Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
When had he had the chance to do that?
Didn’t matter. Who knew what kind of germs that knife had on it? She had to clean the wound and dress it.
Oh God.
“Lie back down, baby. You’re in shock. I’ll be with you in a moment to help, okay? I’m just going to check in with Hayes and get something for this.” He waved at his arm.
“I’ll get the first aid kit!” she cried. “You shouldn’t be taking care of me. I should be looking after you.” She attempted to stand but wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing and tripped over the blanket.
“Oh no!” she cried.
But she should have known he’d catch her. He was a hero, after all. He grabbed her before she fell to the floor, grunting slightly.
Probably because she’d knocked into his arm.
“I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry,” she cried. She fully expected him to grow mad at her. She was mucking everything up. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, hey. You’re okay, baby. Everything is all right.”
It wasn’t, though. It just wasn’t.
But, shoot! She was doing it again! Ignoring his needs for her own. This wasn’t her. Or it wasn’t who she wanted to be. And she had to help Corbin. He was always taking care of her.
“Don’t . . . don’t distract me!” she told him, pulling away.
“I’m distracting you?” he asked, observing her carefully. “How am I distracting you?”
“By trying to take care of me when I’m supposed to look after you. You’re injured!”
“Baby, I’m fine. This is barely a scratch.”
“Barely a scratch!” she cried, her hands reaching up to tug at her hair. It was still pulled back into a ponytail so she dragged it free, tugging at the strands. The pain helped her clear her head.
“Hey, stop that. No hurting yourself.” He reached up with his good hand and freed her hand from her hair. “Everything is all right, Bebe.”
She shook her head. She was beginning to feel like she was on repeat. Her mind kept flitting from one thing to the other, unable to settle.
A sob broke free from her chest and she could feel the tears welling.
“Please.”
The word was broken. So garbled that she wasn’t sure that he’d be able to understand her. But he gently maneuvered her onto the sofa, then crouched in front of her. His face was filled with nothing but concern.
Surely, he had to be feeling some anger. Right?
Here she was acting nuts when he’d just been stabbed. There had to be a hundred other things he wanted to do rather than take care of her.
“What do you need?” he asked her.
She took in one breath. Then another.
Focus. Stay calm.
Get it together.
“Your arm. It needs to be cleaned and bandaged.”
“You’re right. It does. As soon as Hayes is back, I’m going to go do that, okay?”
She let out a shaky breath, nodding.
“You’re safe now, baby. I’m sorry. I know that was really scary. You must have been so panicked. But we’re back in the house. Hayes is with us. The security alarm is on. You’re safe.”
Was she safe?
She didn’t feel safe. Her stomach was bubbling with nausea. She was trembling. And all she wanted was to crawl into his lap and bawl like a baby.
Get it together.
“Are you feeling better now?” Corbin asked.
“Yes.”
Hopefully, that came out with more conviction than she felt. Because she felt like she was falling apart at the seams.
He eyed her for a long moment.
“Everything is secure,” Hayes said, striding back in. “You need to go take care of that wound. Who knows what that knife had on it. Your tetanus is up-to-date?”
Tetanus? Oh God.
A whimper escaped her and both men zeroed in on her. Corbin stood and shot Hayes a look.
“I’m up-to-date with everything. Besides, I’m fine. I’ll go clean up and be right back. Okay, Bebe?”
She nodded numbly.
“Stay right here with Hayes. Understand me?” There was a sterner note in his voice now. He pulled the blanket up and tucked it around her shoulders as he spoke. Then, with one finger, he tilted her face back. His finger felt like it was burning against her cold skin. “Understand?”
“Yes. I’ll stay here.”
26
Bebe paced back and forth in the living room.
Hayes moved through the living room and into the kitchen, checking the windows and doors yet again, his phone to his ear as he spoke to someone.
Maybe their boss.
Perhaps he was telling their boss that Corbin had been injured and they needed to quit this job and return home.
Oh God.
She really didn’t want them to go. She wanted them to stay here with her.
She wanted Corbin to stay with her.
And not because she was worried about her safety or the attacker, but after two and a half weeks, she couldn’t imagine being apart from him.
But what was the alternative? For him to stay and get hurt? And what about Hayes? Something like this could happen to him too.