by Nikki Rose
“It has definitely been a long night. Can I give my official report tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I got the gist of it, but I’ll need for you to fill in the blanks.”
“I’m going to need a clean-up team.”
“For?”
“Possibly Caballero and two of his men. Their backup was arriving, so I didn’t stick around to check.”
“Damn, Anthony. Any casualties on our side?”
“No, sir. We’re safe and heading back to my apartment now, but Rachel’s pretty banged up. We might need to have the doc check her out.”
“I’ll make the arrangements. You just take care of your girls.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll check back in at zero-eight-hundred.”
I ended the call and Rachel looked at me curiously. “Clean-up team?”
“To get rid of any lost weapons, bodies—whatever Ian’s men might have left behind.”
“Bodies? I—” She couldn’t manage the words.
“My team will take care of everything.”
Rachel nodded. Judging by her glazed eyes and lack of expression, the numbness of shock was settling in. She stared out of the window as buildings came back into view. I’d give her some time to process what had happened on her own before trying to talk to her.
Before I knew it, we were pulling back into the apartment parking. A car door shut behind us, making Rachel jump.
“It’s just one of my guys with the truck. He’s going to drive this back. Can you walk?” I reached over and grasped her hand, wishing there was something I could do to comfort her.
She just nodded. I was afraid this was going to be a major setback for Rachel after everything she’d been through in Colombia. We had just been getting back on track and now she’d been exposed to another trauma because I’d let her walk right back into that psycho’s clutches.
I cradled Belle in my arms as she slept. When I’d told her it was over, she’d believed me. She was safe again, but the thought of what could have happened, of losing my little girl, had sent fear coursing through me like nothing I’d ever felt before. I held her tight to my chest and vowed to protect her always. I would destroy anyone who threatened her well-being again.
Rachel followed me up to the apartment and I unlocked the door, letting her in first. I made sure I locked the door behind us. We all needed a little extra security after the night we’d had. “I’m going to tuck Belle in and I’ll be right back.”
When I came back after getting my little girl settled, Rachel was still standing at the door where I’d left her.
“Hey, let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.” I led her to sit on the couch. Holding on to her shoulders, I turned her to face me. “Rachel, are you okay?”
She nodded, still not saying a word.
I needed a better look at her. I flipped on the side lamp and she flinched.
“I’m sorry.” I hesitated before taking her hand. “Can you talk to me, please?”
“I shot Ian.” Her words had no emotion behind them. She might as well have said ‘the sky is blue.’
“Yes,” I spoke calmly, not wanting to say anything to upset her.
“I killed him.” She looked down at her knotted fingers. I wished I had been the one to shoot that bastard. She didn’t need to have his blood on her hands.
“Rach, listen to me. He didn’t give you a choice. He would have shot Belle. You saved her life tonight.” I wasn’t going to let her get away with blaming herself.
“Is she okay?” She looked up at me with the first glimmer of expression since she had pulled that trigger.
“She’s fine, thanks to you. Just worn out.”
“I’m so tired.” Rachel looked beyond exhausted. She put her face in her hands and rested her elbows on her knees.
I brushed away a wild strand of her hair. “You want to go to bed?”
She looked down at the dirt on her hands and knees. “I’m dirty.”
“Would you like a bath?”
“That sounds nice.” She began to shiver.
I led her into the bathroom. Closing the lid on the toilet, I had her sit there while I ran the water. The room filled with the smell of lavender from oils as I added them. Rachel tried to reach her arms up to remove her shirt, but she cringed midway, obviously from the pain.
“Here… Let me help.” I hurried over to her and peeled off each dirt-stained piece of clothing until she was completely bare before me. Fresh bruises were already starting to form along her midsection, but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by staring, so I set my mind on taking care of her instead of on what she’d been through.
Steam billowed around her like a fog. She sank into the hot water and with the heat able to seep into her muscles, she began to visibly relax. From this position, I couldn’t help but better notice the angry bruises along her side and belly. She looked up at me, catching me eyeing her injuries.
“Oh, Rach.” I stroked down her cheek softly. I took a deep breath and steeled myself, even though seeing her so broken again gutted me. “I’m going to have you checked out by the company doctor.”
“Tomorrow, please? I don’t want to go anywhere tonight.”
“I have a guy who’s coming here. That reminds me… I'm going to double check on that. Are you okay here alone for a few minutes?”
She nodded, cupping a little water in her hand and watching it pour through her fingers before leaning back again.
I hurried out to make the call and came back with a glass of water and two aspirin. “Here. These should help.”
She took the pills and I lathered the soap in my hands, rubbing it gently over her back and shoulders. I wanted to wash away more than the dirt. I wanted to wash away the whole night.
After her bath, I wrapped her in my robe, which was too big and nearly swallowed her whole, when there was a quiet knock at the door. Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin. She gripped my forearm tight.
“It’s okay. That’s probably just the doctor. Go on into the bedroom and put on your pajamas. They’re on the bed. I’ll bring him in there in just a minute.”
She pulled the robe tighter around her body with trembling hands before she turned and disappeared into the bedroom. I went into the living room to answer the door.
The doctor was dressed in black slacks and a crinkled white dress shirt. I wondered if he’d even had a chance to go to sleep before I’d called to drag him out here. His black bag reminded me of the old movies when doctors making house calls was a normal thing. “Hey, Doc. Thanks for coming at such a late hour.”
“No problem. Where’s the patient?”
“This way.” I led him down the hall to my bedroom and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Rachel’s voice cracked and pain laced her voice.
“Rachel, this is Dr. Collins. He’s here to examine your injuries.”
She tensed like a scared animal, cornered and ready to bolt as we approached.
“It’s okay, Rach. He’s a friend. He’s going to make sure you’re okay. He was nice enough to come over so you don’t have to go to the hospital. That’s what you wanted, right? To stay here and not have to go anywhere?”
She nodded and seemed to calm down a bit. Dr. Collins’ face was soft. He had a gentle smile, but the long scar down his cheek hinted at someone harder.
“Hello, Rachel. I heard you had quite a night. Would you mind if I took a look at some of your injuries?” He motioned toward the bed. She moved and sat down carefully on the mattress.
“Can you lie down for me?”
She nodded but cringed as she lowered herself onto the blanket. It was everything I could do not to rush to her, but I needed to give the doctor some space to work.
“Do you want me to give you some privacy?” I asked, even though the last thing I wanted to do was leave the room.
Panic visibly shot through Rachel and she tried to sit up. Her voice rose for the first time since we’d been back. “No,” She cringed and held her
midsection as the pain must have taken over.
“Whoa. Stay calm. You don’t need to be moving like that for a little while. Lie back and let’s have a look.” Dr. Collins guided her back onto the mattress.
I rushed closer and held her hand. Her glassy blue eyes looked up at me, pleading with me. “Please, don’t leave me.”
“Never. I’m just going to move around the bed so I can be out of the doctor’s way, okay?”
As I came around to the other side of the room, my eyes never left hers. I climbed carefully onto the bed and scooted to sit close enough to hold her hand. Dr. Collins lifted her shirt and she sucked in a deep breath to keep herself still through the pain.
“Some nasty bruises.” He mused as he studied her blue-and-purple midsection.
He pressed lightly on her injuries, retreating quickly when she cried out at two particularly painful spots.
“Shh-h,” I comforted her, running my hand gently over her forehead. Our eyes met and I held her there with my gaze while Dr. Collins busied himself with all those things doctors do.
“She has bruised ribs, possibly a small fracture, but I couldn’t say for sure without an x-ray. Either way, the treatment would be the same. Rest and limited activity for four-to-six weeks.” My jaw clenched but the doctor continued. “Her lungs sound good. All things considered, she’s in pretty good shape.”
“Pretty good shape?” I scoffed, but the doctor remained neutral.
“She’s clearly in shock. You need to watch over her very carefully for the next couple of days. I’d recommend a follow-up examination in two weeks.” He glanced at Rachel then back to me. “You might want to consider a psych eval too. That kind of trauma…”
I nodded and got off the bed. “Thank you, Luke. I really appreciate you taking the time to come out here this late.”
“It’s no problem. She needs plenty of rest. Make sure she’s taking deep breaths. She’ll want to keep them shallow because of the pain, but that can lead to more problems. Call me if you have any questions or if she gets worse instead of better.”
“Will do. I’ll walk you out.” I looked back at her, lying there so helpless, and I wished for a moment that Ian hadn’t died, only so that I could take my time with him myself. “I’ll be right back. I’m just in the next room, okay?”
She nodded and I walked out with Luke.
When I got back, Rachel was lying on her side, sobbing, her whole body trembling.
“Rachel…” I whispered, slipping into bed and wrapping my arm around her from behind. She inched back, letting my body cradle hers. I wanted nothing more than to comfort her and take away her pain. I stroked the hair from her tear-dampened face and whispered reassuring words in her ear as she started to doze off in the early morning light.
“You’re all right now. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
* * * *
A scream woke me in the middle of the night. At first, I expected it to be Rachel, but I looked over to see her jumping up from the bed at the same time as me. Rachel doubled over and held her ribs, but as the haze of sleep left me in a rush, I realized who the scream belonged to. Belle.
“Stay here,” I ordered Rachel, already halfway into the hall.
“Belle, Belle what’s wrong?” I called as I ran to her room.
Belle sat on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, sobbing.
“Belle, did you have a bad dream?”
“I thought I was back with that mean man.” She managed to get out between hiccups.
“You are safe and sound at home, baby. I’m here.” I sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her onto my lap. Belle nuzzled into my chest and I held her tight, wishing I never had to let her go. She sniffled and looked up at me with red, swollen eyes.
“Is Rachel okay, too?”
“Rachel got hurt, but she’s going to be fine. She just has to rest for a while.”
“Can I see her? I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“Sure. I think that would be all right.” I lifted my girl in my arms and carried her into the bedroom.
Rachel was still sitting up in bed, looking worried, when we walked in. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Nightmare,” I whispered softly. “She said she wanted you.”
“Poor thing. Belle?”
She looked over at Rachel and wiped her eyes, even as another tear fell and her breath shuddered.
“You know, I have bad dreams sometimes too. They can feel very real, can’t they?”
She nodded and sniffled.
“You know what helps me?”
“What?” Belle rubbed her sleepy eyes.
“Really good cuddles. Want to come lie down here with me?” Rachel smiled warmly at her and patted the spot in the middle of the bed. Belle agreed and I set her down so she could curl up beside her. I hadn’t thought I could love Rachel any more than I already did, but seeing the way she cared for my daughter made my heart swell.
“Just be careful of Rachel’s sides and tummy. She got hurt tonight.” I reminded Belle as we settled back into bed.
“Okay, Daddy.” Belle snuggled in carefully with a sniffle that broke my heart. “Rachel?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Thank you for coming to save me. I didn’t know you were a hero like my daddy.”
Pride and love swelled in my chest until I thought it might burst. I climbed into bed on the other side of Belle and stroked her hair until long after she closed her eyes.
Belle was right. Rachel had saved my little girl’s life by risking her own. I had no idea how I could ever thank her enough for what she had done. The love I had for this courageous, incredible woman overwhelmed me in the best way.
The whole exchange between Rachel and Belle had melted my heart. For a moment, I forgot about Ian and the anger I felt. I was the luckiest man in the world to have these two amazing girls in my life.
Chapter Sixteen
Rachel
I woke up around lunchtime. The midday sun poured through the curtains and cast the room in a warm glow. Anthony was still sound asleep and Belle slept curled up between us with her head resting on my arm.
I didn’t want to wake them. We had all been through hell the night before. They needed their sleep, but my bladder forced me up. I carefully slipped my arm out from under her and winced as pain shot through my whole trunk when I rolled out of bed.
I gasped and quickly glanced back to find both Anthony and Belle still sound asleep. I let out a sigh of relief and headed into the bathroom.
After washing my hands, I looked in the mirror to survey the damage. I brushed my fingers over the bruise that had formed on my cheek and imagined Ian’s hardened face, his hand coming down across my cheek. I flinched and moved my fingers down to the split on my lower lip. I was in the dirt, and my face stung from the blow. I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
My hand fluttered down to the hem of my shirt and I lifted it to just below my breasts. I gasped, which sent pain shooting through me. Dark purple and black bruises covered most of my upper abdomen. I moved my fingertips lightly across the blotches of color, remembering Ian’s shoe striking me hard in the stomach. I cringed and moved my fingertips around to my sides, watching myself in the mirror. The door creaked open and I jumped.
“Hey, Rach, you okay?” Anthony whispered as he peeked in the door.
“Yeah, uh—I’ll be out in a minute.” I let out a small sniffle and wiped away a tear I hadn’t realized had escaped.
“Are you crying?” He was relentless, slipping into the room.
My shirt was still pulled up and pain shown in his eyes when he looked over my body.
“God, Rach—” He moved to me quickly and held me as I sobbed into his chest.
“I’ll be okay. I’m sorry. I just—”
“Don’t you dare apologize for crying or being upset—or anything, for that matter. You don’t have a damn thing to be sorry for.”
I nodded and my breath shuddered. I was t
rembling and hated how weak I was. I pulled back and forced a smile.
“I’ll be okay. Just seeing the bruises was a bit of a shock for me.”
“For me too,” he said solemnly.
“They are hideous.” I turned and frowned in the mirror.
“They will fade, but no part of you could be hideous.” He wrapped his arms around loosely my waist, obviously being careful not to hurt me. I met his eyes in the mirror and my breath caught in my chest. God, this man is amazing. He lowered his face so that his mouth was close to my ear as he whispered, “Let me be strong for you. You don’t have to do it alone.”
He turned me around to face him. Leaning down, he placed a feather-light kiss on my bruised cheek. Anthony pulled away and looked at me with a pained gaze. He knelt in front of me, slowly lifting my shirt back up to reveal the ugly bruises.
“Anthony…” I protested, trying to pull my shirt back to hide them.
“Just let me, Rach. Trust me.”
He waited until I moved my hands away then lifted the shirt once more. Again, he peppered gentle kisses all along the bruises, as though he could kiss them all away. I ran my fingers through his hair and he gazed up at me with those warm, hazel eyes.
“I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again. I’m so sorry, Rach. I will protect you.”
Anthony stood up and tenderly kissed my lips. “Let’s get you something for the pain.”
I nodded and tiptoed out of the bathroom behind Anthony. Belle still slept soundly on the large king-size bed that made her look so small. We made our way into the kitchen. There was a bottle of aspirin on the counter and I started toward it, but Anthony stopped me.
“Sit. I’ll get it.” He pointed to the kitchen table and I did as he’d said. I studied him as he moved through the kitchen. For a large guy, Anthony carried himself with such ease. He handed me a glass of water and two pills. I took them and hoped it would at least dull the pain. I was so groggy. I needed something to take the fog away. I was grateful when Anthony began making a pot of coffee.
I hated not being able to do things for myself. While Anthony waited for the coffee to brew, he left the kitchen to go to the bathroom. I can at least get things prepared for coffee while he’s in there.