Page 21 of Royally Lucky

Sutton tensed in his arms, and for the next half an hour, the doctor impressed the hell out of Kendrick with his professionalism and thoroughness. He’d adjusted Sutton in his arms, allowing her to stretch out sideways, giving Doc access tocheck her vitals and the ability to inspect her for injuries. It was a little more than a cursory checkup, but probably not as in-depth as the good doc would’ve liked to have done.

Kendrick grit his teeth while she retold the ordeal. She gripped his hand like she didn’t want to let it go for even one second. Her voice may have shook, but it was strong. He placed his arms around her, offering her comfort while plotting the death of every fucker who had their hand in the abduction. His heart beat a steady rhythm, hoping it gave her comfort.

“Okay, all done. I want you to apply ice to your ankle for twenty minutes at a time, several times a day, for the next three days. That’ll help keep the swelling down. Try to keep your foot elevated, and for god sake, don’t do any activities that aggravate the pain. I also want you to keep it wrapped. I’ll leave some extra wraps so you can change the one I did. This will also help with the swelling. If your ankle isn't getting better after a few days, especially if you can't bear weight on it, or you experience significant pain and swelling, have tenderness along specific bony areas of the ankle, you should seek medical attention and potentially get an X-ray to rule out a fracture. Generally, this means seeing a doctor within a week of the injury to assess your symptoms and determine if further imaging is necessary. I’d suggest you go in immediately, but I know that will fall on deaf ears.” He eyed Sutton and Kendrick but shook his head.

“Thanks, Doc. My guy Andre will take care of your payment.”

Doc waved his hand. “That isn’t necessary.”

Kendrick didn’t waste words. Doc would get money from him to take care of Sutton, one way or another.

Sutton was too quiet. Kendrick gripped her chin, turning her face to look at him. “Are you hurting?”

She shook her head and tried to lower her face. When that didn’t work, Sutton closed her eyes.

“Hey, don’t hide from me.”

“I feel so stupid,” she whispered.

Neither of them noticed when Doc slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. Kendrick could see the turmoil brewing in her dark eyes. She appeared strong, yet even the strongest people needed holding, and sometimes, they needed to be taken care of by others. He would be the one who stood in front of Sutton or beside her. Whatever she needed, he wanted to be that for her.

“Come on, baby. You need a bath and bed.” He shifted them forward and stood with her in his arms.

“I don’t want to go home.” Her arms wrapped around his shoulders like they’d done earlier.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want, Passerotta. Right now, all you have to do is let me take care of you. Nothing and nobody will hurt you. That is a promise.” There wasn’t a truer vow he’d ever made or more important. As he looked down at the woman in his arms, he knew he’d kill for her.

As he exited the great room, he nodded at King. “Thank you for letting us use your home.”

“We have a guest house on the other side of the property if you’d like to use it. It’s a newly remodeled, four-bedroom, three-bath casita that Ayesha recently finished redecorating. We’ve been buying up land around us for our...growing families,” King said. He and Ayesha moved aside as Kendrick and Sutton walked out.

He looked at Andre, getting the nod of agreement he searched for. “Thank you. Andre will go to our rental, grab our things, and return with them after he drops us off.”

“I’ll have one of our prospects show you the way. Ayesha stocks all the empty houses with things guests need besides fresh food.” King hugged his ole’ lady against him.

“There’s food in the freezer you can pop in the oven and plenty of things you can throw together in the pantry. Let meknow if you need anything,” Ayesha said. Her eyes were shiny with warmth.

Sutton gave a nod, her head lying on his shoulder. Kendrick turned, heading toward the back entrance where they’d parked. The sooner they got to the house, the sooner he could get her into bed. His dick gave a little jerk, but he forced his mind to forget thoughts of claiming Sutton until she’d gotten some rest.

Chapter Ten

Sutton wanted to sleep for the next twenty-four hours and forget the last twenty-four hours. However, she also needed to shower and clean the dirt and grime from her ordeal.

“I’d rather take a shower than a bath,” she told Kendrick as he carried her into the primary suite.

He sat her down on the counter and turned to stare at her. She could get lost in his emerald-green eyes. They appeared almost luminous and captivating. One minute, they were dark green. The next, she could see flecks of gold depending on the light. Right then, they were bright green, flashing like fire.

“You heard Doc. There’s no standing for prolonged periods. Unless you want me to go into the shower and hold you the entire time?”

Heat flared from her head to toes with images of them naked while water ran over their bodies. She could see it in her mind clearly. His strong arms holding her while her legs wrap around his waist. Fuck, she needed to get her mind out of the gutter. If he’d wanted her like that, he’d have already made a move.

“What are you thinking, Passerotta?” Kendrick stepped closer, easing her legs open.

“Um, I was wondering if there was a...a bench in the shower?” she lied.

His lips lifted in a sexy grin. “Hmm, I see. Let me take a look.”

He didn’t move away. Their breaths mingled as they stared at one another. She licked her lips. He groaned.

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