Chapter 4
Kat
“Kat,”Alex said, taking a step toward me. He was wearing dark jeans, a white shirt unbuttoned at the throat, and a dark blazer. A silver buckle gleamed on his belt and he wore black boots. The entire look was a mix of formal and unmistakably masculine, set off by his dark hair worn just an inch too long, his clean-shaven jaw, and his gray eyes. When he held his hand out to me, I saw two silver rings, and I knew that under the suit jacket his arms were inked with tattoos. Tattoos I’d seen up close and personal once upon a time.
He moved close and took my hand gently, giving me a tender look. For a second I wondered what the hell he was doing—why was he looking at me like that when we had all that history between us? Then I realized he was putting on a show for the nurse.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.
I had to get it together. I had no idea why he was here, or what he thought he was doing, but somehow in this moment, Alex was giving me an escape. The only way out of here I could see.
“Alex,” I said, turning away from the disbelieving nurse. “I’m… I’m glad you’re here.”
“Of course I’m here.” He moved even closer, and I could smell him now, a masculine smell that wasn’t familiar to me anymore. He kept his concerned gaze on me. “I came as soon as you called.”
“Who are you?” the nurse interrupted.
“I’m her ex-husband.” Alex said it so confidently that it didn’t even seem strange. “I’ve come to take her home and look after her. Doctor’s orders, I understand.” He smiled at her, and she stared at him as if someone had stolen her ability to speak. He took it in stride and handed her the papers he’d been holding in his other hand. “Here’s her paperwork, including all of her insurance information. I’ll take her from here.”
Insurance information? Insurance information? How the hell did Alex have that? How did he know where I lived, and that I was here?
The hallway spun again, and I fought to keep myself upright.
Ignoring me, the nurse took the papers from Alex. “You have to watch her,” she said, not quite wanting to give in. “She could still show signs of a concussion. If she does, bring her in right away.”
“I will, but I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Alex looked at me. “Right, honey?”
I swallowed, my dry throat rasping. The room spun harder as pain throbbed in my hand, and I felt my knees start to buckle. Then Alex was there again, his arm around my waist. He made it look natural, affectionate, instead of a last-ditch effort to prop me up.
I leaned into him. I had to. In that moment he was a cross between a crutch and a walker. He snugged me close to his body, and I was in Alex Blake’s arms for the first time in thirteen years.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, baby,” he said. His deep tone was convincing to anyone looking on, but I knew better.
But I could give as good as I got, so I lifted my eyes to his. “Thanks, baby,” I said.
Our gazes locked. Those goddamn eyes of his. They’d been my weakness when I was sixteen.
The nurse cleared her throat.
She didn’t have the chance to say anything else, because the next thing I knew, Alex was maneuvering me down the hallway away from her, headed for the elevator. He kept his arm around my waist as I tried to find my balance.
“Jesus, Kat, try and walk straight. Just for a minute, in case she’s watching,” he growled under his breath.
“I’m in a little bit of pain here,” I growled back.
“You can handle it.”
I was going to punch him in the throat. As soon as I could stay upright. And actually move my arm.
He got me into the elevator, where we were thankfully alone. As the doors slid closed, I pushed away from him, leaning on the elevator wall.
“Are you on any pills?” Alex asked, letting me go.
“They wore off,” I said through gritted teeth. “Why the hell are you here?”
“Ask questions later. Right now we have to get you the fuck out of this hospital.”
Panic beat a pulse in my neck. “Why?”
“Because you’re in danger.” He looked at me, and the soft, concerned look was gone from his eyes. It had been a lie in the first place. Now there was only icy cold. “But you already knew that. That’s why you’re leaving.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re so full of shit, Kat. You always were.”
“Fuck you, Alex.” Buoyed by anger, I pushed myself off the wall. “Since when do you fill out my hospital paperwork?”
“Since someone tried to kill you and probably plans to try again. Who did you piss off?”
I opened my mouth to curse him out, but the doors slid open and he put his arm around my waist again, pulling me forward.
“I can walk, asshole,” I gritted out.
“Not fast enough. Now, move.”
He was right. In my injured state, he was faster than me, and while he propped me up, I could take bigger strides. “Where are we going?” I asked him.
“To my car.”
“I figured that. I mean where are we going once we get in?”
“Do you always ask this many questions? No wonder someone tried to shut you up.”
I tried to push away from him, but he held on to me, keeping our pace. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you.”
“You do need me.” His voice was calm, so infuriatingly sure of himself. “If I hadn’t come along, you’d be back in your hospital bed while someone shows up to kill you.”
“I was getting out.”
“Too slowly.”
I closed my mouth as panic tried to claw up my spine. I hadn’t been crazy to think I was in danger. Alex thought so, too. We’d always been in sync, had a lot of the same instincts. Until we didn’t.
Still, I was willing to bet that I still knew a few things about how Alex thought. He was stubborn as shit and usually convinced he was right. He also liked to think that he was logical, that he based his decisions on facts alone. The truth was that he was as emotional as anyone else. Especially when it came to me.
I tried not to think of the ring that was still in the pocket of my jeans. I’d touched it to make sure it was still there when I put them on.
“You’re off-base,” I said to Alex as we hurried toward his car, a big black SUV. “I was trying to get out of there before my boyfriend showed up.”
Alex’s body went stiff against mine, hard as granite. The hand on my waist flexed and his fingers dug into my flesh for a second before he forced them to relax again. He let me go, pulling out his key fob and unlocking the SUV.
“Get in,” he said through gritted teeth.
I didn’t move, standing there watching him. “He’ll just fuss over me,” I said, spinning the lie off the top of my head. “He worries about me as it is. We’ve been together for three months now and it’s pretty serious.”
Alex opened the passenger door, his movements jerky but controlled. When he turned back to face me, the look on his face was pure, icy anger. “You don’t have a fucking boyfriend,” he growled. “Now get in.”
I couldn’t help it. Despite the fear and the pain, Alex was affecting me. He always had. He was so goddamned gorgeous, and it had been so long. The sight of him was creating an ache deep inside me, one that I had to kill—right now, by any means necessary. So I gave him a sneer and said, “Oh, I definitely have a fucking boyfriend.”
Those words, considering our history, were like putting a match to gasoline. I knew they would be. Rage burned behind Alex’s eyes and his knuckles went white on the passenger door. He was going to tell me he was done with me. He was going to drive off and leave me to deal with this mess alone, to try and survive for as long as I could without his help. He was going to cut me out of his life forever and never think about me again.
I wanted that. At the same time, the thought made me want to cry.
Instead of getting in the SUV, Alex stepped toward me. Close—too close. If I backed away it would show weakness, so I stood my ground.
He lifted a hand and traced his fingertips very lightly down my bruised cheek. His gray eyes were fixed on mine. “You always were a liar, Kat,” he said, his voice low. I held my breath. “You lie with every word out of your beautiful mouth. I fell for it too many times, but I’m not a boy anymore. I’m a man now. And I know when you’re lying.”
I swallowed. My throat was so dry the motion hurt.
“Now,” Alex said. “I don’t care how broken you are. I’m not letting you die in this parking lot. If I have to, I will pick you up and throw you, and I won’t care how loud you scream. Get into the fucking car.”
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I hobbled to the passenger door and got into the SUV.
He slammed the door behind me, then rounded the front to the driver’s side.
I forced myself to take a breath.
Trouble,I thought. I’m in trouble.
The problem was, I had nowhere else to go.