Page 63 of Married to My Master

She came-to a while later in a hospital bed, her clothes gone. One of those scratchy cotton gowns covered her. Her right leg ached like hell, a throbbing, hot pain that seemed to pierce all the way to the core of her body, like nothing she'd ever experienced.

How much time had passed? She looked around groggily, trying to find a clock. She didn't see one, and just flopped back onto the flat, unfluffed pillow. She groaned, a deathly rasp coming from her dry-as-dirt throat.

“Oh my God, you're awake!” came a familiar voice, a lilting sound that seemed to drift through the room beautifully. “Em, you're back!”

Emily groaned, turning her head to the source of the voice. Jas! “Hey,” she said, smiling as she saw her executive assistant.

“Hey, yourself,” Jas said, as she came to the side of the bed and put her hands on the railing. She looked as ragged as Emily felt, but wracked more with worry than physical pain. Dark rings stood out beneath her eyes, her hair looked like it could use a brush, and her makeup needed to be touched up. To Emily, it appeared Jas hadn't left her side since she'd been admitted.

“How you feeling?” Jas asked, reaching down and taking Emily's hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

“Like I got shot in the leg, then sedated.”

“Funny you should say that,” her friend said, squeezing her hand.

“Water?” Emily asked.

“Yeah,” Jas said, reaching over and grabbing a cup of ice chips. “Here, they said to give you these when you woke up.”

Emily took the cup and shook some chips into her throat, the cold wetness like iced tea on a summer's day, refreshing and rejuvenating. She never knew frozen water could taste this good.

“I ran into someone earlier today,” Jas said, her words sounding carefully and deliberately chosen. “Never guess who.”

Emily groaned. She didn't have time for this. “Who, Jas? Just spit it out.”

“Dane Bishop. Saw him at Pharma, in fact, just this afternoon.”

Emily groaned again. “Oh God,” she whispered. “Is he okay?”

Jas shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “He put a gun to my head, Em.”

Emily turned her face away. She couldn't deal with this. Not now. Not with her whole world coming down around her. She knew she owed some explanation to Jas about Dane, but what could she say that would make everything better?

“He used me as a hostage to get in to see Edward,” she continued. “Do you know what that's like? To be held as a fucking hostage?”

“Kind of,” Emily whispered, her face still turned away.

“What?” Jas demanded.

Emily just shook her head. “Look, I'm sorry about what you had to go through.”

Jas sighed. “It really wasn't that bad, Em,” she groaned. “I mean, I knew he wasn't going to hurt me. Dane just doesn't seem the type to do that. But, with all that, I know you're not telling me the truth about who he is, or what happened between you two.”

“Is he okay?” Emily asked, as she turned back to him. “Have they said if he's okay?”

Jas crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “He's out of surgery, and doctors say he'll be fine. The cops, though . . .”

Emily felt numb. She was too weak to cry and too emotionally exhausted to not. It was like a sick limbo that seemed to consume her, one that wouldn't let her go free no matter how much she struggled. She wanted to let herself go, to let big, fat, salty tears roll down her cheeks so they could dot the hospital blanket. But she just couldn't.

Dane was in custody. He was safe, and would live. But, still, he was gone from her. No more would he be her guardian, or her captor. She wouldn't feel his hands on her throat, feel his fingers in her hair, or the sting of his hand on her backside. She'd never feel the same safety in his arms, or the quiet strength encircling her and keeping her upright as the world tried to tear her down.

“You still didn't answer my question,” Jas said.

“I can't,” Emily whispered. “I just can't. It's as much for you as it is for me, Jas. Believe me.”

Finally, though, as the words left her mouth, she felt her eyes begin to fill with the tears she needed. She felt them fill up and brim over, beginning to trickle her down her face.

Jas sighed and, seemingly not knowing what else to do, gathered Emily up in her arms and held her. “It's okay,” she whispered to her boss, as she stroked her hair. “It's okay, Em. Everything'll be fine. I promise.”

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