Page 27 of Emi's Hero

As the doctor and nurse left the room, Kalea entered, carrying a stack of folded clothes. “Thank you, Ava and Dr. Rhodes,” she called over her shoulder. She kicked the door shut behind her and advanced into the bedroom, where Emi lay with the sheet pulled up to her neck.

“I thought you might like some clothes that fit a little better,” she said. “You’re a little smaller than I am, but I think these will fit better than what you arrived in.”

She laid the items on the bed. “There’s a nightgown, some panties, jeans and T-shirts. Do you need help getting into anything?”

Emi gave the other woman an apologetic smile. “I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I’d planned on donating them to a women’s shelter, but I think you could use them as much, if not more.”

“Thank you,” Emi said.

“Some of these items no longer fit me.” Kalea grimaced. “I might have to lose a few pounds at this rate. Anyway, they’re yours to keep. If they don’t fit, I’m sure I can find something else.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Emi said softly.

Kalea laid the pile on the end of the bed. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Though she wanted to ask Kalea to get George, Emi shook her head. “No, thank you. You’ve done so much already.”

Kalea shook her head. “I want to do so much more. I can’t imagine how you must feel about your little girl. You know, if anyone can find her and get her out, it’s the Brotherhood Protectors. They have the skills, training and technical support. You’re lucky it was George who found you.”

Emi’s cheeks heated. He’d found a naked drowned rat of a woman in the ocean and had literally brought her back to life. Since he’d found her, she’d been with him and now missed his presence. He made her feel safe.

Emi glanced up at Kalea and opened her mouth to ask the other woman where George was. Instead, she said, “I am very lucky.”

“I’ll leave you to rest. Our chef baked a ham earlier. The guys are making sandwiches. I can have someone bring one to you.”

“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Emi said.

“I’ll have a sandwich sent your way,” Kalea said with a determined nod. “Now, rest. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Emi gave her a wan smile. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I hope I can repay you someday.”

Kalea waved her suggestion aside. “No repayment necessary. You’ve already lost eight years of your life.” The beautiful Hawaiian woman, with her dark skin, brown eyes and long, wavy hair, bent and brushed a strand of Emi’s hair back from her forehead. “We just want you to get your child and your strength back and get on with living a truly happy life.”

“That’s all I want,” Emi said.

“Then get some rest. You’ll need all your strength to keep up with your daughter.” Kalea smiled once more, then turned and left the room, pulling the door closed.

As tired as Emi was, she couldn’t lie there naked. What if Kalea’s man, the boss of the Brotherhood Protectors Hawaii, strode in while Emi lay naked and asleep? The blanket could fall off and expose her to whoever wanted to come into the room.

She shivered.

Clutching the sheet to her chest, she sat up and reached for the stack of clothes, a lump forming in her throat.

Over the past eight years, she’d had to make do with the clothes she’d arrived in and whatever items Fallon had given her. They had all seemed to be hand-me-downs, a little worn and stained.

The stack Kalea had given her included a couple of pullover shirts, one in a lovely shade of moss green. The other was a rich mustard yellow. Two T-shirts, a pair of almost new blue jeans, crisply ironed and folded neatly, socks, panties, a silky nightgown and a sports bra that looked two sizes too large for her. At the bottom of the stack was a pair of pretty leather sandals.

When she got to the sandals, her eyes welled, and tears slipped down her cheeks. She brushed them aside, angry at herself for all the waterworks. Why was she getting emotional about a pair of sandals?

After setting aside the sandals, she selected the nightgown and a pair of panties and eased out of the bed onto the floor.

She dressed as quickly as she could, leaning against the mattress to maintain her balance. Once she was fully clothed, she ran her hands over the gown, loving the way the silky fabric slid across her skin.

A soft knock sounded on the door. “Emi, it’s me,” George’s muffled voice called out. “May I come in?”

A flash of dread and excitement warred for top billing in her gut. Hadn’t she wanted Kalea to bring him to her only minutes before? He’d made her feel safe.

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