“No,ma’am.”
“All right. I’ll be back in a few minutes with a wheelchair to get you out ofhere.”
I take my phone from my pocket and text Ray to drive around to the discharge area. “You’re coming home—to our house—and I’m going to take care ofyou.”
“I’m fine, Tristan. Just a little beat up. I can go to mycondo.”
“Hell no, you’renot.”
She got out of a Bentley, had a purse full of cash, and was wearing a twenty-thousand-dollar necklace around her neck. This guy could have told his buddies about her and where she lives. They could come back to rob her. There’s not a chance in hell that I’m letting her go to that condotonight.
“I have a security system.” She thinks a security system is supposed to make me feelbetter?
“It is my job to protect you and I didn’t. You can’t possibly imagine how I feel rightnow.”
“This wasn’t your fault, Tristan. I left and told you to stay away from me. It wasn’t possible for you to protect me fromthis.”
It is my fault. “It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been at home where you belong. And you’d have been at home if I hadn’t fuckedup.”
She’s sitting on the side of the bed, and I move to stand between her legs, lowering myself to squat before her. “You can have our bedroom, and I’ll take one of the guest rooms if you like, but please come back home so that I can keep yousafe.”
She looks at me for a moment and then slowly nods. “Allright.”
I hold her in my arms the whole way home, just the way I did on the night that I slipped her the sedative cocktail and brought her from the hotel to my house. This time isn’t a lot different. She’s sedated and sleeping in my arms with my hand resting over her chest, monitoring the rate of her breathing and beat of herheart.
I love the fuck out of this girl. My love is beyond reason, and I would do anything in the world for her without a bit ofhesitation.
Ray opens the door and walks ahead of me as I carry her into the house and up the stairs to our bedroom. He pulls back the covers, and I lower her to her side of ourbed.
“Please take off my dress, Tristan. It’suncomfortable.”
Her dress has blood splattered down the front. Her blood. I wish I had thought ahead and had someone pick up a change of clothes for her so she wouldn’t have to wear it home when she was discharged from thehospital.
“Thank you, Ray. That’ll beall.”
“Yes,sir.”
I sit beside her on the bed, and she rolls to her stomach, allowing me to lower her zipper. “Do you want me to get you agown?”
“I want to sleep in one of your T-shirts.”
I smile at her request. “Okay,love.”
I could go to my closet and take out one of my clean undershirts, but instead I grab the neck of the T-shirt that I’m wearing and pull it over my head. I want her surrounded by my smell so she can breathe me in while she sleeps. So she can feelsafe.
She turns onto her side into the fetal position and is back asleep in a matter of no time. How do I know? Because she’s snoring. God, how I’ve missed that damn snore thisweek.
I sit in the corner chair and watch her sleep. And I’m content. For now. But we have to talk when she’s awake and feeling better. We have to work out this issue. I can’t be apart from her anymore. And I hope that she feels thesame.
* * *
Emma Lia is still sleepingthe next morning when I step away from her side to call Cat. If there’s ever been a time to dread a phone call and be excited about it at the same time then this isit.
“Hello,Tristan.”
“Hey, Cat. Are youbusy?”
“I’m always busy, but I can make time for you. What’s goingon?”
