that the scream was virtually identical to the one from that day. Rarely did the dream, the nightmare, take me past that point. Only occasionally did I relive the cold steel of the gun pressed against my forehead, or the blade cutting through my top, slicing my skin. At times, it ended once I heard footsteps charging into the room, shouts from the police, my saviours, to finally experience once more the dead body of the man at my feet.
    It didn't really matter either way. I'd never forget. It wouldn't matter how much I healed. How can the bodies of eighteen people ever be erased from my mind?
    They couldn't.
    The slam of a door and the pounding of feet down the hallway left me clutching my damp sheets to my chest. I didn't dare move or scoot further away from the door. Instead, I waited.
    "Lena?"
    Mace. I exhaled deeply and inhaled much-needed oxygen. Breathe.
    He appeared in the open doorway fully dressed. Without hesitating, he headed into the room and knelt by my side.
    "I heard you scream." Reaching out, he brushed strands of hair away from my face and cupped my cheek. I leaned into the touch and relaxed a little. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner. Did you have a bad dream?"
    I nodded against his hand.
    "What do you need?" Mace's eyes roamed my face, the pad of his thumb sweeping against my skin.
    "To breathe." The words tumbled out of my mouth unbidden.
    He stared at me a moment, his hand pausing its soothing caress. He hesitated, just a flicker appearing in his eyes before he stood and pulled off his boots. He then walked around the bed and climbed on, scooting over until he was next to me.
    "Come here." His tone was soft and warm. When I looked into his eyes, understanding shone back at me.
    I readjusted myself and welcomed his comfort as I settled in his arms against his chest. I brushed my face against the cotton of his T-shirt, getting comfortable. "What time is it?" I asked.
    "About four."
    I tilted my head back to look at him. "Why are you up?"
    At my question, he glanced down at me. After a pause, he answered, "I couldn't sleep, so I grabbed a drink and sat out on the deck."
    I waited for more, but he didn't expand. Nodding, I looked away from his face and got myself comfortable, enjoying the steady beat of his heart against my cheek. Mace wrapped an arm around me, securing me to him. A ghost of a smile appeared on my lips, and I put all of my energy into absorbing the moment. It was a much better alternative than remembering the past.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    MACE
     
    There was no way in hell I could sleep with Lena pressed up against me. I was used to my own nightmare startling me awake, so waking at 3:00 a.m. was the norm. Usually, I'd be able to get maybe an hour at five, before dragging my arse outta bed for work. That was not happening, though.
    Not only was I trapped beneath her warm body, but I was also caught up in remembering her scream. I'd heard it all the way from the deck. The sound had chilled my veins, all but stilling my heart. It also had made me move so goddamn fast back into the house that I wasn't quite sure if the wall had survived its impact with the door I'd slammed open.
    Her breaths were steady. Not that the knowledge made me relax. Instead, I was aware of every sound, every slight movement, and fuck, when her leg clamped over mine and then, about half an hour later, lifted up to rest just below my cock, brushing against it in the process, hell, I had no fucking control over the damn erection I was sporting.
    The sun was finally up, but there was no chance I was moving. The last thing I wanted