If anyone could do it she could. The tightness in my shoulders eased just knowing I was getting out of the hospital. Getting rid of their pitiful looks would help a lot too.
“Okay, now you’ve gotten rid of everyone else, you better freakin’ tell me what the doc said.”
He looked so panicked it was obvious he’d been thinking the worst. I didn’t help any when I didn’t say anything right away, but damn it, it’s not exactly a conversation you want to have with a group of people. None of them should have known in the first place. We were going to have to talk aboutboundaries and sharing I guess. But for now I took pity on him. The poor guy was practically wringing his hands. “I wasn’t raped, the kit came back negative so did their examination. See, I told you.”
I swear he deflated like a balloon. One minute he was so stressed he looked like he was going to explode and the next he was wilted, hunched over and holding me so tight I could barely breathe.
Chapter Eighteen
Flame…
Fuck. If she’d waited one more minute I swear I’d have lost it. When the doc wouldn’t say anything I thought for sure she’d been raped. It was a huge fuckin’ relief to know she wasn’t, especially after I’d been fuckin’ tearing my hair out worrying about it.
Holding her close, inhaling the shampoo scent in her hair, was the best thing ever. This is where I was supposed to be, with her in my arms, and knowing she hadn’t been touched by some freak made it one hundred times better. I’d already been planning how I’d hunt the mother fucker down and tear him to pieces. Actually it still sounded like a good plan, but maybe not the best idea. No one was going to touch my woman and get away with it.
“Baby, you’re squeezing too hard.” Michelle squirmed in my arms.
“Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No but I can’t breathe. You really did get a lot stronger while you were on tour.”
Displaying my ripped arm, I flexed my guns. “I told you. Feel ‘em. Fucking solid.”
She laughed and squeezed. “Nice. I’m impressed.”
“Thanks.” Impressing her made my day and I figured I had a shit eating grin on my face to prove it. Shithead. She probably thinks I’m a dork, she’s in the freakin’ hospital for Christ’s sake. Focus. Relieved about the good news, there was still an asshole out there who needed to be found. “If there’s only one set of DNA, it’s probably me so we still don’t have a clue.”
“I guess not. I didn’t think about that. I wonder if the police have any clues.”
“We’ll have to wait until you talk to the detective I guess. Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt you, or just fuck with you?” If I hadn’t been focused on her face I might’ve missed it. A quick flash of something, a memory? Whatever it was turned her even paler than she’d been. “Who or what are you thinking about?”
“Umm I really don’t think he’d do it. He seemed so I don’t know—wimpy—maybe is the best word for it.”
“Who did?”
She shrugged. Obviously she didn’t want to say anything else. She was lucky the nurse came in before I could say more.
“It looks like you’re getting discharged. I bet you’re happy?”
“Oh yeah. Totally. No offense but I hate hospitals.”
“I don’t blame you, honey, I wouldn’t want to be here a minute longer than I needed to either. I’m going to take out the IV. The doctor is working on your discharge papers and someone will be up from Patient Services about the bill. You know they never let you out of here without signing your life away.”
“Oh crap I forgot about the bill.”
“No worries babe I’ve got it covered.” The look she gave me should have killed me I swear. I was trying to a good thing and but you wouldn’t know it from the look on her face.
“I have insurance. The information is in my wallet. Can you call Cyn to ask her to bring it?”
“You don’t…” Seeing her follow up death stare I shut the fuck up and nodded. Digging the phone out of my pocket, I called Chaos.
“Hey bro, can you ask Cyn to bring Michelle’s wallet when you come back? Uh huh. Nope. Yup. Good. See you soon.”
For once I had perfect timing. They were just about ready to head back over. And while I was taking care of the wallet issue with Chaos, the nurse took out Michelle’s IV, a win-win. I didn’t like the sight of blood, mine or anyone else’s. It didn’t mean I wanted Michelle to know I was a pussy.
“They’re on the way back and bringing the wallet. I just caught them.”
“Great. I can’t wait to get out of here. I hate hospitals.”
