AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Claire’s shrill scream broke off, and she stared at Roman with her mouth open. Angela couldn’t blame her. Roman was looking particularly dashing in a dark blue suit and light blue button-up shirt. He rarely wore ties, but he had one on this afternoon in a deep burgundy. Either he no longer needed it, or he had only just put it on, because it was hanging loose around his neck. His top two buttons were also undone, completing the look. And what a look it is, Angela mused silently.
She shook off the inappropriate thought, giving Claire her entire focus. “Claire, I’m Dr. Angela Hawthorne. You’re in a private medical facility. You lost consciousness for quite a while. Has anything like this ever happened to you before?”
Claire looked at Angela straight on. She was very pretty and also appeared very young. Her hazel eyes were bloodshot, with dark smudges beneath them. She had a tiny frame and would likely be much shorter than Angela. Her light-brown hair was short in a pixie cut, and she was wearing scrubs, though not from any of the hospitals Angela knew.
Angela smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. “I’m going to give you a bit of oxygen through this mask, okay? And I’d like to check your blood pressure again while you talk to me.” She was glad when Claire licked her lips and nodded her head.
She still didn’t speak and Angela didn’t rush her. She went about administering some basic first aid with the oxygen, pleased when Claire’s blood pressure and oxygen levels rose. “You’re dehydrated—which can also cause fainting spells. I’d like to hook you up to some fluids. It will help you feel better.”
“I...” Claire finally spoke in a raspy voice. “I don’t think I drank anything today at all. Maybe I could just have some water instead of a needle?”
“You don’t like needles, huh?” Angela smiled, leaning in closer and winking. “That’s a shame. Needles are my specialty. But we’ll try it your way. Abel, would you mind getting Claire some water, please?”
When Abel moved to follow Angela’s instructions, Claire’s eyes fell on him once more. She scooted back on the bed when Abel held out the glass to her, staring at it like it was a snake. Poor Abel looked like he’d just discovered Santa wasn’t real. “It’s just water,” he said gruffly.
Claire eventually reached out a shaky hand, taking the glass. She sipped it slowly, murmuring a small thank you. “You were the one who hit Robert.”
“The guy assaulting you?” Abel questioned. “You know him?”
Claire nodded. “He’s my boyfriend.”
Angela saw the way Abel’s fists clenched and heard Roman’s soft curse in Italian. Or it could have been Sicilian. He interchanged the two languages often. She shot them both a look, urging them to simmer down, before stepping into Claire’s line of sight and blocking the males from view. “Your boyfriend? He’s abusive?”
“No,” Claire said swiftly. She recoiled, ducking her head. “Force of habit. I mean, yes. Yes, he is. Which is why I left him. I should have said ex-boyfriend.”
“You dumped his sorry ass? Good,” Abel snarled.
Claire flinched, and Angela cleared her throat. “Perhaps you and Roman could step outside?”
Before Abel could reply, Roman did instead. “Sorry. No dice. We don’t know her. You aren’t staying in here alone. We stay.”
Angela was about to tell Roman what she thought about that when Claire spoke up. “It’s okay. They can stay. Because I’m leaving.” She looked at Abel. “Thank you for saving me. Robert didn’t take well to me breaking up with him.” She slid off the bed, looking at her socked feet. “Where are my shoes?”
“Claire, I would really like you to stay a little longer. You were unconscious for a long time. Are you hurt anywhere I can’t see?” Angela asked quietly.
Claire shook her head. “I’m not hurt. But I haven’t been sleeping much,” she confessed.
“So, no water, no sleep, and lots of stress? Yep, that would explain your long nap,” Angela said lightly before turning serious. “Claire, my medical opinion is that you’re on the verge of exhaustion. And you’ve had a big scare today. I’d advise you to rest here for longer before I take you to the police station.”
Claire’s eyes widened. “The police? What for?”
“Because you were assaulted,” Angela stated simply.
“I’m not pressing charges,” Claire said quickly.
“Yeah, no point in that,” Abel agreed. “I’ll just go kill the guy. I think he was still breathing when I left. But that’s easily fixed.”
Angela closed her eyes, praying for patience. Poor Claire looked about ready to collapse again. “He doesn’t mean it,” Angela offered.
“Like hell, I don’t,” Abel growled.
Angela glared at him, mouthing, “Shut up.” The last thing the poor woman needed was Abel plotting murder.
“I want to leave. Now,” Claire insisted.
Before Angela could try to convince her to stay, Claire edged past the two men, not bothering with her shoes. When she opened the door, she came to a standstill. There were two men blocking her path. Angela frowned at Roman, who merely shrugged.
“She’s an unknown. Security is necessary,” he offered.
