Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“It’s all right,” she told him soothingly. “There was a car accident, and you hit your head pretty badly. You’re going to be fine, though.”
He frowned at her. Then glanced up at Maxim. “The truth.”
“If you didn’t have a hard head, you’d likely be dead, you asshole. Don’t ever fucking do that to me again.”
“Maxim,” she scolded. “You can’t talk to him like that.”
“Why not?” Victor asked. “It’s how he always talks to me.”
“What? Why? I thought you guys were close?”
“So did I, baby. So did I,” Victor said in a sad voice.
She turned to glare at Maxim for upsetting Victor. She admitted she was feeling overly protective of him at the moment.
She could have lost him.
No, don’t think of that right now.
But instead of appearing chagrined, Maxim was gaping down at Victor in shock. “Are you . . . are you joking around? Jesus, the doctor said you might have some fuzziness and cognitive issues, but he didn’t say you’d have a complete lobotomy.”
“Maxim!” she scolded again. “What is wrong with you?”
“Not as much as is wrong with him.”
Victor stared at her, hard. “Why don’t you look well? Maxim?” There was growing alarm in his voice, and she reached out to lightly grab his arm.
“Victor, I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Then why do you look like this?”
“I really look that bad?” She stared up at Maxim.
The other man shrugged. “I’ve been trying to tell you that he wouldn’t be happy that you haven’t been taking care of yourself when he woke up.”
She ground her teeth together. He was giving Victor more ammunition.
“What?” Victor growled.
She ran her hand up and down his arm. “Maxim, stop upsetting him. He’s supposed to be kept quiet.”
“Who said that?” Victor asked, then he coughed, wincing
She jumped up, trying to ignore the way the room spun, then reached for a cup. Only she managed to knock it off the nightstand.
“Drat. Sorry. I’ll get it.” She bent down and grabbed the cup.
But she didn’t remember trying to stand back up.
She awoke to a loud roaring noise.
“Why did she faint? What’s wrong with her?
“Mr. Malone. You have to calm down. You’ve got a head injury.”
“I don’t give a fuck about me. Put her on the bed with me.”
“We can’t put her on the bed with you, sir. It’s against policy.”
“Don’t we own this fucking hospital? Maxim?”
“We do,” Maxim said in the coldest voice imaginable. “And you are to treat her as well as you do us.”
“Better,” Victor snarled.
“Better,” Maxim agreed. “Go and get a spare bed and bring it in here for her.”
She then became aware of being placed next to a warm body. Arms that she knew well surrounded her, drawing her close.
“Baby,” Victor whispered in a broken voice. “Wake up.”
“I’m okay,” she told him, patting his chest and forcing herself to open her eyes. “Just tired. Need that coffee.”
“No coffee,” Maxim said in a firm voice. “You need sleep.”
“He’s being mean to me, Victor,” she complained, burying her face into his chest.
“No, he’s trying to take care of you. Something you clearly need.”
“You both need sleep,” Maxim told them. “And someone to look after you. Can’t say it’s my strong suit, but for now, it’s me. So, both of you go to sleep. Got me?”
And for once, she decided to do what he said without an argument.
She woke up with a cry. Sitting up in bed as her heart raced. The door knocking back into the wall made her scream again.
“It’s all right,” Victor said calmly, sitting as well. “She was having a nightmare.”
She had been?
Then it rushed back at her. Victor had been in a car accident. Turning to him, she hugged him as the door to their room shut and the guard disappeared. Poor guy, she’d probably scared him when she’d screamed.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Victor drew her back with him so they were lying on the bed once more. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
She heaved for breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
“What was it about?”
“Losing you,” she whispered. “It was about me losing you.”
He rolled onto his back, pulling her to lie on top of him. His arms held her tightly. And gradually, she started to relax.
“You’ll never lose me, baby. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” He ran his hand up and down her back.
Her heart started to slow. Turning her face, she kissed his chest. “I was so scared.”
“I know, I’m sorry for scaring you.”
“Then don’t do it again, you hear me, Victor Malone?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
15
She opened her eyes.
Damn, why did she feel so bad? Her entire body ached. She glanced around, seeing that she lay on one side of a double bed. It was a strange bed, though. Kind of hard and it smelled like a hospital.
She gasped and turned, searching out Victor. Where was he? Where was Aero? Why was she alone?