Chapter Twelve
T he nurse walked out, and Genevieve started to hyperventilate.
Careful not to touch the back of her head, I took her face in my hands. “Genevieve, look at me.”
She did, but she wasn’t seeing me. “My life, my whole life, everything was in my purse. My wallet, my cell phone— oh my God ,” she cried. “That’s my entire business. Everything is on that tablet.”
Goddamn it. “Do you back up regularly?”
Her breath hitched, but her eyes focused. “Back up?”
“Your tablet, your cell, do you use the cloud, something else?” She seemed more disorganized than anyone I’d ever met, but the party she’d organized had run smoothly. I was hoping that was an indication of some level of organization.
“Okay, okay.” She nodded. “I do that.”
She looked so damn vulnerable, for a beat I forgot how pissed I was at her. Swiping at the tears on her soft cheek with my thumb, I stupidly made her a promise. “We’ll get it sorted.”
She looked up at me with childlike trust. “Okay.”
The nurse walked back in, and I dropped my hand, mentally reminding myself this woman was off-limits.
Handing me a clipboard with my credit card and paperwork, she pointed. “Just sign here and here. And I have a wheelchair all set so we can get you out of here.”
An orderly pushed the curtain all the way back and brought a wheelchair to the end of the bed.
I signed the credit card receipt, pocketed the paperwork and my credit card, then I helped Genevieve sit up.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
I went on alert. “You okay?”
“Are you dizzy?” the nurse asked.
Her head down, her voice tentative, she swiped at her face, then tugged at the hem of her dress. “I’m fine.”
I noticed the abrasions on her knees from when she’d hit the pavement, but I was a fucking asshole for also noticing the smooth ivory skin of her thighs. “Can you stand?”
“I, um….” She stared at her legs as they hung over the side of the bed. “I don’t have any shoes.”
“Oh, let me get you some socks.” The nurse took off.
Fuck. Fuck . With everything that’d happened, I hadn’t even realized she’d lost her shoes.
Without a word, I scooped her up.
She gasped like she was in pain.
“Arms around my neck,” I ordered, hating the fact that she was injured.
Her body shaking slightly, she complied. “You can’t lift me. I’m too heavy.”
“I already did.” I walked her to the end of the bed. “And you’re not.” She was perfect. Too goddamn perfect.
I set her in the wheelchair, and the nurse came back and handed her a pair of hospital socks.
“They’re not shoes, but at least you won’t be barefoot.” Smiling at Genevieve, the nurse patted her shoulder. “Take care.” She nodded at the orderly. “They’re all set.”
The orderly turned her wheelchair around, but I stopped him.
“Hold on.” I pulled my cell out and dialed Ty.
He answered on the first ring. “What’s up?”
“We’re coming out. Status?”
“All clear out here.”
“You know what vehicle you’re looking out for?”
“Copy. Luna told me what the pussy barback said. Bold move on those fucks’ part driving our SUV around, if you ask me. If I see them, I’m gonna shoot—”
“I didn’t ask. Pull up in the loading zone.”
“Ten-four. Twenty seconds.” He hung up.
I nodded at the orderly. It’d take us that long to walk out of here.
Stepping in front of the wheelchair, I led us out of the emergency area and through the waiting room. I scanned everyone as we left, but the only people in the reception area looked like people waiting to be seen.
As we exited the front doors, Ty pulled up and got out. His hand on his holster, he scanned the parking lot and loading zone as he walked around the vehicle and opened the rear passenger door.
I nodded at the orderly. “I got it from here.” Before she could protest, I picked Genevieve up.
Her eyes darted around, following Ty’s gaze, then she grasped at my neck in a death grip.
“You’re good. We’re clear,” I reassured as I set her in the SUV and held the seat belt out for her.
She didn’t move.
Staring straight ahead, gripping her socks to her chest with both hands, dried blood down the back of her neck and on her dress, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. She was also married and scared as hell, and it was my fault.
I brushed the errant curl off her face. “Look at me.”
Pain etched across her features, she turned toward me.
“We need to move,” Ty warned.
Ignoring him, I pulled the seat belt across her lap. “I’m going to make you a promise.”
She didn’t respond.
“If I tell you you’re safe, then you’re safe in that moment.” I buckled her in. “I promise.”
“What about the next moment?” she asked, her voice small.
I gave her the truth. “If the situation changes, I won’t lie.”
Staring at me for a moment, she finally nodded. “Okay.”
I tipped my chin and shut the door.
Ty smirked. “Who knew? The billionaire does have a vice. His downfall?” He grinned and waited a beat like I was going to answer his bullshit question. “ Redheads .” Slapping me on the shoulder, he walked toward the driver door. “Should’ve told me that was all it took. We could’ve gotten your uptight ass laid awhile ago. I know plenty of strippers with red—”
“Just drive,” I ground out, reciting my address before opening the front passenger door and getting in the SUV.
Ty got behind the wheel, but the smile had dropped from his face as he glanced at me. “You know what you’re bringing to your doorstep?” he asked under his breath.
As much as I didn’t trust Ty, knowing who he’d worked for before Luna, knowing his propensity for pulling the trigger first and asking questions later, I knew he was smart. Before he worked for Luna, he’d been the inside man on one of our ops, and he’d played it smart. Using American Sign Language to communicate, keeping his cover, evading authorities after the bust, leaving no trace he’d ever been in his last boss’s employ—he had skills. And he knew enough about my background to try and warn me off bringing a married woman with a gang after her to my penthouse.
I had respect for his question, but zero patience for it.
“Drive,” I ordered.
Without another word from any of us, Ty drove to my building and pulled into the underground parking.
“This isn’t where I live,” Genevieve said nervously.
“It’s where I live.” I glanced over my shoulder at her. “For now, it’s not safe for you to go home.”
Her lip trembled before she bit it. “Can’t I just go to a hotel?”
Angry at myself, at the situation I’d gotten her into, at the fact she’d lied to me, I fought to temper my voice. “This is a secure building with a good security system, and another Luna and Associates employee will be stationed out front.”
“Why can’t he be stationed out front of a hotel?”
“I can’t secure an entire hotel.” And until those carjackers were caught, I didn’t want her out of my sight. Her useless husband sure as hell wasn’t going to protect her.
She looked between me and Ty. “Am I really in that much danger?”
I reminded myself of my promise to her. “Yes.”
Tears welled, but she blinked them back and nodded. “For how long?”
“For as long as it takes for us to find who took the vehicle.”
“And that is?” she asked, her voice stronger.
I shouldn’t be noticing she had a backbone, or anything else about her, but fuck I was noticing. “Hours or days. I don’t know.”
“Then what happens when you find them?”
Ty smirked. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to, sweetheart.” He turned in his seat to face her. “You’ll be safe with Sawyer.”
As much as I wanted to hit him for calling her sweetheart, I didn’t say anything. Hearing from someone else that she’d be safe with me might ease her anxiety, and I wasn’t going to deny her that.
Her gaze dropped to her lap, and after a beat, she nodded. “Okay.” She inhaled and looked up at me with determination. “I’ll go with you.”
I didn’t hesitate. I got out and opened her door.
But before I could pick her up again, her hand shot up. “No, I’m walking. No argument.”
For the second time since I’d met her, and despite everything that’d happened, I wanted to smile. Except this time, I didn’t fight it.
I offered her my hand and let the corner of my mouth tip up.