CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DREW
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Zoe stares at me from her grandmother’s lap as I hold an ice pack against my cheek, then scrambles off and heads my way.
“Up.” She lifts her arms.
I glance at Natalie, and she shrugs, giving me a small smile. Gemma’s father, Graham Lennon, isn’t smiling. He’s got his back to us all, staring out the window.
I guess I can’t blame him.
Gemma was my date, and I was responsible for her safety tonight.
“Dwoo.” Zoe taps my legs.
Christ.
I lean down with one arm and lift her onto my hip. My chest does this little wobbly thing when she rests her head on my shoulder.
Finally, Gemma is wheeled back into the room by a nurse.
“No broken bones, just a few bruises, including her ribs,” the nurse announces to us, helping Gemma out of the chair.
She glances up at me holding her daughter, and her cheeks turn red. “Mom, she should be in bed.”
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Sore. Mom. Dad. You didn’t need to come all the way here and keep Zoe up.” Gemma frowns.
Her father turns. “You were attacked in an alley. You think we are going to stay home watching TV and leave you with this stranger?”
Ouch.
“You’re Dwoo.” Zoe lifts her head and looks at me.
“I am. But your grandfather is right, you are her family and I’m sure one late night isn’t going to hurt.”
Gemma glares at me. “Please take her home and put her to bed.
“No, Mommy.” Zoe starts crying and reaches out her arms.
The nurse leaves, giving us all a pointed look.
I walk over and place Zoe tentatively on Gemma’s lap now she’s sitting on the side of the bed. “Tell me if she hurts you.”
“She’s my daughter; I’d have to be dead to not hold her.”
“I’m just trying to help,” I say as patiently as I can.
“We should go.”
“I’m here. Are you—” A young woman, whom I can only assume is Gemma’s sister, barrels in. “Wow, it’s a party.”
“I’m Drew.”
“I figured.” Belinda smirks, then looks at her sister. “What happened?”
Everyone looks at me.
I haven’t given them the entire story, mostly because I don’t know why she took off. Well, except for that part about me asking her to be my lover and Gemma having a delayed reaction.
The look in her eyes, the pain, as she walked out of the party while I was on the phone is something I will never forget.
Thank God I found her.
Damon was hot on my tail and helped me take out the two thugs and call the cops. Zander and Derek arrived moments later.
“I took a wrong turn and ended up being assaulted,” Gemma says, giving me a strange look. “Drew found me.”
“You weren’t with her?” Graham asks.
“Dad!” Gemma cries.
“I’m sorry, but when a man takes a woman out on a date—”
I hold up my hand. “I agree. My parents raised me better. I should not have let her out of my sight.”
Graham nods.
Gemma and Belinda share a look, and I feel like it’s my cue to leave. I’m not going anywhere.
“Gemma took off her shoe and defended herself, if it’s any consolation.”
I smile at her, but she doesn’t smile back.
“I taught her that.” Belinda grins.
“You read it in a book.” Gemma rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t going to let him kill you.”
“Kill him?!” her father rages. “Were they armed?”
Gemma and I glance at one another, and I watch her face crumping as the memories race back.
“Let’s not go over the details. We’re both okay, and the two assailants have been apprehended.”
“Mommy,” Zoe cries and tries to curl herself up in a ball. Gemma flinches.
That’s it.
She’s in pain, and I’m not standing here ignoring it. I reach out and take her daughter, who snuggles into my chest.
Gemma glances at her mom. “Please take her home and put her to bed. I’ll be released in a little while and pick her up in the morning.”
“Okay, darling.”
Graham and Natalie take Zoe and gather their things.
“I’ll take you home, Gemmy,” Belinda offers.
No fucking way.
I need answers, and I’m not leaving her while she’s in pain—and I don’t just mean physically. She’s so upset with me that she took off running. We need to talk about this.
I...am not losing her.
“I’ll take you home. I’ll wait until you’re released and get whatever medication you need.” I drop the ice pack on the bed, giving Gemma a pointed look to let her know I’m serious.
I’m not going anywhere.
“You should go,” Gemma says softly, regardless, and something inside me roars.
Like a lion ready to go to battle for the woman I...who I...
Fuck.
Not giving a flying fuck about who hears me or what they think, I say, “Let me take you home. Please.”
Gemma glances at her father and out the corner of my eye I see the man nod.
I don’t know why.
I am not sure if he seems to sense this need in me, or if he liked what I said earlier, but Gemma looks back at me, and I wait.
I wait for what feels like a thousand hours.
“Okay.”
My chest lifts as I draw in a deep breath.
Her parents say their goodbyes, and I kiss Zoe on the forehead and shake Graham’s hand. Belinda hugs me despite only just meeting and then finally it’s just the two of us.
I walk closer to the bed, right beside Gemma and rest my thigh against it.
“Gem—”
“This is over. Us. This. It’s over. I only let you stay so I could say that in person and not have to think about this another day.”
What the fuck?