Ella’s face was pale.She leaned against the passenger seat, holding her elbow with her hand on her non-injured side.
“Almost home.”Those were the first words he had spoken to her in a good hour.
His adrenaline had been pumping, ever since he’d found her on the ground.
Seeing her broken and fragile ripped his chest in half, and he couldn’t process it, so he kept moving.
First in the ambulance, where he called Max to ask him to bring his car to the hospital, then at the hospital where they waited for two hours to be seen, and he wore a hole in the hospital floor.
He had to grit his teeth to keep from barking at the X-ray technician, the kind nurse and the doctor.
His phone kept him occupied and distracted.
Because guilt threatened to knock him on his ass if he stopped long enough for it to catch him.He got busy taking care of everything Ella would need for the next six weeks, and when he was done with that, even though it probably made him an asshole, he sent his boss back a yes.
When they reassured him for the third time that it was “only a shoulder dislocation,” and they could go home, he argued that Ella should stay in for overnight observation.
The doctor firmly told him there was no need for inpatient care and that she could follow up with her physician.
Zee blew out a breath, trying to dislodge the frustration that clawed at him from the inside.It was his job to take care of her, and he didn’t.
He should have fixed that fucking light.
When he saw her on the floor, fear gripped him, reaching into his chest with a chill and he’d been fighting off those dregs of panic ever since.
“I guess this gets me out of being your demo model for a while.”
He knew she was teasing but she winced as the car rolled up the drive.He white-knuckled the steering wheel, angry at himself.
He hated seeing her in pain.
“Home.Good, Ares and Josie are here.”
“I’m not up for company, Zee.Did you call them?”Her tone rang with incredulity.
“I should have given you a heads-up.I called them.I knew you’d need help.”
Because I’m not going to be here,the words were lodged in his throat, but he couldn’t make his mouth say them.
He got out before she could say anything, came around to her door, and helped her get out of the car, supporting her as she walked.
“I don’t need help,” Ella murmured.
Her cheeks were red, and he knew she was pissed off at him, but she was too polite, too well trained to let him have it in front of their friends.
“Zee, I got here as soon as I could.I saw the crew finish working when we drove in by the gates.”Ares Montague clapped Zee on the shoulder.
“Thanks for coming,” Zee said.
“Ella!I’m so sorry!You must be in a lot of pain.”Josie Montague rushed forward, her cane clacking on the pavement.
“I think the painkillers they gave me at the hospital are still working.”Ella’s smile didn’t meet her eyes.Zee took her arm, guided her up the steps to the front door.
“Let’s get you inside.”
“What crew do we have working on the gates?”Zee bit the inside of his cheek, wanting to hide everything from her because he didn’t want to cause her any further distress.
“We’re working on increasing security, and I had River Stone’s team take a look.”That wasn’t a lie.
