Page 115 of Obsession

“It’s not that bad,” she says, studying it. “So I’d like him to try. I’m not going to the hospital.”

She tries shoving the long gaping wound in my face as if to prove it to me, but she’s shaking all over again. My chest tightens in anger at the sight of the tears welling up in her eyes. This courageous woman has no problem facing death square in the eye, but the thought of going to a hospital terrifies her.

I look toward Christian, but he shakes his head. “We’re still looking for a replacement.”

Isaiah’s death is an inconvenience. Losing a personal physician who didn’t ask questions but was a master of his craft was a huge loss to me, and our backup doctor is not going to work long-term. I wouldn’t want to pull him in on something like this.

“Megan.” I gesture with my head to let Christian know it’s okay to leave. When he walks out, I gently turn her around.

“I won’t go.”

“Listen.” I grip her jaw, forcing her to meet my gaze. “I’ll be with you the entire time. You’ll never be alone. Nobody will touch you without my permission, and if anybody tries, I’ll put a bullet between their eyes. You have my word.”

She presses her lips together, giving me a tearful look, her voice choking up. “It’ll get better by itself. I want to go back to my apartment. Naomi will be worried about me.”

She’s never this distraught. The last time she got even close to this upset was because of the hospital as well. The cut isn’t bleeding that much, and it’s begun to clot, but she still needs it looked at if it’s going to heal correctly.

“The skin must be stitched, or it won’t heal properly.” I recognize that force or even strongly worded commands fromme won’t work here, and I can’t bear to push her when she’s already so upset. So, I try reasoning. “If Lars could do it, I would call him,” I tell her, stroking her face and hair. “But I promise I’ll be there. I won’t leave you for even a second.”

She looks so unbearably young at this moment that for a split second, I question what I’m even doing with her in my bed.

She’s too immature for you, idiot.

But once again, I don’t listen to that little irritating voice in my head, not when I have this fireball of a woman in my arms. There’s a reason why she’s so frightened, and I owe it to her to at least try to help her through this. She can’t avoid hospitals forever.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she hesitates before slightly nodding her head. “I probably shouldn’t, but I do.”

She’s right about that shit.

I barely trust myself right now.

Her voice is a little hoarse, and I use the pad of my thumb to wipe the tears dangling from her lashes.

“Good answer, but I promise you can trust me now. Whatever it is that has you so terrified of hospitals, it won’t touch you. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll always be safe when you’re with me.”

“Like I was safe today in your bedroom?”

This woman.

Damn, she pushes all of my buttons.

How could I be so off my game and allow someone to get that close to me? To her? If he had been a half-decent shot, he would have killed either of us, and the mere possibility of Megan no longer being on this earth is fucking unacceptable.

“That shit will never happen again. I promise you that.”

Or I’ll die trying.

Chapter 41

He’s Thrown Down The Gauntlet

HUNTER

Half an hour later, with Megan relatively calm, I exit the car in front of the entrance of the hospital. I fix my eyes on her as she gets out and I see the rising fear in her eyes replaced by confusion.

“What is this?”

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