“I do hope so,” I told him. “That was, after all, the intention. Two of Clara’s were broken, so I’m hoping to at least match that. Now, where was I? Ah yes. I believe this is, in fact, your signature move.” I drew my hand back, and it flew through the air to connect with the side of Frank’s face with a satisfying crack. “You didn’t actually break the orbital bone with this blow, and I’m quite sure your bone structure is not as delicate as your daughter’s, given she is half your size, but hopefully we’ll get lucky and you’ll sustain at least a hairline fracture… Oh, do get up.”
The blow had taken Frank down onto one knee. He staggered to his feet and away from me, but I wasn’t done. Not yet.
“Now, on to the wrist.”
Chapter 35
You both deserve some peace
Clara
I startedto gather my hair up into a ponytail, but then winced when I pulled on the stitches.
“Fuck it,” I muttered under my breath as I threw the hairband into my small backpack and tucked my hair behind my ears. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before slinging my backpack over my shoulder and turning away from the bedside table.
“Miss Mason?” a nurse called to me from the doorway and my eyes closed in frustration. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“I’ve seen the doctor this morning. I’ve had twenty-four hours of observation. There was nothing to find on the scan. I’m going home.”
She darted a nervous look behind her, then back at me. “Listen, I don’t think you should––”
“I cannot afford private care,” I said through grittedteeth.
“But that’s not a problem,” the nurse said through a wide smile. “Lord Sterling is?—”
“Lord Sterling has nothing to do with me. I’ll pay my own bill, and I’m leaving right now.”
“Thank you so much, but please don’t worry, nurse,” Rafe’s deep voice came from the doorway, and the nurse’s shoulders dropped with relief. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Of course, Lord Sterling,” the nurse said in full deferential mode, just like everyone slipped into around Rafe. She smiled at me before sweeping past Rafe to leave the room. I gritted my teeth.
“Oh, this is good,” he said, holding eye contact with me as he stepped into the room. “You’re all packed. That’ll save us some time.”
I blinked at him. “There’s nous, Rafe.” My voice was neutral. To be honest, I felt completely drained. I couldn’t take on the unstoppable force that was Rafe Sterling at the best of times, but now, in my physically and emotionally exhausted state, I didn’t stand a chance. “You are not responsible for me.”
His eyes flashed, but he didn’t snap back. Instead, he clenched his jaw and shoved his hands into his pockets, but not before I saw the scrapes and bruising over his knuckles. I dropped my bag and flew over to him without any conscious thought as if it was just an instinct I had to follow.
“What happened to your hands?” I asked, reaching to pull one out from his pocket, then holding it in both of mine. When I turned it over, I gasped at the injuries on the knuckles and down to the wrist.
He shrugged, watching me carefully as I stroked the skin next to the scratches.
“I’m okay, darling,” he said softly, and my eyes flewto his.
Being this close to him again was a total sensory overload. It cut through the numbness I’d been mired in, taking me completely off guard. His other hand slowly reached up to my face and so, so gently swept some of my fringe back from my forehead. The contact was electric and the look on his face was almost savage in its intensity.
Lost in the moment and overwhelmed at having him this close, my body swayed towards him like it was on autopilot. His pupils dilated and he leaned down a fraction, but before my mouth could make contact with his, I dropped his hand and took two rapid steps back.
Frustration crossed Rafe’s expression for a moment, but he clenched his jaw again and reined it in. Somehow, I could tell that his instinct was to not allow me any form of retreat, but he was holding himself back. I remembered my flinch from the day before and I felt my face heat.
This was yet another reason Rafe and I would not work. I was simply… broken. Like a clock that still ticked but never told the right time. If I were ever to consider another relationship, it would need to be with a quiet, short guy with very little musculature and an extremely patient disposition. Not someone like Rafe: someone alpha, ultra-masculine, entirely too tall and too built, with innate arrogance and the kind of terrifying presence that dominated every room no matter who might be there.
I wrapped my arms around my middle and broke eye contact with him to look out of the window.
“H-how did you hurt your hands?” I repeated.
There was a long pause. “I had to deal with something… unpleasant, but that’s over now. Clara, I’ve come to take you home.”
“Back to my flat?”
