Page 18 of Guarded Love

“Hmm…” I winced, then shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. I didn’t get a lot of information.”

“I see. What sort of surgery was she having?”

“Uh…” She had me at a loss. “It had something to do with her leg. I know that much.”

“All right…” Her sunny smile was starting to slip. I had a feeling she was starting to doubt me.

“Her name is Evelyn Black,” I offered. “Maybe you have her in your system?”

“Sir.” She turned away from her machine to give me her full attention, and there was no more flirtatiousness or friendliness, for that matter. “Please don’t take it the wrong way when I tell you we can’t simply allow people access to patients.”

“What?” That came out a little too sharply, and she flinched a little. I had to change my approach before she called the cops. As it was, a security guard who looked like he was about ten years and twenty pounds past his prime was paying a little too much attention from a seat close to the doors leading outside.

“No, it’s not like that,” I started again. “She is my friend’s sister, really. He’s on his honeymoon and asked me to come and pick her up. It’s as simple as that. You can even call him if you want to.” Yet again, who was to say he would answer the call? However, when I thought about it, I couldn’t see why he wouldn’t. Not when he was always so up in arms over Evelyn. If he saw a call from the hospital, he’d drop everything.

Shit.

He’d asked me to do one thing, and all I had gotten so far was pushback. Would it be too much if I called him again? It was starting to look like a better idea. Otherwise, I would be here all day, while Evelyn did fuck only knew what.

I had just made up my mind to ask Barrett for his sister’s number when the elevator doors slid open, and an orderly came out, pushing a wheelchair containing the woman I was looking for. “There you are.”

“Oh. It’s you.” She barely glanced at me before craning her neck to look at the man pushing her chair. “Could you please take me outside? I’m going to get a cab.”

“Wait a second.” I put a hand on the chair, holding it effortlessly in place.

“Sir, you’re going to have to let go.”

“Says who?” I muttered to the orderly while glaring down at Evelyn. “Come on. You know Barrett sent me here to pick you up.”

“AndIsaid… I would rather take a cab. But thank you for going out of your way to be so nice.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice, and it set my teeth on edge. I had to remind myself we weren’t alone and that there were eyes watching and ears listening. The last thing I needed was a conversation with the police about why I was trying to kidnap a patient.

A patient who looked and sounded like she was still half out of it. She wore no makeup or jewelry, looking like she had just been hit by a truck.

“Your brother wants me to take you to his place, so that’s what I’m going to do.” I made eye contact with the young orderly and held his gaze silently, daring him to do anything about it. He didn’t, of course, stepping back with his hands raised before returning to the elevator.

“Stop being so damn impossible for once.” I grunted as I took control of the wheelchair before she could do something stupid like try to wheel herself to the door.

Stubborn, pigheaded pain in the ass.

And lucky me, for as long as Barrett was out of town, she would be my pain in the ass.

9

EVELYN

Ididn’t think he would go through with it.

It never occurred to me to wait for Magnus to arrive at the hospital. I’d fully intended to make my way back to the penthouse and take care of myself. Because in the end, even with my brother going out of his way to take care of me, I was all I really had. He wasn’t there to help me on the average days when the pain was too much or when I wasn’t strong enough to make it through and still be functional and productive.

Those days, I took care of myself. I was my companion. I was my support. And I was ready to do it again. I wanted to because it would mean not having to face Magnus.

He was just as arrogant and demanding as ever once he wheeled me into the garage. “I swear to God,” he grumbled. “Some people, you just can’t help. I will never understand it. You know, people don’t have to go out of their way for you.”

“I never asked you to.” The world was moving a little too fast for my very slow brain to catch up. But I wasn’t feeling bad, far from it. I was actually feeling incredible, still floating in what was left of a painkiller and anesthesia-induced haze.

“Did you ever hear of being gracious?” He flung open the passenger side door of his Alfa Romeo and reached into the back to set my bag before turning to me with a scowl. “It wouldn’t break your neck to be a little nicer.”

Was he for real? I wasn’t sure if we were having this conversation or if it was yet another lovely side-effect of coming out of anesthesia and pain meds. It was a killer combo.

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