by Moxie North
Her skin looked pale and waxy with the sweat of her fever on her brow. Her beautiful brown hair lay lank against her head. When she fainted, Gideon felt his heart stop.
He hadn’t expected to feel anything close to the reaction he had when he saw her eyes flutter. Gideon wasn’t sure what he had expected. Possibly her opening the door holding a tissue, sporting a bright red nose and a fluffy sweater, maybe with a cup of tea in her hand. Nothing serious.
That would have meant he had overreacted and could make up some excuse for his visit. But seeing her standing there, gripping the door for support, switched his intentions immediately.
She needed a doctor, and she needed to get there fast. Her fever and the length of her illness did not make him feel comfortable taking her somewhere for her to sit for hours waiting to be seen.
When she lost consciousness, he took matters in hand and called out for Tucker. The door to Faye’s apartment swung open and he started barking orders.
Tucker grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and Gideon wrapped her up tightly, tucking her against his chest.
“Lock up, we’re going back to my place.”
Once he got her in the car he expected her to put up more of a fight. Frighteningly, she didn’t. He watched her give up, watched the will to fight fade away. That caused his heart to seize again.
Gideon let out a hiss and hit a button on a tablet mounted in the center of the back seat of his car. He pulled up the number for his private physician. The call rang through and a man in his mid-forties appeared. His silver eyes flashing back at Gideon.
“This is interesting. It’s not your yearly physical for insurance coverage; do you need a donation for something?
“Lee, I’d like you to meet me at my home. I have a human who’s been ill for five days. She has a fever of 103.8, and she won't stop coughing. She’s fainted twice.”
“Human? Don’t tell me that bundle in your lap is her?”
“She’s… an employee.” Gideon managed to say it without cringing. He knew it was a situation he’d never found himself in and certainly not one that his friend and physician, Lee, had seen before.
“You have an employee in your lap? Is this some kind of new perk that you get working for Thayr?”
“It’s… complicated.”
“Obviously. I’ll pack up and meet you there. Are you sure you don’t want to take her to the hospital? It sounds like influenza. We’ve had a dozen deaths so far this flu season.”
“I don’t want her around other people. She needs care, not contracting someone else’s mutant strain.”
Lee shook his head. “Trust you to find trouble,” he said with a smirk.
Gideon grunted in reply. He ended the call and pulled his charge tighter against his chest.
They drove back into downtown Portland. As they approached his building, Gideon noticed a few people leaning against the building next door, just feet away from the entrance of his building, but still on the public sidewalk. They were careful to not enter private property.
“Fuck, paparazzi. Tucker, hit the garage.”
Gideon was used to the constant flash photography. As soon as he’d hit puberty, he was gossip column fodder. Kindred were always topics of conversation, but he was the first son of a powerful Kindred family. Humans were rabid for any information they could get, a sneak peek into their world. The Kindred were good at keeping secrets, and they weren’t hiding for the sake of it. They kept their secrets because they were sacred. They were part of who they were and it was a constant annoyance for some humans, and their curiosity made them greedy for any scraps that they uncovered.
Vacations, public events, even walking from his car into his office; they were everywhere. Vultures with cameras. There were few places that were off limits to their lenses. No matter how oppressive it might seem, they had become a part of the background of his daily life, and he rarely gave them a second thought. But today was not a day he was going to be able to smile and give them the picture they wanted.
His focus today was on the woman in his arms. Beyond getting her medical attention, Gideon realized that he had zero plans when it came to Faye. He couldn’t see past the need for her to be healthy. After that, it was going to have to be decided as needed. Once she was healthy the situation had potential for a number of issues. If he was smart he’d notify his lawyer. There could be all sorts of problems that could arise from a CEO of a company absconding with an incapacitated employee.
Gideon knew what he would say. Keep work life and personal life separate. Never leave yourself open to a lawsuit. It’s what he would advise an employee approaching him with the same scenario. Instead, he knew that the only person he was going to call was his mother. Allegra would know exactly what to do. She would also cover Gideon’s back, no matter what.
Tucker pulled the car into the parking space in the basement of the garage. Gideon needed to get Faye up to his apartment and into a bed before the doctor arrived.
Gideon waited for Tucker to get to his door. Faye was asleep, or at least he hoped she was. The possibility that she was unconscious was terrifying. Maybe he should have taken her directly to the hospital.
The door swung open and Tucker reached for Faye. “I’ve got her,” Gideon said quietly.
Tucker stepped back, holding the door. As soon as Gideon was standing and the car door closed behind him, Tucker stepped ahead to press the button on the elevator.
It was barely a moment as Gideon stood there before he heard someone shout his name.
“Gideon!”
He turned and the flash of the camera lit up the garage and he blinked against the shocking light. He let out a loud growl as the sound of multiple pictures being taken reached his ears.
He hissed as Tucker jumped the paparazzo holding the camera. Quickly, Tucker had him on the ground and the camera skidded across the floor.
The doors to the elevator opened and Gideon stepped in, typing in the code for his floor.
He didn’t wait for Tucker. That man could handle himself. The photographer was trespassing and Gideon was sure that Tucker would follow through with having the man arrested.
The elevator rose to the twentieth floor penthouse suite. It opened to reveal a small foyer with double doors across from him. He managed the handle and swung the door open. Kicking it closed behind him, he stepped into his apartment.
The front room was two stories; two steps down from the front door led into the living room. A two-sided fireplace separated the living room from the dining room. His decorator had furnished the space in a modern minimalist style. A white U-shaped sectional took up most of the room. Gideon was tempted to lay her on the couch, but then he’d have to move her again.
Turning to the right he followed a set of open stairs up to the second-floor landing. Two bedrooms with their own en-suite bathrooms took up the floor along with an office space. His room had windows overlooking the city with the bright sun warming the king-size bed.
He set her down and paused as he decided if he should move her under the covers. She looked like a fragile doll lying there, and he didn’t want to wake her up. Gideon stared for another moment. He didn’t know what to do. His hands opened and closed into agitated fists. They itched to touch her, but he couldn’t risk it.
Stepping away, he pulled the sheer curtains across the windows, giving the room a hazy glow. Going downstairs to the kitchen, he passed the dining room and continued on to the far corner of the apartment. Stripping off his coat he followed with his suit jacket then loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves.
With hands on his hips, he took in the feeling of being completely helpless and unprepared. Retrieving his phone from his jacket, he called his mother.
Opening the fridge while it rang, he poured Faye a glass of cold water. With a fever running that high, she was bound to be dehydrated.
“Gideon, you better not be cancelling on me. We have dinner at Verdigris at eight,” Allegra answered.
“
Hello, Mother. I wasn’t actually calling to cancel, but now I realize I’m going to have to postpone.”
“There can’t be any work crisis that needs to be handled at eight at night.”
“No, not work. At least, not exactly.”
“Honey, you sound worried.”
“I might have done something really ill-advised.”
“Hmm, ill-advised? My son usually doesn’t question his judgment. Also, when do you call me when you’ve got business worries?” She paused, obviously working things out for herself as she always did. “If it’s not business, is it the girl?”
“Yes. She was sick... is sick. She didn’t come in to work. She doesn’t have any family.” The words came out in a rush before he could stop himself.
“So you went and checked on her? That’s just being a good boss. It’s a little out of the norm, but it was just to make sure she was all right, correct?”
“That’s how it started,” he admitted, taking a seat at the table.
“Son, what did you do?”
“She’s upstairs.”
“Upstairs where? At the office?”
“No, my place. I have Lee coming over.”
There was silence on the line. His mother wasn’t doing it for dramatic effect either, she was thinking. That could be dangerous.
“I supposed you could get her some medical attention then have one of the boys drive her home. That shouldn’t be too big of a deal.”
“There was a photographer in the garage.”
Gideon said the words sharply. He was angry. Mostly at himself. He was usually much more aware of his surroundings, his senses ready for anything coming at him. But his focus had been on the woman he’d been carrying. He’d had tunnel vision.
Faye Dixon wasn’t his mate. She wasn’t his direct employee. There was no reason he should be showing any interest in her. He couldn’t shake the urge. She needed him because she didn’t have anyone else.
“Oh dear. Do you want me to call the attorney? Never mind, I will. I’ll see if he can get the pictures pulled.”
“They were probably automatically uploaded to the cloud. Odds are they’re already on some website.”
“I miss the days of film development,” his mother sighed.
“Me too. I don’t think they got her face. She was wrapped in a blanket. But he definitely got a shot of me carrying her. They’re going to have a field day with this.”
“I’ll see what we can do. Gideon, you don’t make mistakes. This must have been meant to be.”
“I don’t know about that. I think I must have gotten distracted by an attractive woman and made a mistake. Any other man would have done the same.”
“You aren’t like other men.”
Gideon didn’t feel like a man. He felt like the animal he was. He wanted to shift, to yowl and claw. He was in over his head and he didn’t like it.
The front door opened and he stood up. “Mom, Lee is here. I’ll call you back.”
“Gideon, you do what’s right for her. Remember, she’s human.”
“Yes, thank you,” he said.
He dropped the phone on the table and grabbed the glass of water off the counter. He rounded the corner of the living room to find his friend Lee standing with Tucker in the entry.
“Sorry, Gideon. The pap is in custody but the pictures are already up. I take full responsibility for not spotting him.”
“He shouldn’t have been there. I’m assuming Portland Police have him?”
“Yes, sir. I’m really very sorry.”
Gideon shook his head. “Neither of us were expecting it. He caught us off guard.” He didn’t blame Tucker. He was grateful he’d been there to keep the man away from him and Faye.
“Lee, thanks for coming over so quickly.”
The brown-skinned man smiled at him, his eyes full of thoughtful hesitation. “I have to admit. I was intrigued. You have a human in your,” he paused looking around, “bed?”
“I wanted her to be comfortable. She’s up here,” he gestured to the stairs. He gave a nod to Tucker. Gideon would be able to count on Tucker being there when he came back down.
The pair went up the stairs; Gideon opened the door he’d left ajar. He heard her ragged breathing. It was like a background hum.
Stepping into the room, he walked to the windows and pulled back one of the curtains to let more light in.
Lee leaned over the figure on the bed. “How long has she been like this?”
“She called in on Monday, so at least from then until now. Her name is Faye,” Gideon replied.
“Faye, I’m Dr. Lee, can you open your eyes for me?”
Gideon looked over Lee’s shoulder. Faye was in the same position he’d left her, wrapped in the blanket like she was in a cocoon, her face flushed from the fever.
She didn’t move at Lee’s voice. Gideon tried, “Faye, can you open your eyes?”
He saw a flutter of her lashes then another. “Dr. Lee wants to help you feel better, Faye.”
Her pretty brown eyes, blurry with illness, opened and then squinted at the light. Gideon stepped in to shield her from the glare.
“Sir?”
“Don’t call me that,” Gideon growled.
He could have sworn he heard Lee stifle a laugh.
“Sorry,” she said, her voice cracking.
He leaned around and handed her the glass. She blinked at it a few times before struggling to sit up.
“Let me help,” Lee said, leaning down to lift her up.
Faye’s fingers skimmed over Gideon’s as she sipped the water. She’d only had a little when she started coughing again.
“Well, that sounds terrible,” Lee said in his joking doctor voice. “Does it hurt to cough?”
Faye grimace and nodded. “I was going to go to the doctor, I told Gideon.”
“She told me she was going to walk to the bus stop and wait for a bus to get to the walk-in clinic. You can see why I didn’t think that was a wise idea.”
Dr. Lee agreed. “That would’ve been a terrible idea. I’m going to draw some blood and I would feel better if you had an IV. By the looks of it, you’re dehydrated. It will help you feel better. I’ll also have some cough syrup with a painkiller delivered.”
“Can you stay, Lee?”
“For a while, my mate won’t come hunting me down until much later.”
“I’d appreciate that. I’m… Well, let’s just say I didn’t plan ahead for this.”
“Obviously not,” he said, turning to Faye. “Let’s see about getting you comfortable, shall we?”
Gideon shifted his weight nervously, watching Faye intently. “What would you like me to do?”
“I brought an IV, we need to get it set up, think you can manage that?”
Gideon had no idea but he wasn’t about to admit that he wasn’t particularly handy. Leaving the room, he walked quickly down the steps and found Tucker at the front door.
“I need to hang an IV bag up. A hook, or something like it,” he said to Tucker.
“We can find something. I’ll check with the concierge.”
Gideon nodded as the other man left. Retrieving his phone, he dialed Sabrina.
“Yes, sir?”
“Cut it out. I need you to get some pajamas or nightgowns.”
“Nightgowns? Like a gift?”
“No, they’re for Faye.”
“Faye…”
“Yes, something she can wear with an IV.”
“Is she in the hospital? I’m sure they take care of that kind of thing.”
“No, she’s with me.”
“With you? At your home?”
“Yes, Sabrina. Please bring something as soon as you can.”
“Of course, I’ll make a stop and be right over,” she said crisply before hanging up.
Gideon tucked his phone back in his pocket. The front door swung open and Tucker was standing with a metal coat rack and a handful of zip ties.
“That will work,” Gideon sa
id taking the items. “Thank you.”
He ran back up the stairs and found Lee holding a bag of fluid in the air. He looked up to Gideon as he came through the door. “Let’s get some cold cloths for her forehead and get her more comfortable. I’ve listened to her breathing, and it doesn’t sound great but I don’t think we need an x-ray yet.”
Gideon didn’t wait; he went to the bathroom for the wet cloths. Returning, he hesitated a moment before laying one gently across her forehead. She let out a small sigh and he wished he’d gotten it for her sooner.
After Lee and Gideon had rigged up the IV bag, Faye seemed to fall back to sleep and Lee was satisfied enough with her condition that he left the apartment make arrangements.
There was a bench at the foot of Gideon’s bed that held extra blankets. He pushed them onto the floor and pulled the bench to the side of the bed so that he could watch over her. Faye’s arm, pierced by the IV drip in the back of her hand, rested on top of the blankets. She was so pale. Her hand so small. Gideon looked around the room, as though there should be someone else there with him. It shouldn’t matter, but he didn’t have any claim on this woman.
She could have a boyfriend that was worried about her. Then again, if she did, why wasn’t he taking care of her?
He reached out and wrapped his hand around her fingers, careful to avoid jostling the IV drip. Her skin was smooth and soft.
Gideon knew better, he was smarter than this. He was taking liberties he had no right to. Worse, she wasn’t even aware of it.
Faye’s fingers twitched then squeezed back gently. Maybe she did know he was there after all.
Chapter 10
Faye struggled to open her eyes. She expected it to be bright, but instead she found a room lit with the soft glow of a single lamp in the corner of the room.
Turning her head towards the wall with the windows, she moaned at the ache in her back and neck. She was stiff and uncomfortable. Her throat was still sore though it felt oddly numb when she swallowed.
She wasn’t so delirious that she didn’t know where she was. Gideon had come for her. He’d picked her up and swept her away. She remembered the feeling of sinking into a cloud when he laid her in bed. Her mind was moving much faster than her mouth. She wanted to tell him no, that she didn’t want to be in his bed. The faint smell of cologne told her it was most definitely his bed.