Page 9 of Her Noble Protector

She shook her head. Back and forth, until long dark tendrils stuck to her cheek and mouth. Now she couldn’t see. The black made her heart shudder. She unlocked one arm and smeared the hair out of her face. He’d said something else while she’d been shaking her head, but she hadn’t heard him.

“That’s why she can’t make it. I hope you can understand. She’d love it if you’d call her and let her know you’re safe. Can you do that, Lisa?”

Lisa glanced over at her nightstand, the one that used to have her pretty lamp on it. She’d thrown her cell phone in it after she’d turned it off. The cell phone that had been with her in the jungle.

Her hand clutched her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She tried to suck in air, but it wouldn’t work.

The drawer of the nightstand narrowed until it was all she could see.

She gasped. She needed air, but there wasn’t any.

The cell phone was in the drawer trying to reach out and get her.

Where was the air?

Her head hit the headboard and she saw her ceiling fan; black dots were whirling around in front of her eyes. No air.

I’ve got to breathe. I’ll die if I don’t breathe.

She felt herself sinking. The black was taking over; would there be nightmares in the black?

* * *

“The view of the sunset out here is amazing. Is that why you bought this place?”

Huh?

She heard a man’s voice from far away. It hurt her head. Her bathroom light was on, she could see that all of her bed covers, including the sheet, were on the floor. Her pajamas stuck to her body, and when she touched her temples to try to stop the pain, she felt the grease in her hair.

“I’m going to use your lounger to sleep out here tonight.”

What?

Lisa blinked hard, trying to remember. He’d been here at ten o’clock this morning. She looked at the clock, it was six at night. She remembered he’d gone away, he must have come back.

Raiden.

Raiden Sato.

Asian. Big. He’d been big in Miami, while she’d been in the hospital. Muscles. His hands were twice the size of hers. He’d scared her at first, but those warm brown eyes with his high cheekbones had gotten to her. And his smile. How could a man who was a soldier have such a tender smile?

She’d asked him to go. He’d left her hospital room, but he never really left. She’d felt his presence outside, and after a while, his presence made her feel safe.

Maybe this time he’d really leave.

She moved over to the other side of the mattress and went to put her feet on the floor. That’s when she realized the shards of glass were still there. She couldn’t walk to the window.

“Go away.” Her voice was husky from disuse. She knew he couldn’t have heard her.

“What did you say, honey?”

Lisa swallowed. “Go away.” Her voice was louder.

“I can’t do that.” Still gentle, his voice even sounded kind. He was disagreeing with her. He wouldn’t do as she asked, but he sounded kind. It made no sense.

“Go away, Raiden.” She put the firm in her voice.

“You remember me; that’s good, honey.” Now she heard the smile in his voice. So many nuances.