Page 87 of Foxy Filthy Omega

I switched to the other leg and she hissed in a breath, making me freeze.

My blood boiled in my veins and the urge to destroy whatever was making her feel pain overwhelmed me.

I held completely still, reminding myself that there was nothing for me to deal with other than an injured partner. She’d fallen into a hole on accident. All I could do was help her.

Some of that boiling heat eased and I took a deep breath.

I had to be gentle or I could hurt her and make everything worse.

“Tell me when it hurts,” I instructed, shifting my grip ever so slightly.

Frankie didn’t respond, but she winced slightly when I touched her ankle. The rest of her leg seemed fine so I went back down and took her foot, rotating it slowly. She didn’t react to that so I didn’t think it was broken, but it might be sprained.

“Frankie?” I pressed my thumb to the spot on her ankle that felt swollen, worried that she wasn’t saying anything.

“There,” she said, yanking her foot out of my grip. “It hurts there, you asshole. You don’t have to press so hard.”

I smiled slightly, relieved she seemed to be coming out of the shock. “I think it’s just a sprain, but I don’t want to take your boot off to check just yet. It’ll be impossible to put it back on.”

And if she walked around without her shoes on, it would draw too much attention.

Pulling out the travel packet of acetaminophen, I handed that to her as well as the water bottle. Then I pulled out a plastic bag and unfolded it, getting up to grab her shirt, jacket, and the leather harness she always wore to holster her gun. I didn’t want her putting any of it back on, but I didn’t want to leave them here either.

“Wait.” Frankie reached out for the jacket in my hand and I handed it over despite how worried I was that there might be something disgusting on it that would trigger her again.

But Frankie pulled her phone out of the pocket and a small, round shark on a keychain before handing the jacket back to me.

I didn’t ask about the shark even though I wanted to know why it was so important to her that she’d touch her jacket again.

Dumping everything in my backpack, I placed it on my front and turned around. “Climb on. I’ll carry you back to the car.”

“I can walk just fine.”

Biting my tongue to keep from arguing with her, I stayed in that position and waited for her to climb on while I was still being nice about it.

Otherwise she was going to get thrown over my shoulder and there was no way we could explain that without sounding fucking ridiculous.

I didn’t give a shit if someone saw me carrying her around, but I knew she did. Frankie was terrified of it actually, like she was positive the second she showed any sign of weakness, they’d pounce on her like hyenas.

My stomach turned and I beckoned her to climb on with my fingers, knowing I couldn’t keep doing this.

Frankie wasn’t a job to me anymore and I couldn’t keep pretending she was.

I may not understand exactly what was happening right now, but I knew I couldn’t use this moment against her. I couldn’t take the footage that was still rolling and send that in to my employer.

Lying to her should have been easy, but when I’d told her no one was going to find out, I’d meant it.

Whatever this was, it wouldn’t get out. I’d make sure of it.

Her small hands on my shoulders surprised me and I kept my eyes forward so I didn’t spook her. Frankie was like a traumatized animal. If I moved too quickly or too aggressively she didn’t react well.

Her arms slid over my shoulders before wrapping around my neck and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the sensation of her against my back.

Frankie was tall and muscular but she was still a woman and all those curves felt sinfully soft, reminding me that, for whatever reason, she was trusting me in her moment of weakness.

I had no idea why, but I didn’t want to betray that trust. I didn’t want to lose this feeling I got whenever she held onto me like I was the only person in the world she trusted not to take advantage of her.

Lifting her up, I grabbed her thighs and pulled her high enough she could see over my shoulder. Her arms tightened around me and I did my best to ignore her scent mixed with mine as I headed for the parking lot.

---