Page 52 of Room Service
“Well, fill us in before I meet her,” Chantel says, eagle eyed and ready. I get that she’s excited to maybe forge a friendship from all of this, but I haven’t even talked to Elise about us, so she may end up disappointed.
I tell them about what happened, and why Elise is in my bed resting, both of them looking shocked by the time I’m done.
“Her husband beat her up?” Gabriel says, eyebrows raised, and I nod to confirm what I’ve just said in brief detail. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” I echo.
“Oh God, I feel awful for her,” Chantel says, her excitement on pause.
“Well don’t, because she wouldn’t want that,” I tell her, and she goes from shocked to smiling. “What?”
“Look at you, getting all protective and shit,” she comments. “I like this chick already.”
My phone rings, saving me from having to try and respond, because she’s right, I am protective of her, brutally so.
“What?” I bark down the phone, seeing it’s one of the guys who has gone to pick up Elise’s personal items.
“Boss, there was no answer at the house,” he tells me, like he can’t figure out the solution to that.
“So break the fucking door down.”
“We did that, and we’ve got anything we think is relevant, but there is no sign of the husband being here.” I gave the guys a quick rundown on who he was, but didn’t go into detail as such, just mentioned he was the husband of a woman that needed protecting from him. “The place is a shithole though.”
“I couldn’t give a toss about the place, just get her stuff back here and get the other guys to find him.”
“Will do.” I hang up the phone, confident that they’ll locate him in no time at all. Again, I only use the best, and these guys have never let me down, even if they are dodgy as fuck. I’m met with silence as I throw my phone on the coffee table.
“Dorien, you’re not doing anything stupid, are you?” Gabriel asks, and Chantel tilts her head as he studies me.
“No more than usual,” I respond, but I refrain from adding, ‘not yet, anyway.’
Chapter Forty
ELISE
I wake up groggy and slowly make my way to the bathroom in the hallway. I don’t pay much attention to anything other than needing to use the toilet and splash my aching face with some cold water, so once I’m done and I make my way to the main room, I’m stumped to see two people sat on the couch, with Dorien in the armchair. His head turns as he clocks me in his peripheral vision, and then the heads of the two on the sofa turn to see what’s got his attention. And I’m stood here in nothing but a pair of panties and his pyjama shirt—luckily it falls to mid-thigh but it’s still not ideal.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you had company,” I say as I fidget on the spot. “I’ll just go and um…” I let my voice trail off as I turn and start to go back to the bedroom, but seconds later, I feel him behind me, his body shielding mine and his hands resting on my shoulders.
“It’s okay, Elise, they’re friends—more family than anything,” he tells me quietly, his lips by my ear.
“And I’ve just walked out here looking like I’ve not groomed myself in a week, and in just a pyjama shirt.” My response earns a chuckle from him, and I find myself leaning back slightly to rest against his chest.
“They won’t judge you for the way you look, and trust me, you look beautiful.”
“Pfft. I look horrendous with the split lip, the red marks on my skin, and the bruising starting to show. Not to mention my hair is all over the place.”
“I never had you down as caring too much about appearance,” he comments, and I bite my bottom lip, quickly hissing as my teeth connect with the split there.
Dorien turns me around and glares at me. “Will you be fucking careful.”
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“I’ve got your things on the way here as we speak, so as soon as your clothes arrive, I’ll bring them in and you can change into whatever feels comfortable.”
“Wait, my stuff is coming here?” I question.
“Yes.”
