She gazed up at me in awe. Satisfaction coursed through me. I would have been content to look at her all night. But she was tired. And, she needed rest.
“Go to sleep, now,” I whispered, moving to her side and pulling her close.
I could feel she wanted to argue, but she had no energy left. Her blinks were slow, and her gaze unfocused. I smiled and kissed her forehead.
“I love you,” I said.
She was asleep soon afterward. I waited an hour before moving her under the covers, trying to be as careful as possible. Tugging the blanket over her, I considered her midsection then studied her sleep-relaxed face. If I looked, I risked another kneeing or worse. If I didn’t look and there was something seriously wrong, I’d never forgive myself.
Decided, I went to the bathroom and returned with two clean hand towels. Praying she’d stay sleeping, I peeled back the comforter. The first hand towel I placed over the robe on her chest. The second one went over her hips. It wasn’t just to preserve her modesty. It was to avoid temptation. I desperately wanted to see her and explore every curve and hollow. But I wanted her awake when I did that, exploring me in return.
Steeling myself, I loosened the belt at her waist and slowly parted the robe. I worked it open a few inches at a time, stopping to readjust towels as needed so everything stayed covered. As I worked, I became angry.
A huge bruise covered her stomach. Two areas were darker, as if she’d been hit twice. What had he done to her?
I slid into bed and covered her with the quilt. Ever so gently, I pulled her close and listened to her even breathing.
Chapter 20
Thoughts of all the things that could have gone even more wrong kept me awake. I touched Michelle often as she slept, reassuring myself that she was still with me. And, I kept reminding myself that the day hadn’t gone as wrong as it could have.
Around dawn, I left the bed. Restless, I went to the kitchen and ate the leftovers, hoping a full stomach might help me sleep. It didn’t. So, I went to the bathroom, thinking a hot bath would do the trick. However, seeing her clothes hanging over the glass shower door filled me with regret and anger all over again. Knowing sleep wouldn’t happen, I stripped, put on the suite’s other guest robe, and called down to the desk to arrange for our clothes to be laundered. After someone came for the dirty clothes, I took a quick shower. Then, I paced for a bit. Finally, I sat down beside the phone.
I dialed Jim’s number and waited. He picked up in the middle of the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me.”
“You’re alive.” I could hear the genuine humor and relief in his voice. “How are things there?”
“Good. Really good. She Claimed me.”
“Mom’s going to—”
“I know,” I said with a half-laugh.
“You don’t sound as happy as I would have thought.”
I sighed and leaned back into the cushions.
“I am happy about that. But, Michelle got hurt.”
“Yeah, Dad told me. She’ll be okay though, right?”
Frustrated, I hesitated.
“Is she awake?” Jim asked.
“No. She’s still sleeping. She’s been out pretty much since we got here. And, yeah, she’ll be okay. I’m not sure I will be, though.” Jim remained quiet, letting me talk. “I left her alone. That’s how they got her. Even after hearing she’d been locked away for four years, even after hearing what they’d done to her brothers, even after Blake sent men to our home to try to take her back, I left her alone. What kind of dumbass am I?”
“A big one, apparently. You’re sitting on the phone with your brother instead of snuggling with your Mate.”
I almost laughed before I caught myself. “She was bleeding, Jim. The mutt who took her hit her head so hard she was bleeding. And her stomach is one huge bruise. I think he hit her there, too. And, do you know what she does when I ask? She tells me everything is okay and not to worry. She comforts me. I don’t want comfort...”
“You want revenge.”
“I do. I want Blake to bleed.”
“He will. Give it time. You should have that patience thing down by now.”
“Yep. I should. Did you hear about the meeting with the lawyer?”
“In a few hours, right?”
“Yeah. What do you think?”
“I think she’ll want to go. And, I think you won’t be a dumbass again. Don’t forget Grey and Carlos have your back. Your front, too, if you need the protection.”
I grinned.
“Thanks, Jim.”
“Anytime. Now, let me go back to sleep.”
I hung up the phone and went to lay by Michelle again. Talking to Jim had eased some of the guilt I carried. It wasn’t gone, just not a priority. Michelle was.
Relaxed, I dozed until someone knocked on our door. The woman with our laundry also had a pair of shoes for Michelle, a set of toothbrushes, and a small tube of paste. I thanked her and closed the door. I took everything into the bathroom.
After brushing and changing into clean clothes, I went back to Michelle. She hadn’t moved much in her sleep. The few times she did, she frowned. Her stomach was definitely hurting her. Gently, I trailed my fingers over the bruise.
It took an hour before her breathing changed. I stopped trailing my fingers along her skin and waited. Her pulse increased, but she didn’t open her eyes. Instead, she tried to ease my hand off her stomach but cringed at the effort.
“Might as well open them,” I said softly.
Her eyes popped open, and she turned her head to look at me. I ran my fingers over her skin again. Her eyes widened, and a jolt of panic came over our link as she let out a squeak. She lifted her head to look down at herself, winced, and dropped her head back down to the pillow.
I waited for her reaction to what I’d done. She didn’t yell. No anger came over the link. Love washed over me. Her love. Every moment I spent with her humbled me. I might not deserve her now. Maybe not ever. But, I would take every day as another chance to try to be the man worthy of her.
She turned her head and gave me a shy smile, her heart skipping a beat.
“You lied to me,” I said, trailing my fingers over the worst bruise. “You’re not fine. How much pain are you in?”
She glanced down at her stomach and slightly shook her head. “Emmitt, I’ll live. Don’t make a big deal out of this.”
A thread of embarrassment reached me. I didn’t understand how my concern would embarrass her. She pulled the robe around her, rolled to her side, and boosted herself up on one arm. Although I felt the pain through our link, she was careful to keep her expression bland, a clear sign she didn’t want my help. After a moment, she slid her legs off the bed and eased herself into a full sitting position.
She glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed.
“We need to get to the lawyer’s office. How long will it take from here? I don’t even know where we are,” she said.
Jim would love knowing he was right. Grey, too.
“About thirty minutes,” I said, answering her original question as I got out of bed and moved to help her stand.
“Really, Emmitt, I’m fine,” she said.
Determination hit me, and I knew what she was going to do as soon as she leaned forward. I quickly offered my hand, unwilling to watch her hurt herself more. Even with my help, she winced and leaned into me.