Flame raised his arms. “I saw nothing. My hearing is great but my eyes totally were blind to the fact that she mostly shaves it all off.”
“Congratulations,” Midnight muttered, turning to the redheaded male. “You sound so human.”
“Thanks.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.” She glanced back at True. “Follow me. We’ll get her settled back into bed.” She straightened.
“She’s being transferred to Fuller.” Trey came closer. “Doc Harris gave the green light that she was to be released to them after we were done here. Their new doc will keep a close eye on her for the next few weeks. It will take them about an hour to send a van. Talk to her and see if you can get real answers. She couldn’t even handle Jordan being an ass**le. I don’t want to think about her going there.”
Movement in his arms caused True to look down. Shiver wiggled one of her hands free from between their bodies and clutched at his shirt. He tensed, expecting her to claw at him, put up another fight. She didn’t. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him.
“Please don’t let him kill me.” Her words slurred a little.
“He won’t.” True was definitely going to have a talk with Tim Oberto about Chris.
“Nobody here will,” Trey swore too. “We just planned to scare some answers out of you but Jordan took it too far. I swear we would have stepped in if he’d tried to hit you.”
Tears filled her eyes and True hated to see them. She looked so fragile and weak at that moment. He resisted the urge to adjust his hold to brush them away as the wet drops slid from the corners of her eyes. One landed on his bare upper arm where he still kept hold of her head, now keeping it from slumping rather than from thrashing around.
“I did it for you. I saved you.” Shiver’s words were still slurred. “I…hurt for you.”
“I may have given her too much,” Midnight assessed. “Dr. Harris left to speak with Justice so I just grabbed one of the sedatives from the cabinet. I only injected her with half but it may have been too strong.”
“Is she in danger of overdose?” Instant concern for her safety plagued True.
“No. She may pass out though or be extremely dopey.”
He nodded sharply. “Okay.”
“It isn’t.” Shiver released his shirt and lifted her hand higher, her fingers brushing his jawline. “Never going to be okay again.”
“We’ll put her in bed until the van arrives. They can take her, gurney and all.” Midnight spun around, striding toward the elevator.
True lifted his chin out of Shiver’s reach. Her fingertips stroking him did odd things to his body and he refused to allow her to get to him. Flame approached and reached down, gripping his upper arm. Jericho recovered enough to move to his other side, mimicking the action. Both males helped pull him to his feet so he didn’t have to release the female. He gave one quick nod of thanks before following Midnight.
“I wake up screaming.”
True halted, looking down at her. Her tears slid down her face when she blinked up at him. A tightness constricted his chest. He hated to see her so desolate.
“He hurt me so much but it was for you. That’s how I survived.”
“You’re fine now.” He wanted to reassure her.
“I’m not. Stupid panic attacks.” Her hand lifted and she placed it on his neck. “Thought I was past them. Haven’t had one in months.”
She suffers panic attacks? He frowned, watching her face.
“Please don’t let him get near me.”
“Chris won’t be allowed near you.”
“Polanitis,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “He’ll kill me if he gets the chance.”
Every muscle in his body stiffened. “What?”
Her eyes opened, shimmering with new tears. “He’ll be so angry. Don’t let him near me. I’m dead.”
Anger rose and it burned. “Your close friend will be happy to see you.”
Her gaze widened and her lips parted. “What?”
“Your friend will be happy to see you,” he repeated.
She shivered in his arms and turned her head, burying her face against his chest. “You smell good.”
His dick twitched and he ground his teeth together, walking again toward the elevator. Midnight waited, keeping the doors open. She wrinkled her nose when she pushed the button for the floor above them, punching in the code to activate the lift.
“She needs another shower. I take it you scared her. Did you get the information you needed? The stench of her fear is strong.”
“She doesn’t smell bad.”
Midnight shrugged. “It does to me. It’s sickly sweet.”
He inhaled, hating the way his lower half was still engaged. The semi hard-on wasn’t welcome, nor was the desire to run his nose along Shiver’s throat. He wanted to cover her with his body until she felt protected and the scent faded from her skin. The urge to lick her to get a taste irritated him. It was the animal instincts, he recognized, but it didn’t sit well with the rational part of him.
Shiver turned her head, staring up at him again.
“You didn’t answer my question. Did you get the information from the female?” Midnight stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened, leading back to the patient rooms.
“No. She’s being sent to Fuller. They’ll try to gain information we couldn’t.”
“Congratulations,” Midnight muttered, turning to the redheaded male. “You sound so human.”
“Thanks.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.” She glanced back at True. “Follow me. We’ll get her settled back into bed.” She straightened.
“She’s being transferred to Fuller.” Trey came closer. “Doc Harris gave the green light that she was to be released to them after we were done here. Their new doc will keep a close eye on her for the next few weeks. It will take them about an hour to send a van. Talk to her and see if you can get real answers. She couldn’t even handle Jordan being an ass**le. I don’t want to think about her going there.”
Movement in his arms caused True to look down. Shiver wiggled one of her hands free from between their bodies and clutched at his shirt. He tensed, expecting her to claw at him, put up another fight. She didn’t. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him.
“Please don’t let him kill me.” Her words slurred a little.
“He won’t.” True was definitely going to have a talk with Tim Oberto about Chris.
“Nobody here will,” Trey swore too. “We just planned to scare some answers out of you but Jordan took it too far. I swear we would have stepped in if he’d tried to hit you.”
Tears filled her eyes and True hated to see them. She looked so fragile and weak at that moment. He resisted the urge to adjust his hold to brush them away as the wet drops slid from the corners of her eyes. One landed on his bare upper arm where he still kept hold of her head, now keeping it from slumping rather than from thrashing around.
“I did it for you. I saved you.” Shiver’s words were still slurred. “I…hurt for you.”
“I may have given her too much,” Midnight assessed. “Dr. Harris left to speak with Justice so I just grabbed one of the sedatives from the cabinet. I only injected her with half but it may have been too strong.”
“Is she in danger of overdose?” Instant concern for her safety plagued True.
“No. She may pass out though or be extremely dopey.”
He nodded sharply. “Okay.”
“It isn’t.” Shiver released his shirt and lifted her hand higher, her fingers brushing his jawline. “Never going to be okay again.”
“We’ll put her in bed until the van arrives. They can take her, gurney and all.” Midnight spun around, striding toward the elevator.
True lifted his chin out of Shiver’s reach. Her fingertips stroking him did odd things to his body and he refused to allow her to get to him. Flame approached and reached down, gripping his upper arm. Jericho recovered enough to move to his other side, mimicking the action. Both males helped pull him to his feet so he didn’t have to release the female. He gave one quick nod of thanks before following Midnight.
“I wake up screaming.”
True halted, looking down at her. Her tears slid down her face when she blinked up at him. A tightness constricted his chest. He hated to see her so desolate.
“He hurt me so much but it was for you. That’s how I survived.”
“You’re fine now.” He wanted to reassure her.
“I’m not. Stupid panic attacks.” Her hand lifted and she placed it on his neck. “Thought I was past them. Haven’t had one in months.”
She suffers panic attacks? He frowned, watching her face.
“Please don’t let him get near me.”
“Chris won’t be allowed near you.”
“Polanitis,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “He’ll kill me if he gets the chance.”
Every muscle in his body stiffened. “What?”
Her eyes opened, shimmering with new tears. “He’ll be so angry. Don’t let him near me. I’m dead.”
Anger rose and it burned. “Your close friend will be happy to see you.”
Her gaze widened and her lips parted. “What?”
“Your friend will be happy to see you,” he repeated.
She shivered in his arms and turned her head, burying her face against his chest. “You smell good.”
His dick twitched and he ground his teeth together, walking again toward the elevator. Midnight waited, keeping the doors open. She wrinkled her nose when she pushed the button for the floor above them, punching in the code to activate the lift.
“She needs another shower. I take it you scared her. Did you get the information you needed? The stench of her fear is strong.”
“She doesn’t smell bad.”
Midnight shrugged. “It does to me. It’s sickly sweet.”
He inhaled, hating the way his lower half was still engaged. The semi hard-on wasn’t welcome, nor was the desire to run his nose along Shiver’s throat. He wanted to cover her with his body until she felt protected and the scent faded from her skin. The urge to lick her to get a taste irritated him. It was the animal instincts, he recognized, but it didn’t sit well with the rational part of him.
Shiver turned her head, staring up at him again.
“You didn’t answer my question. Did you get the information from the female?” Midnight stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened, leading back to the patient rooms.
“No. She’s being sent to Fuller. They’ll try to gain information we couldn’t.”
