Page 56 of Off Limits (Alpha Billionaire)

She squeezed my hand tighter, not letting go.

I chuckled. “I’m just going to walk around the car.”

“I know. I just, I’m… thank you for coming to get me.” The tears started again.

I leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I love you.” Before she could grab me again, I closed the door and ran around to the driver's side. I was in the car, and after I got it started, I picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked.

She twisted up her face against more crying. Her pain was like a sharp knife in my chest.

She spent the first half of the drive crying every time she tried to tell me what had happened.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me until you’re ready,” I gently reminded her. She didn’t need to talk if it was going to be that difficult, but she kept starting in different parts of her story. As long as she was willing to talk, I was there to listen.

I was able to figure out from what she did manage to say that Ryan headed into the valley and just kept going. She fell asleep, so she didn’t have any more details. At some point, the road that goes down the valley circles around and comes out in the middle of the county, and that’s how she ended up in the middle of farmland.

When it was clear she was done trying to talk around her crying, I told her about Sarah’s son, Ethan, and his ridiculous scheme for locating Ryan. I thought the story would entertain her and give her nerves a chance to settle.

“When he said rich people were greedy and I had to sweeten to deal with something Ryan would want to get, I couldn’t think of anything. He already had you. What more could he take from me?”

Jessica didn’t respond. I glanced over when she didn’t say anything. She was asleep. She looked so peaceful and calm. And so beautiful. I really had been terrified I would never see that beautiful face again. She had to be emotionally exhausted from the evening. I know I was.

The emergency room was fortunately quiet, and they were able to take Jessica into the back almost right away. I sat with her and held her hand every time someone examined her feet. They had her lay on her front and prop her feet over tubs of water.

She squeezed my hand and cried as they worked.

“Isn’t there anything you can give her so it doesn’t hurt so much?” I asked.

“We’re almost done. She really did some damage. What were you walking on, glass? The bottoms of your feet are shredded,” the nurse said.

Jessica pinched her face and looked miserable. “Can’t they just knock me out?”

I leaned in and kissed her face. “You are so brave.”

“This doesn’t feel brave.” She struggled to say each word. “Ah, ow!” she cried.

“There’s still some debris, and it looks like bits of the plastic shoes you had on, embedded into your heel. Next time, don’t take a hike in those cheap flip-flops.”

We didn’t get home until it was almost time to get up and start the day again. I was exhausted, but I carried Jessica up to my room.

“You should put me in my bed,” she tried to complain.

“Too late,” I said. “You’re already in this one, and I’m too tired to carry you across the hall, and you aren’t walking.”

“Will you at least get my pajamas?”

I kicked out of my clothes, leaving my boxer briefs on before I crossed the hall and grabbed her pajamas from her pillow. I helped her change, and the next thing I knew, my phone was ringing, waking me up.

My phone rang again. I groaned and grabbed it, looking at the screen. Why the hell was Sarah calling me this early? Then I looked at the time. Crap, it was much later than I expected.

A sudden bolt of guilt had me sitting up. “Did Ethan get home last night?” I asked as I answered the phone.

“Good morning. Yes, he did. Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine, why? I overslept. Last night was…” I looked over at Jessica who was sound asleep next to me. “It was very long.”

“I can imagine. You’ll have to fill me in on exactly what was worth that bottle of Château Lafite.”

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