“You’re wrong. You and me, together, changes everything.”
“Forde,” she started, but I cut her off.
“Give me a chance to prove it to you,” I pleaded, yeah I did. “Tell me to do something, and I will. Layla, I’m the man you can depend on. I know that in your life all the responsibility has fallen onto you, but now I’m here, let me take some of it.”
One side of her mouth raised in an unpleasant grin. “Okay, hotshot. Get me out of here. Tonight. I want out of here as soon as possible.”
I wanted to grin, but I didn’t. “Done, but I want to add a caveat to that.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Go on.”
“I get you out of here, but then you come home with me.” She started to interrupt, but I raised my hand to stop her. “You can’t go back to that house. It’s a crime scene now. My place has security, and I can take care of you.” When she didn’t try to speak, I pushed on. “You stay with me until the trial is done. You give me that time to prove to you we belong together.”
“Are you fucking nuts?” she screeched.
“Maybe a little,” I grinned.
“I don’t know, Forde…”
“I do.” I saw the nurse walk in the room. “You rest, and I’m going to make some calls.”
I listened as the nurse asked Layla some questions.
Dr. Mariah Lamb owed me. So tonight, I was going to call that marker. I walked out into the hall and continued to the sitting area past the bank of elevators. I scrolled through my phone list until I found her name.
She answered with a sleepy sounding, “’Lo.”
“Dr. Lamb, Lucas Forde. Do you have rights to see a patient at Eskanazi?”
“Uh, yeah.” She still sounded half asleep.
“I need you to get down here. You’re going to release your new patient to my care.”
“Mr. Forde, do you know what time it is?” Good, she was now awake.
“Yes, it is twenty minutes before I expect to see you in room seven-twenty-three. Be there, Dr. Lamb. Remember, you owe me.”
She let out a sigh. “Eskanazi. Seven-twenty-three. Got it.” She hung up.
“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a plan comes together,” I said to the empty room, grinning like a mad man.
Chapter Eight
I waited for Dr. Lamb by the elevators. She was wrapping her long hair into a ponytail as the doors slid open. She saw me and walked toward me. “What’s going on, Mr. Forde?”
That’s what I liked about the doc; she was straight to the point. I’d met her when she was Tye’s client, with a husband who’d liked using her as a punching bag. My initial job was to track the trail of the funds he’d been squirreling away—from their joint savings—into an offshore account. After watching the snake for a week, I’d decided to make it clear she was never going to have a problem with that man again. I didn’t charge for the extra service. I’d requested a marker. The doctor had decided it was worth it. Her husband would never touch her again. Instead, he’d moved to New Mexico.
“My friend took a tumble down her basement stairs earlier. She doesn’t like hospitals.” I watched Dr. Lamb’s body jerk in reaction.
“Did somebody push her down the steps?” She was still haunted by the demons of her past.
“Her house was used for target practice. She tried to make it to the basement for cover.” I watched her absorb the information. “When you release her, she’ll be coming home with me. Make that a part of your directive for aftercare.”
The doctor looked relieved. “So, she’ll be safe.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I need to look at her chart, and then I’ll examine the patient.” Dr. Lamb turned on her heel and took off.
“Her name is Marlena Shepherd,” I said, following her. “They say nothing’s broken.” I easily kept up with her determined pace.
Dr. Lamb nodded. “Give me a few, and I’ll be in.”
I nodded and headed to Layla’s room to wait.
Minutes later, Dr. Lamb roused Layla and began asking her questions. With a nurse’s assistance, she examined her bruised shoulder and checked the range of motion of her swollen knee.
I stood a few steps away from the foot of the hospital bed, listening while texting Rick instructions.
“You can start the paperwork, Tina,” Dr. Lamb said, “while I go over a few things with Mrs. Shepherd and Mr. Forde.” She excused the nurse.
I quickly finished my text and moved to Layla’s good side. I ran my hand down her upper arm lightly. “How is she?”
Layla reached for my hand and laced her fingers with mine.
I’m not sure she realized that she did it.
I watched the doctor glance at our hands, and she paused.
“Usually, I’d insist we keep a patient overnight that has been through what you have, Mrs. Shepherd, but I will release you into Mr. Forde’s care.” She again glanced at our hands, and she seemed to be fighting a smile. “You know the protocol for concussion aftercare, Mr. Forde. Wake her every two hours, and if she shows any signs of distress or disorientation, bring her back to the E.R. immediately.”
“Understood.” I’ve had way too much experience with my guys’ and my own concussions.
“The shoulder will be sore for a while, and I would like for you to use the brace all the time. After a week, try to slowly ease back into your routine.” She waited for Layla to nod. “The knee is going to be painful. It’s badly bruised. I didn’t see anything on the x-rays, but I’m a little concerned. With a knee, you’ll want to move it, but don’t overdo it. If it starts to feel weak or there are shooting pains, call me. I’m going to order two prescriptions. Ice the knee and shoulder for pain and swelling. I want you to make an appointment with my office for a week to ten days out, since you don’t have a regular doctor.”
This time she looked at me, and I gave a nod. I would see to it that Layla made an appointment.
She turned again to Layla. “The pain pills will probably knock you out for the next twenty-four hours. Rest and take it easy for the first few days. If you experience a heightened level of pain or discomfort in a different area, call me.”
We both nodded.
“If there are any signs of post-traumatic stress, let me know. I can recommend some people to talk to. They do help.” Her gaze returned to mine. “I’ll get the release forms printed and email the scripts.”
“The Walgreens on Meridian, Dr. Lamb.”
“Gotcha.” She left us.
Layla’s grip on my hand had loosened; she turned her head to me. “So I guess you can work magic.”
“You said that you didn’t like hospitals.” I pulled the chair over and sat in it. She glanced away and bit her bottom lip. I’d come to learn that signaled that she felt unsure. I waited to hear what she had to say.
She let out a sigh, and then moved her gaze back to mine. “So, I guess this means I really am going to your place?”
I took possession of her hand again, and she didn’t fight it. “Rick, one of my guys, is going to pick us up, stop at the drugstore, and then he’ll drop us at my condo.”
“When Aunt Nora gets back from her cruise, I can stay with her or in one of her houses. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“Lay, the deal is that you stay with me until the trial is over.” I watched her eyes widen. “During that time, I can keep you safe, and we can get to know each other better.” Now her eyes got really wide. “I was speaking the truth when I said I felt something between us. I’m not going to push that away. I plan on holding on with both hands to see where it takes us.”
“But, Forde, that’s crazy,” she whispered. Her expression was a combination of fear and confusion.
“For the last two years, I’ve felt like I was missing something. I didn’t search, but I kept my eyes open. When you walked into my world, I knew that I’d found it. You.”
“It can’t be that simple
.” She shook her head back and forth, “I know, I was married,” she said in a rush.
“I was married too, Lay. Well I only lived with her a month before I was deployed, but that was nothing like this.” Not even close.
“What are you saying?” I could hear the fear in her voice. Hell, I could almost feel it because it was radiating from her body.
I waited until I had control of my mouth. She was frightened, and I knew she’d close down to protect herself. “Layla, we’ll take it slow, especially while you’re healing.” I felt her hand flex in mine. “I’m telling you, that if this month goes good, you won’t be leaving.”
Again, she bit her lip. “You’re insane. I just saw you with another woman.” Her lips turned downward in what I thought were an adorable frown. I wanted to kiss her until she smiled.
“A woman I cut loose, and who didn’t mean anything to me. We’d fuck and that was it. I told you that, and the truth of the story isn’t going to change no matter how many times we go over it.” My frustration started to show, so I paused and got control. “Layla, I survive on what my gut tells me. That’s the way I live my life. I trust what I feel.”
She watched me, her gaze searching mine as if she was trying to find an answer to all of her questions.
“Everything’s ready,” Dr. Lamb said from the door. She’d returned with a nurse. “Go get your car and she’ll be down in a few minutes.”
I sent a text and watched as Dr. Lamb prepared an injection. “A shot?”
“For the ride home, because it is going to be painful for Mrs. Shepherd. This won’t cover everything, but it will help. As soon as you get home, straight to bed and take two of the pills.” Dr. Lamb cleaned a spot on Layla’s arm. “Honestly, if I were you, I’d pop the pills on the ride to his place.”
“I don’t have any clothes to change into, do I?” Layla looked to the nurse.
The nurse pointed to a white plastic bag sitting on the tray to the side of the room. “Only shoes.”
Layla looked to me for help, and I liked it. “You can keep that gown on and we’ll wrap you in a blanket for the ride, or can you find something for her to wear?” I asked the nurse.
The doctor spoke up. “Do the blanket. That shoulder doesn’t need to be bothered with more dressing and undressing.”
The nurse patted Layla’s hand. “It will be better that way. I just need you to sign the papers, and then we’ll get you out of here.”
The ride home was uneventful, considering that Layla tried to hide how much it hurt, and I barked orders into Rick’s phone as he rushed through the drugstore. She did ask that he pick up some Sprite. I needed to find out about her fixation with that drink.
Rick stopped in front of my building, and Burt, the night duty doorman, rushed to open the backseat door. I carried Layla inside, and Burt had the elevator waiting. This was one of perks of being the owner of the building; I’d hired the staff personally so they were very attentive. I hit the button for the top floor, and when the doors opened, I carried her to my door and then straight to my bed.
Chapter Nine
I tried to shift my body because, it hurt, I hurt everywhere. Yowl, moving was way worse. My eyes flew open, and I saw that I wasn’t in my room. Hell, this wasn’t even my house, or Aunt Nora’s for that matter. There were blinds in a deep marine blue covering a wall of windows. I knew those blinds were electric and very expensive. There had been a time when I’d studied decorating magazines and websites, hoping to make my house with Brian a comfortable home.
I closed my eyes and tried to figure out where I was and how I’d gotten here. I dozed for a little bit, because when I opened my eyes again, things were clearer. I knew that I was at Forde’s, and I was pretty sure this wasn’t the guest room. It was too masculine and comfortable for a room that was for company. The furniture was strong and the colors were so, well, Forde. The blue reminded me of his eyes when he thought something was funny.
I slowly took inventory of my body and a few things became obvious. I ached all over, but more importantly I had to go to the bathroom. Plus I smelled like my basement. I hated that wet, musty, damp odor.
Before I moved my body again, I tried to prepare myself. I rolled onto my not-so-bad side and slowly sat up at the edge of the bed. I tried to stand, and my knee almost buckled. I must have made a sound because I heard running footsteps as I sank onto the side of the bed.
Forde yelled, “Don’t move, I’m coming.”
Apparently he had super hearing to go along with all of his other skills. I waited until he entered the room.
“How are you doing?” he asked as he squatted in front of me.
I nodded a few times. I seemed to be out of breath. I managed to choke out, “I need to pee.” Real classy, I told myself.
“I’ll help you.” He stood and gently wrapped his arm around me and helped me stand.
My world tipped for a minute as my muscles seemed to have forgotten how to work. My good arm flailed, trying to find a part of him to hold onto.
“Steady,” he told me. “Give it a minute.” He held me as everything came back into focus, and I felt my balance return.
“Better,” I told him. My voice sounded rough. My throat was so dry that it burned.
“After you take care of business, I’ll make you something to eat. That will help.” He slowly led me to the bathroom.
I wasn’t graceful, but I managed to get there all right. At the bathroom door, I told him, “I’ll be okay.” No way was he coming in with me.
“You sure?” He used his finger to move my chin so that I was looking into his eyes. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
I nodded.
“If you need me, just yell,” he instructed.
I was happy to feel him loosening his grip. This was embarrassing enough. “Deal,” I moved slowly into the luxurious room. It was bright with the lights reflecting off of the white tile and lighter blue accents.
After taking care of things, I slowly stood and flushed. I tried to ignore the fact my ass was hanging out of the hospital gown that I was still wearing. I limped to the sink and almost cried happy tears. He’d left a toothbrush and toothpaste out for me.
Feeling much better after brushing my teeth, I slowly plodded out of the bedroom and followed the sounds of someone moving around in the kitchen. Oh my lord, what a kitchen. It was spacious, had fabulous top-of-the line equipment, and so much counter space that I couldn’t imagine how anyone could ever fill all of the cabinets above. I must have looked surprised because Forde grinned at me.
“I can’t cook like you do, but I manage the simple stuff,” he told me. “I don’t think you should climb onto the chair at the bar.” The counter had four tall chairs, and he made the right call. There was no way my legs could manage that.
I was lightly holding onto the doorway as I watched him walk toward me. Something in my stomach fluttered. I told myself it was probably hunger.
“You need to sit down before you fall down.” He, again, wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me into the living room area. He deposited me on a huge chair that was wide enough for two, and then he moved an enormous ottoman over and gently placed my legs on it. He shoved it close to the chair so that I was supported. Running his palm lightly over my bruised knee, he said, “Needs ice.”
I started to move to get up. “I can get it.”
He stopped me by gripping my thigh with authority. “Babe, no. I’ll get it. Well, after I do this.” He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. “Glad to see you moving around, Lay,” he said softly then moved away.
I heard him moving in the kitchen. I tried to find a comfortable position, and then checked out the area. God, whoever had decorated this place had done a great job. The room was inviting and comfortable, the furniture expensive and made for giants. Someplace where a large man, or a few men, could lounge comfortably. The walls were a soft gray, and the furniture was black with deeper grey ac
cents.
Forde returned with two bags of peas and an elastic bandage. He efficiently placed and secured the bags to my knee.
“You seem to have a lot of experience doing things like this,” I said when he’d finished.
“Comes with the job.” He shrugged. “Toast or a bagel?”
“I’m not really hungry, just thirsty. Can I have a Sprite?” I moved my knee a little trying to find a comfortable place.
“You need food because it’s time for another pain pill.” He stood looking at me.
I wrinkled my nose. “Toast, please.”
“I’ll get you your Sprite.” He grinned.
I ate both pieces of buttered toast and drank almost the entire can. “Thank you.”
“Take your pills.” He pointed at the two pills on the side of the plate.
“I will in a minute. The pain isn’t that bad.” I knew they would make me sleepy, and I felt like I should try to stay awake for a bit. It was unnerving to know I had been asleep for hours in the home of a man I barely knew.
“Not yet, but the deal is, you have to stay in front of the pain, not wait until you can feel it getting worse.”
I rolled my eyes, and then took the pills. “You know they’re going to knock me out, right?”
“Then let’s get you back to bed—unless you want to nap in the chair…?”
“I don’t want to be in your way out here. I don’t even want to take over your bed. Where did you sleep last night?” I was embarrassed that it just occurred to me he didn’t sleep in his own bed.
“In the workout room. There’s a sectional in there.”
“I’m so sorry to make you sleep on a couch,” I rushed to say.
“I’ve fallen asleep in there more times than I can count. Don’t worry about it.” He stood and walked to me.
After removing the bags of peas and my plate, we slowly made our way to the bedroom. He helped me settle into the bed again. I leaned back into the pillows. “Yuck, I can smell the basement. It must be in my hair, and now it’s on your sheets.”
“What?” He was now leaning over me.
Better (The Change Series Book 2) Page 6