She was teary and just kept mumbling what sounded like thanks to God as she kept me close. It was foreign, but soothing at the same time. Having her there. Caring.

Cal was clutching his cell as he frowned at the doctor. “You sure she’s okay?”

He nodded. “Yes. Just some rest and Tylenol for any discomfort. There is a small fracture in your cheekbone,” he said to me. “It will heal on its own, but will be tender in the meantime. None of the blood vessels in your eye seem to look bad, but if you have a problem with vision or headaches, let me know.”

Cal scrubbed a hand over his face and looked like he was about ready to lose it.

“Hey,” I whispered to him. “I’m okay.”

He just shook his head, and I was pretty sure he was about to smash his cell phone in his grip. Thankfully, it rang and he looked down, relief and anger lit his face.

He kissed my forehead. “Hang on, I’ll be right outside.” He put his cell to his ear and said, “Hey, yeah…” and walked out of the room.

“He’s just worried about you,” Bea said. I knew that. He was so worried it made him angry and upset with himself, which was what I didn’t want.

“You’re lucky, young lady,” the doctor said, and patted my shoulder.

“She’s a fighter,” Bea said, as she put an arm around me and pulled me close. The doctor nodded and gave me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine to help me sleep. When he opened the door, I caught a glimpse of Cal in the hallway with fury on his face.

“He fractured her fucking cheekbone,” he said into the phone before the door closed again.

Bea just continued to hug me. “He’s probably just yelling at the officer who took Brock in.”

I took a deep breath. I appreciated Cal’s concern so much, but I hated that he was internalizing it.

“None of this was his fault,” I said to Bea, and she nodded.

“I know, honey. But he feels out of control right now.”

Her words hit me. This was how Cal held his control. In every other area, he let me express what I needed, be who I was, even exercise my own dominance from time to time, but this? My safety and wellbeing were his personal mission, and he was spiraling. Just like the night I saw him scared when I took the sleeping pills.

Cal came back in and shoved his phone in his pocket. He looked at me, and I saw so much raw fear and dread on his face. Seeing this big man in half his fire gear looking at me like I had some kind of power over him broke my heart. Because he was the one I needed. The one that came through for me.

“Baby?” I asked him softly. His gaze snapped to mine. “Will you please take me home?”

“My home,” he said.

I nodded. “Yes, take me there, with you?”

“Yeah,” he said, helping me up.

“I’ll drop you two off,” Bea said, which was nice, since we’d arrived in an ambulance.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Cal just cradled me into his side, and walked me out of the hospital like I was the most precious thing he’d ever held. And the thought made me want to cry for a whole new reason.

Chapter 23

Standing in Cal’s bedroom, he lifted my shirt over my head slowly, then peeled my pants off. Though he was gentle, there was nothing sexual about his undressing me. He had a purpose.

“Do you still have to work tonight?”

“Talked to the captain, told him there was a family emergency. Got it covered. I’m not leaving you.”

He did only live a couple blocks away, but still, I didn’t want to put him in a bad place with work.

“It’s not really a family emergency. Will the captain be mad if—”

Tags: Joya Ryan Reign Erotic
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