Page 122 of His Wild Seduction

My wife’s bodyguard was upset, rightfully so. But he had no idea the world of hurt that I was going to rain down on his careless ass for letting her walk inside that fucking house by herself.

Although, really, it was sort of my fault. When I sent the alert out to all my teams, it was encrypted and the moment he spent deciphering it had almost cost me everything.

But whatever.

I was still going to punch him in the fucking face. It was the least he deserved.

“Seatbelt,” I said when I put her in the passenger seat.

She nodded, clearing her throat as she grabbed the buckle. That was when she noticed the red stain on her clothes.

“Josef! You’re bleeding,” she cried.

“It’s nothing. A flesh wound,” I grumbled, but she was already getting unbuckled.

“Baby, I’m fine. Get your seatbelt on. We’re going home.”

I punctuated the statement with a kiss. Sure, the wound in my side was burning like hell, but I didn’t give two shits. I needed to get my wife home.

I needed to reaffirm she was alright.

Uninjured. Whole. And mine. All mine.

And I needed to do that now.

Right fucking now.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

MEREDITH

The drive back to Manhattan from Morristown was agonizingly slow.

Josef focused on the road, but I was a bundle of nerves. The stain on his shirt got bigger. I found a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound, and other than a flick of his gaze to where I touched him, he didn’t even flinch.

He shifted the vehicle into park the second we reached the garage. Then he jumped out of the seat, opening my door before I even had the chance to get unbuckled.

One of his men was waiting there to take the keys, and more stood guard as Josef lifted me out of the SUV, refusing to put me down.

“The doc is waiting outside the front door, Boss,” Mario said, and I wondered how he beat us home.

Then I saw the big SUV parked behind the one Josef had driven and I realized my bodyguard had followed us all the way back.

“Thank you, Mario,” I said, and my husband growled.

I pressed closer to him, the move must have been the right thing to do, because he stopped his grumbling.

We got into the elevator. Mario and one more guard got in after us. But Josef still didn’t talk.

“I want you to examine my wife,” Josef told the doctor as soon as the elevator doors opened.

“No! You’re the one bleeding!” I said, exasperated with this man.

I was hardly aware of who opened the door when Josef stepped through and placed me gently on the couch.

“Now,” Josef said, and the doctor jumped.

I mumbled through the whole exam, aware the doctor was not touching me any more than necessary. I held my husband’s gaze.

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