Page 87 of Bae

I felt her hands on my face, my cheeks; she was smoothing her cool fingers over my overheated skin. “I’m okay. Everything is fine.”

“You need to put the oxygen back on,” the nurse told Rimmel, stepping closer.

My head whipped around, my arms yanking her back into my chest. Daggers flashed from my eyes. I felt them piercing her busybody skin. She took a step back. I actually saw a look of fear cross her face.

“I got her,” I intoned.

“But the doctor—” she protested.

Was she really fucking speaking? Oh, hells no.

I started to pull back from Rim, my spine rigid, eyes locked on a nurse who should have just turned around and run.

Once again, Braeden intervened. “Why don’t you go get the doctor, ma’am? We’d like to talk to him.”

He physically guided her away from my wife. I stared at her the entire way. Braeden was muttering some shit about how I was half out of my mind and how the long ride messed with my head…

Bunch of bullshit.

She left the room, and all my attention zeroed back in on my wife. I glanced down. She was literally plastered against me. I gentled my hold and pulled her back a fraction.

“Is anything broken?” I asked, praying to God there wasn’t.

“No.”

I shifted, lifting her completely, and slid my body under hers. She settled between my legs, her back against my chest. I locked my arms around her waist and pushed her head back against my chest.

Braeden came back in the room and looked Rim up and down. “Tutor girl, this shit ain’t funny.”

“Good thing I’m not joking,” she said. Her voice was weak and strained. She sounded a little high. There were some red, aggravated cuts and scratches on her face… and her glasses were missing.

I didn’t like it.

Her body felt like rubber against mine, like she was too weak to even hold herself up.

Braeden came forward like he was going to lean in and kiss her.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” I rumbled. B shifted back and dropped into a chair right beside the bed.

“Roman Anderson!” Rimmel scolded, but it lacked her usual charm and heat.

It made my heart squeeze.

“It’s all right, sis. I’ll touch you later. When it ain’t a threat to my life.”

“What the hell happened, Rim? Why did I get a call from a stranger that took about twenty years off my life?”

“Maybe you should put the mask back on your face,” B said, leaning forward, his eyes intent on Rimmel.

I leaned around her, scrutinizing her face. It was pale. Her lips were cracked, and her eyes seemed even larger than normal.

I cursed low and gently lifted the mask, pressing it over her nose and mouth.

She rolled her eyes.

“Hush,” I told her and adjusted the straps so they held it around her head. After I smoothed her hair back, I leaned back, bringing her with me. “Just breathe,” I said. “You can tell us later.”

I wanted to know now, but it wasn’t the most important thing.

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