Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
But in that moment, she was terrified of any man she didn’t know.
“No one comes near you that you don’t want.” The words were said low and firm.
As though he meant every word. As though he would never break a promise to her.
Devi wasn’t sure that she believed him. But those words and that tone helped cut through her panic. They helped her breathe.
“That’s it, just breathe nice and slow for me,” he told her. “You’re doing so well. Keep going. In. Hold. Out. Listen to me. What code word do you want to use for when you need me to take over?”
Had he really said that?
She shouldn’t fall into this dream. Into the idea of him. Devi had no idea why he was doing this . . . feeding her fantasy that she could be his.
His woman. His baby girl.
He likely just pities you.
“You need to stop thinking,” he told her firmly. “Stop thinking right now.”
Her mind cleared of thoughts. “How do you do that?”
“Get you to obey me? It’s my superpower.”
A soft snort escaped her. “What’s your kryptonite?”
“Those I love being taken from me.”
It hit her like a bowl of cold water being poured over her. May had been taken from him. She wasn’t May. He felt nothing for her like he did his wife.
But maybe this had hit him harder than she thought.
“I’m alive. I’m all right.” She stared up at him. And she really studied him this time.
He looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and his shoulders were slightly slumped. Worry clung to him.
Worry and . . . anger?
“Are you mad at me?”
Shock had his eyes widening. “No, baby, never.”
“I need to check her over.” That came from the nurse.
Shit. She’d forgotten about him. She instantly tensed and then cursed herself. He was a nurse.
He wasn’t going to attack her.
“Devi needs a female nurse. Go get one,” Hayes demanded,
“Excuse me? She can’t just demand a female nurse.”
“I can’t,” she said to Hayes.
“Of course you can. Kent?”
“On it. Go find a female nurse, now. That patient was attacked by armed men. Do you think she wants a strange man touching her right now? In her space? No, she doesn’t. Especially not one with so little empathy that he doesn’t recognize that. So go and find a female nurse and I will try not to lodge a complaint with the administration.”
The nurse fled and Devi stared at the handsome guy with light brown hair standing by Mac.
He nodded at her, his face filled with worry and fatigue. That seemed a familiar theme around here. Mac looked terrible too.
“Hi, Devi. I’m Kent Jensen. I own JSI Security.”
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she whispered. “For me.”
“Of course he did it for you, girl,” Mac told her. “Any of us would. Shit, Devi. I’ve got to go and let Michelle and Silla know you’ve woken up. Silla went home to shower. Michelle was gonna go box up some of your pottery for the show. She wanted to do something productive to help. We all do. I might close the tavern for the night and go help her. Mind you, I’m feeling a bit shaky.”
Alarm filled her. “Are you all right, Mac? You should go home and rest.”
He wiped at his eye. Was he . . . was he crying?
“Mac?” she asked, with growing alarm.
“Yeah, just got something in my eye. I’ll be back later.”
“What about the tavern? Who will cover for me? What about the café? Oh, Aaron is going to be mad.”
“Honey called him,” Hayes told her.
Honey? Oh, right. She remembered her. She’d found her in the trailer with Zander.
“Did he . . . was he upset?” she asked with a wince.
“Yeah, but that’s his problem not yours.” Hayes scowled.
That was a weird thing to say.
“Don’t worry about the tavern,” Mac told her. “Just get better.” His gaze moved over her as he patted her hand, then left.
She watched as Kent walked out with him.
“It’s really my problem. I should be there.”
She tried to sit up, but her left arm wouldn’t work properly. “What’s wrong with my arm?”
Oh God.
How had she forgotten?
Her breathing grew faster.
“Calm down,” Hayes ordered. “Breathe. Don’t think about that. Don’t think about anything.”
That was impossible when her brain kept showing her images of what had happened.
How had she forgotten that he’d stabbed her arm! Fury had stabbed her arm!
“H-how bad?” Her teeth started chattering. How could she work with an injured arm? Well, it would be difficult, but she could do it.
But what about her pottery? She still had a few pieces to finalize. How could she . . . how could she do that?
“What’s your most hated vegetable or fruit?”
Huh?
Was he having some sort of strange moment? Was he ill? Why would he ask her that?
“Tell me, baby.”
God, she couldn’t think.