Page 48 of Love Me Dangerous

“He made it clear that I’m not welcome in this town.” I reach out to stroke Fergie’s soft head. The movement sends the pain up my side, but the comfort of petting her is worth it.

Sofie’s pretty face tenses in distress. “Did either of them say anything to you?”

“No.”

I close my eyes. If it wasn’t Gabe, then who would come after me? In a town where movie stars and guests of extreme wealth regularly wander around, why jump me for my ratty backpack? There’s no way my attackers knew I had that money stashed there. I’ve never shown it to anyone. Never talked about it.

However, I take that backpack everywhere. Has someone been watching me?

Which brings me back to Gabe.

A new idea bursts into my mind. What about Jesse? I think about this bed, all made up and ready for him at a moment’s notice. Like they expect he’ll need it.

I’m afraid if I look at Sofie, she’ll be able to read my thoughts.

She rises slowly and slips from the room. Fergie curls up again and sighs.

When I open my eyes again, Rowdy is standing in the doorway dressed in his uniform, weapon holstered at his hip. His hair is wet, like he’s freshly showered.

“Hungry?” he asks.

It takes me a moment to work up to answering. “I think so.”

“Feel like joining us at the table?”

I’m definitely not going to let them dote on me anymore. “I do.”

After peeling back the covers, I slowly shift position, keeping the pain at a manageable throb.

Rowdy comes next to me on the bed and helps hoist me to my feet. The room spins, and my face gets hot. Rowdy doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to move, so I take a moment to breathe in shallow gulps. My balance returns, and slowly, I release my arm from Rowdy’s shoulders.

The wrinkles fanning both his eyes tell me about how he spends hisdays, but the kindness in his gaze and the laugh lines around his mouth give just as much away.

Knowing what I do about his daughter, am I surprised that he’s just as thoughtful? That he’s not the least bit rattled by my presence?

“I’m good.” I muster a reassuring smile before crossing the hallway to the narrow bathroom.

“We’ll need to tend to that wound.” He levels me with a serious gaze. “I’ll get the first aid kit.”

This bathroom must be Sofie and her sister’s because there is a rainbow of hair ties bunched in a little basket next to the sink and a hook on the side of the medicine cabinet for ribbons. Various skin care products are clustered on the counter.

It’s not like I’m snooping but taking stock of their things feels like an invasion of their privacy.

The most challenging part about taking a leak is bending down to lift the seat. I go slowly, the pain in my side skyrocketing. Huffing there in the tight space until it ebbs, I brace against the wall so I can tripod. I’m not about to make a mess.

Emptying my bladder doesn’t create more pain, which means the likelihood of an internal injury is low. Though when I’m through, a dull ache echoes through my insides.

I finish up and shuffle to the sink. My pale face looks pained. There’s a scratch above my right eye, probably from crashing into the fence. My shirt sleeve is torn. And when I wash my hands, water gets into the dressing covering my right hand, making me wince.

When I open the door, Rowdy meets me with the first aid kit and a bottle of ibuprofen. He sets the kit down on the sink counter, then taps out four of the pills and hands them to me. “It’s best to stay ahead of the pain.”

Sounds like this is coming from experience, and as a game warden, I don’t doubt he’s had plenty.

I swallow the pills dry, then scoop water into my mouth to wash them down. Moving hurts, but if I go slowly, I can bear it.

From the first aid kit, Rowdy slips out a pair of EMT shears, then cradles my hand to cut away the gauze he put on yesterday. His calloused palms are rough on my skin. It’s not that I mind, but thissudden intimacy, especially in such tight quarters, is heightening every sensation. Ignoring the urge to put space between us or resist his help takes massive amounts of energy. I hope he doesn’t notice.

“You could use a few stitches,” he says once the soaked Band-Aids and gauze are peeled off and I start bleeding again.

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