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ChapterFifteen
I wokeup in a hospital bed on my side. James was still holding my hand, petting my hair as he and the others spoke.
“Once she’s awake, I’m comfortable discharging her. None of the cuts were too deep, just a lot of them which made it look worse than it was. She got lucky. She might be a little sore, she should stay off her feet for a few days, but otherwise, she’s going to be okay.”
“Thank you, Sean.”
I heard him chuckle lightly. “Yeah, well, do me a favor and stop ending up here. You guys went years without incident but the minute you fall in love someone ends up in my ER.”
Sean left the room, his footsteps unhurried. James shifted but didn’t move away from me. “Thank you for your help.”
I heard a snort. “You’re my brother, by blood or not. Of course I’m going to help you. Dmitriy is going to be pissed you scratched his car though.”
I opened my eyes, blinking to clear my fuzzy vision. Glancing up at James, I saw his slight smile as he spoke to Liam. He felt me shift and looked down.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling?”
He squatted until he was eye level with me, a soft smile on his lips. Liam excused himself, giving us privacy. James ran his fingers through my hair and I felt a few stray tears slip out.
“What happened?”
He frowned. “Do you remember the break in?”
I nodded once. I knew that part. What I didn’t know was why. James sighed.
“We haven’t figured out who it was yet or why they were after you. We’re checking cameras as best we can but for now, you’re going to come stay with me. I’ll swing by your place later to grab you some clothes but until we know what’s going on, it’s safer if you aren’t alone. Okay?”
My chin quivered as I fought back tears. I’ve never experienced anything as terrifying as that before. Normal break ins are usually about stealing stuff. I’ve never heard of one where they chased the occupant down the street. James cupped my neck, bringing me back to reality.
“I know you’re scared. It’s going to be okay. Just give me some time, I’ll figure this out.” He helped me sit up slowly, letting my legs hang off the side of the bed. We were still in the room I fell asleep in. It was a small trauma room with cabinets against one wall and a large surgical lamp above me. The room must have been cleaned because there weren't any signs that I had been treated, even the trash can was empty. James pulled me in close, hugging my shoulders.
I didn’t want to cry anymore. I still felt lethargic and achy but nowhere near as bad as before. I just wanted to get out of here. I tried to slip out of bed but James caught me, pulling me into his arms.
“Wait. Your feet were a little torn up from running down the alley. It might hurt to walk around for a bit. Sean said we can go if you’re ready.”
His hold was gentle but my back still stung. Still, it was better than him letting go. I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting out a breath. I’ll take the pain as long as he keeps holding me.
James set me down long enough to wrap me in his suit jacket. I was leaving in the hospital gown since they had to cut off my top but luckily they left my leggings alone so I wasn’t completely exposed. Once I was covered, he carried me out, following Liam back to the SUV. I didn’t recognize any of the guys with them but they all went to separate cars, only one guy I didn’t know joined Liam, James, and I in the SUV. He turned in his seat, giving me a sympathetic look as James climbed in with me still wrapped in his arms.
“Alright, where are we going?”
“Home.”
* * *
I fellasleep on the ride to the house. I remembered James telling me once that he lived at Liam’s house so he could stay close and do his job better. At the time, I teased him for being a workaholic. I barely woke up when James pulled me from the car and back into his arms. The night air was cool and I shivered. James tucked me closer, my head against his chest and brought me inside where Jo was waiting anxiously.
“She’s okay?”
I felt James nod. “She’ll be okay. She needs rest for now.”
I saw Liam draw Jo into his arms, rubbing her back. “She’s tired, Jo. Why don’t you visit her tomorrow when she’s more alert?”
She nodded, clinging to him, her brow furrowed as she watched James walk away with me. I let my eyes drift back shut and didn’t wake up again until morning.
The night was rough, I kept dreaming someone was chasing me down a dark hallway. James waited on the other side, his arms open but no matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t get any closer to him. I woke up tense and still exhausted.
I was on my stomach and James held my hand, still asleep beside me. He was on his side, a frown on his face, wearing a pair of grey sweats and nothing else. I shifted carefully to face him. Someone, I’m assuming James, changed my clothes because I was in one of his button up shirts, my underwear, and not much else. I was still sore, probably from the fall. The cuts on my back stung but the shirt was loose so it didn’t rub against them. I wasn’t throbbing anymore and I could take a deep breath too. I shifted closer, pressing myself against him. He wrapped around me immediately, careful to avoid my back.
