Page 57 of Loving Her Enemy

“Thanks for everything, Bri, and don’t go anywhere without security until further notice.”

“Okay.”

When the door closed, Sloane returned his attention to Halayna.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He placed a tender kiss on her lips, but her eyes were still closed. “Halayna?”

“Sloane, I’m so tired,” she said weakly but opened her eyes.

“I know. We’re going to get you all fixed up, but right now, just rest.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and when one slipped down her cheek, it was like taking a punch to the gut.

“I was so scared,” she sobbed as a few more tears fell.

Sloane struggled to keep his shit together, but he felt so damn helpless. He sat on the bed and carefully gathered her into his arms. “You scared me half to death,” he said close to her ear, his voice shaking. “I may never let you out of my sight again.”

He leaned back without releasing her and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. Seeing such sadness in her eyes broke his heart, and he’d do anything to fix this.

“I love you,” he said. “I love you so damn much, and I know it wasn’t part of the deal, but it happened. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, and I’m not sorry. All I know is I can’t imagine my life without you. And when I found out you were hurt…” He shook his head, struggling to keep his composure. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Halayna.”

Her watery eyes searched his, and she touched his cheek. “I love you too. I love you so much,” she whispered.

“Oh, thank God,” Sloan said, still holding her chin within his hand.

He was glad the feelings were mutual, but he’d been prepared to spend the rest of his life getting her to fall in love with him.

Unable to help himself, he kissed her with all the love flowing through him, thankful that he hadn’t lost her today.

When she groaned in pain, Sloane jerked back. “Shit. I’m sorry. You okay?”

“My head hurts, and I want to go home.”

“Okay. Anything you want.” He gave her another quick kiss. “I’ll make it happen.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Halayna didn’t want to leave the house. She didn’t want to leave her bedroom, and she definitely didn’t want to see anyone except Bristol. Her friend was still blaming herself for what happened, but Halayna didn’t blame her. Nor did she blame Sloane, who faulted himself for not preparing her for this part of his life. The part where he couldn’t go anywhere without some form of security.

No, Halayna blamed Marcella. She also blamed those vultures who came after her at the mall yesterday.

Taking a deep breath in, then releasing it slowly, Halayna turned to face the window in their sitting room, off the master suite. She was sitting in her favorite overstuffed chair, thinking about her new life.

Yesterday’s attack, and yes, that’s how she viewed it, was still at the forefront of her mind. Thanks to the pain pills, she’d been able to sleep through the night, but since waking up, flashbacks of the scene at the store kept racing through her mind.

She didn’t hate many people, but she hated Marcella and her reporter friend. That also went for the media or the press, or whatever they were called these days. Maybe these feelings were ridiculous, but she couldn’t help the way she felt. None of those people took into consideration how their actions would affect her and Sloane. People acted as if they had a right to dig into her life. Like they were entitled to her personal business, demanding she talk with them or take pictures with them.

Halayna hated it. They hadn’t given a damn about her or her safety.

Marcella had been too busy being vindictive to consider whether Halayna and Sloane had planned to share their marriage news with the world at their own time. Then there was Clint who didn’t bother giving them a heads-up about the article. At least then, Sloane would’ve thought to prepare her for what was to come. Instead, the news had spread so quickly that, by the end of the day, the whole world had known about their marriage.

Not only that, but Sloane feared photos of her unconscious and bloodied at the store might end up online or somewhere in the media. He’d been furious and was out for blood, metaphorically.

When they arrived home from the hospital, there were people from his legal team at the house. Not only that, but he had also reached out to his publicists as well as Van, who he claimed to use specifically for off the books work.

Sloane not only wanted the internet scrubbed of all pictures of her at the store, but he also demanded his legal team figure out how to hold the store responsible for her accident. His intention was to make any and everyone involved in yesterday’s fiasco pay.

That included Marcella. He blamed her for sharing their business which snowballed into Halayna being ambushed at the store. He had already put the word out to the business community and his circle of business associates that anyone who did business with her, would never do business with him again. His plan was to destroy her professionally, wanting her to feel just how far his reach went.