Page 21 of A Convenient Ring to Claim Her

“Wait. What? Tonight? That can’t happen.” Genuine panic began to take over Quinn’s system. She looked to Micah, desperate for him to step in and save her.

“You need the operation, Quinn,” he said, quiet and firm.

“No, I just need to keep it still for a few weeks, then do my exercises. I’ve done this. I know what to do.”

“Dr. Fabrizio treats some of our nation’s top athletes,” the original doctor assured her. “You won’t find better care anywhere.”

This was just like all those times when grown-ups had made decisions for her without listening, only this time the bill would come to her instead of the government.

“I can’t pay for this. Have you checked my insurance? They won’t cover it.”

“I spoke to the admissions desk while you were getting your X-ray.” Micah brushed away her argument with a brisk. “It’s all taken care of.”

Which was probably why the exalted surgeon had rushed from whatever gala she’d been enjoying to attend to Quinn, but the only thing worse than having to pay for emergency surgery in a foreign country was owing the cost of it to Micah Gould.

“We’ll realign the socket, then do the surgery arthroscopically. It’s low invasion so it won’t affect your healing time too much,” the surgeon said cheerfully.

“This way you will only have to go through the healing process once,” Micah added before she could protest again. “This has to be done, Quinn.” He was using his most implacable voice. “Do it now so it’s over with.”

It was harsh logic, but she saw the sense in it. Short of refusing treatment out of belligerence, she didn’t really have a choice. That made her chin crinkle in helplessness, though. She didn’t want surgery!

She fought tears as she gave a mute nod of agreement.

Micah was not squeamish, but standing by while Quinn had her shoulder set was the worst thing he’d ever witnessed. Whether the pain drugs had helped was up for debate. She didn’t scream or cry, but the yelp that escaped her at one point would ring in his ears forever.

So would the knowledge that a man had grabbed her in anger when she’d beennine, causing her to suffer to this day.

He had imagined nothing could make him feel so helpless as he had on the way here, not knowing the extent of her injuries.I’ll have to tell Eden, had been his single grim thought, but he hadn’t known how he would do it if the news was truly bad. He’d been unable to breathe until he’d seen that Quinn was conscious.

Then he’d had to listen to the doctors point out issues that should have been dealt with properly in the past. The impotency of his rage on that front was something he had to push aside while he took a fraction of her pain in the form of her nails digging into his hand.

When she released him, he snatched up a tissue and mopped her temples. Tears were streaming from the corners of her closed eyes and she was shaking again.

“It’s over now,” he tried to soothe.

“No, it’s not,” she croaked, turning her face away from his attempts to dry her eyes.

She was blaming him for insisting she needed the surgery. She didn’t want it and who would? The best he could do for her was ensure she was given the highest level of care, so that’s what he was doing. It was a helluva lot better than people had done for her in the past. What sort of teacher bullied a girl into reinjuring herself?

“Was he charged?” Micah asked grimly as they were briefly left alone.

“The cyclist?” She frowned through her haze of drugs and pain. “It was an accident.”

“The first man who dislocated your shoulder.”

“No. That was an accident, too.” That had to be sarcasm, but she closed her eyes again, voice drifting with disinterest so it disguised her real thoughts. “I was moved to another home, though.”

As if that was any compensation?

The nurse returned with an IV bag and a tray of instruments. “I have to prepare her for surgery and finish her paperwork now.”

He nodded, but didn’t move. He’d never seen Quinn look so utterly outdone. The fierce light that usually beamed out of her was firmly doused and it made his veins feel full of grit.

“Is there anyone I can call besides Eden?” It was disgraceful that he didn’t know. At the same time, he braced against hearing she’d met someone in recent weeks.

“The youth hostel on Via Patrice,” she said with a wince of discomfort. “They were adamant that they kick you out if you tie up a bed and don’t use it. Tell them they can put my things in storage. I’ll pick it up as soon as I can.”

No one else? Her lack of an emergency contact was actually worse than hearing she had a secret lover he didn’t know about.

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