“I’m going to be fine, Reign. Nothing is broken, thank God. The doctors were shocked by that. It was a fluke. I stopped after work to pick up my dry cleaning. I’ve kept forgetting to do it. It was almost closing time, so I was relieved I’d made it in time. While I was waiting for them to gather my items, two men came in. It was instantly apparent they weren’t there to collect clothing. They were there to rob the place.”
As she paused, I sucked in a big gulp of air. She’d been caught up in a robbery!
“Anyway, the clerk tried to appease them, and he gave up all the cash he had in the drawer. It wasn’t enough. That’s when the men demanded that we hand over our money, cards, and any jewelry we had. I admit, I messed up. I gave them my cash, credit cards, bank card, and watch. What I didn’t do was remove the necklace hidden under my scrub top.
“They were about to leave when one of the guys caught a glimpse of the chain when I moved. He was furious and charged over to me, hitting me in the face with his fist a few times as he shouted for me to give it to him. I fought back, which only infuriated him more. His buddy kept his gun on the clerk while the other kept fighting me. I was knocked to the floor, kicked a few times until he got a hold of the chain and ripped it off. They left. The clerk called the cops.”
“Why the hell would you endanger your life for a necklace?” I snapped.
“It wasn’t just some necklace, not that it’s any of your business! And I fought because it was priceless to me. It’s the one piece I have that belonged to my granny, my mom’s mother. She was the only one who truly saw me and refused to try to change me. Granny told me I was perfect exactly as I was. Thatmy family could go to hell and I shouldn’t try to change anything for them.”
As her explanation sank in, I felt slightly ashamed of the way I reacted. She was right. It wasn’t any of my business. And I understood the sentimental value. There were things from my parents that held that importance to me. Anastasia was glaring at me. I held up my hand.
“Hang on there, don’t fry me with your laser beam glare. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Did the cops catch them?”
“They didn’t. And they’re not confident they will. They were masked. It seems that two masked men have been hitting up a variety of stores for weeks. There are no predictable places to stake out. They jump from dry cleaners to a coffee shop to a laundromat. They get away in the dark. Cameras haven’t been able to identify them. No escape vehicle has been noted outside either. The police are trolling the local pawn shops, hoping they might recover my necklace, but they weren’t too promising.”
“What is the extent of your injuries?” I asked.
“You’ve seen the eye, forehead, and mouth. My arms are a mess. The bigger thing is the bruising from the kicks. Those are truly colorful. I think they might even rival the ones you had,” she injected a teasing note into her voice.
“Christ, don’t say that. How long do the doctors want you to stay here?”
“They said if all remains stable, which they expect it will, I can go home tomorrow after they do morning rounds. I’ll be sore and slow-moving for a few days. No need to worry, you’ll get your sessions next week. I have a call out to a colleague to have him come in to cover for me.”
“I don’t give a shit about my treatments! I care about you,” I snapped as I came to my feet.
Disbelief swept across her face. Her mouth opened, but before anything came out, there was a double knock, then thedoor opened, and in walked Sam. In his hands, he held a bouquet. I was angry that I hadn’t brought her anything, but if I had, it wouldn’t have been flowers. He appeared surprised to see me. Sam faltered a moment, then kept walking until he reached the opposite side of her bed.
“Stasia, God, I just heard what happened. Arish told me. Why didn’t you have them call me last night? I would’ve been here in a heartbeat,” he told her.
“Sam, my family came. There was no need to worry or keep anyone else awake. I wasn’t in danger,” was her calm reply.
“Still, I would’ve come. Oh, here, before I drop these. I thought these would brighten your room. Hospital rooms are always so bland and clinical-feeling.”
He handed her the bouquet that was in a clear vase. I had to admit, grudgingly, they were pretty. Anastasia smiled at him, then smelled the flowers.
“Mmm, they smell good. Thank you. They’re beautiful. Would you mind putting them over next to the window?” she asked me, since I was on that side. I took them and congratulated myself for being mature and not dropping them.
“Reign, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. How did you know about Stasia?” Sam asked.
“Morgana called to cancel my appointment. From what she said, I found Anastasia and came to see what had happened, to make sure she was okay. It could’ve been so much worse,” I replied.
“Yes, it could’ve. And if you’re here to lecture me, Sam, don’t. I heard enough from my family and Reign. I know I was an idiot, but I don’t need to be told that over and over,” Anastasia snipped.
Instead of being upset, I found I liked that fire in her. I wondered what else would bring it out in her. Would she be able to turn it on and off at will? While I was dominantin many instances, it didn’t prevent me from loving a strong, independent woman. I thought the perfect mix was someone who could be both. It was one of the traits on my list of ideal partners.
“She’s even more beautiful when she’s feisty, isn’t she?” I said without thinking.
Sam gave me a searching look through narrowed eyes. Anastasia, on the other hand, had her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“What? It’s true. You’re smart, successful, funny, gorgeous, and now you add a strong, feisty side. Sam, you’re a lucky man. I’m glad to see you’re not hurt worse, Anastasia. I’ll wait to hear when you come back to work. I’ll let Morgana know not to bother scheduling me with your colleague. If I can’t have you, I don’t want a substitute. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Before I left, because if I stayed, I’d reveal more, I squeezed her hand and brought it to my lips, placing a kiss on the back. I stared deeply into her eyes.
“Take care of yourself, Anastasia. You’re priceless.”
It took every ounce of strength I had to leave that room. Out in the hallway, I walked to the elevators, but then I stood there, staring out the window instead of pressing the button. Cars swept in and out of the parking lot below. Vehicles zoomed by on the road. Tiny figures hurried in and out of the hospital. I don’t know how long I stood there before my name being called grabbed my attention. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed Sam bearing down on me, scowling. Right away, my first reaction was that something had happened to Anastasia.
