Chapter 6
Violet
Everything hurt.
The doctors swore it was just a minor crash. No broken bones, no major injuries, and no internal bleeding. Just a whole lot of bruises where the seatbelt and airbags had done their job. Still, every inch of me ached, my muscles screaming from the way I’d locked up on impact.
“Next time try and relax your body,” the young, thirty-something doctor told me. “It’ll help.”
“Next time?” I snapped at him incredulously, unable to believe those words had even come out of his mouth. “You think there’ll be a next time!?”
Not fair, I knew. He was just doing his job and trying to be kind. But my nerves were shot and biting back at him felt easier than reliving that crash.
When I drove onto the highway, I swore a dark sedan had been following me. And then that same dickbag sped up and sideswiped me—deliberately, it felt like—sending me careening right into the guardrail. And the asshole didn’t even stop after I’d crashed.
After everything that had happened with Andrea’s stalker, I wasn’t about to ignore or shrug off the feeling that the incident could have been calculated and intentional.
I’d rather be paranoid and wrong about my instincts, than negligent and right about someone trying to send me a message.
It had only been a week since that customer at the casino had accused me of cheating and had insisted he was going to make me pay for his loss.
The doctor left and I rested my aching head back against the pillow while I pondered what to do about my situation. Then, the door to my room opened and Andrea entered—followed by Ford.
I blinked. Stared. Blinked again. Nope, still there.
Broad-shouldered, impossibly gorgeous, and filling the doorway like he owned the joint.
My pulse skipped traitorously, because all I could think about was how it felt when that same body had pinned me down against that leather table as he’d fucked me and I came all over his cock.
“I might be concussed,” I muttered to Andrea. “Because I swear I see Ford behind you.”
“Yes, Ford’s here. He drove me to the hospital,” Andrea said, coming up to my bedside. “And you’re not funny.”
“Well, if I’m not allowed to joke about my own car accident…”
Andrea’s phone buzzed with a text and she glanced at the screen. “Chase is here. I’ll be right back. Behave.” She shot me a stern look and left the room.
Which left me alone with Ford. The man I’d had the hottest night of my life with. The man I’d bolted from like my sanity depended on it.
He didn’t look the least bit uncomfortable.
Of course he didn’t. Ford never did. He moved into the room with quiet authority, every step confident and controlled.
The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up, exposing his corded forearms. My stomach tightened at the memory of those strong, steady hands on me, the way he’d coaxed me from sass to begging in no time flat.
“Here,” he said, reaching for my pillows. “Lower back support is important after having an accident like yours.”
I swatted his hands away. “Oh my god, I can do my own pillows.” Big lie. My body felt like it had been steamrolled, and lifting my arms above my chest sounded like torture.
He arched a brow, clearly seeing right through me, and leaned in to adjust the pillows anyway. He was so close I caught the faint scent of soap and spice—clean, masculine, and maddeningly familiar.
“I have no doubt you can do it yourself,” he said, stepping back and pouring some water into a paper cup, which he held out to me. “Water?”
He was being too damn nice and it was unnerving. “Fine.” I took the cup, careful not to let our fingers brush. Admittedly, the cool liquid felt heavenly sliding down my parched throat.
I reminded myself that this was Chase’s friend and co-worker, and I should probably make an effort to get along with him.
Admittedly, he’d been very respectful about what I’d said about us being a one and done.
There was no reason why we couldn’t try and get along as friendly acquaintances, for Chase and Andrea’s sake.
It wasn’t Ford’s fault I had so much baggage.
Ford pulled a chair closer to the side of my bed and sat down. “Would you mind telling me what happened?”
I set my empty cup aside, surprised that he was interested. “What do you want to know?”
“Anything. Everything. I’m a bodyguard and I work security.” He shrugged. “Suspicion comes with the job.”
Suspicion I understood, especially in this circumstance.
I exhaled a deep breath, and instead of resorting to my usual snappy, smart-ass comeback, I recounted what happened.
How I’d driven onto the highway and a dark sedan I was pretty sure had been following me swiped my car, sending me into the guardrail.
And that the person hadn’t stopped to see if I was okay after doing the deed.
He listened, jaw tight, gaze never wavering from mine. It was that same focused look he’d given me after restraining me to the exam table, like I was the only thing in the room worth paying attention to. It made me shiver.
“You’re very lucky that you walked away with only a few scrapes and bruises,” he said.
I sighed. “I know, but it’s hard to feel grateful when my car is probably totaled.”
“Could be worse.”
“Wow, thanks, Captain Sunshine,” I said, though I knew he was right.
His mouth curved in that slow, knowing way that made me want to smack him, or kiss him. Maybe both. Probably both. Ugh.
“Were you able to get a look at the license plate?” Ford asked. “Or the make and model of the car? Or even a look at who was driving the vehicle?”
I shook my head and picked at a piece of lint on my blanket. “No, unfortunately. I was focused more on the road and then when I got hit I was too in shock to register anything.”
Ford nodded in understanding. “Well, just be more aware of your surroundings for the next few weeks,” he suggested. “If you see anything that’s concerning, you can call me.”
He pulled his phone out and passed it to me. “You can put your number in.”
I hesitated. I didn’t give any guy my number. Too many of them saw it as a free pass to push past every boundary I’d set. But Ford’s gaze was steady. No pressure. Just concern. That was the only reason I went ahead and typed my name and number into his contacts.
For half a second, the words almost slipped out—There’s this guy at the casino who lost a ton of money at my table, and he threatened me.
My throat tightened around them. Ford would take me seriously, I knew he would.
He’d step in and protect me without question if this person was seeking revenge, and maybe that was exactly what I should want.
But saying it out loud would make the issue real when I didn’t really know if that’s who had sideswiped me.
And it would mean letting Ford in, letting him see I wasn’t as untouchable as I pretended to be.
Then Andrea would find out. Everyone would start treating me like glass and smothering me with their worry and that was the last thing I wanted.
Still, I wasn’t stupid. Even if I didn’t share this piece of information with Ford, I’d have to call my boss at work and let him know about the possibility of that customer following through on his threats.
So, for now I swallowed it down and handed Ford back the phone with a breezy, “there you go.”
“I wasn’t sure that you’d actually give me your number, considering you don’t like to be coddled.” His tone was knowing, his eyes lit with amusement.
“That obvious, huh?” I sassed.
“I’ve never met a brat who enjoyed being fussed over,” Ford said, his gaze lingering on me just a beat too long, his lips tugging into a slow grin. “But you? You seem to enjoy being put in your place.”
My breath caught, because I couldn’t believe he’d gone there and two, he wasn’t wrong.
I had liked it but only because it was him.
Because with Ford, being put in my place hadn’t felt humiliating, it had been exhilarating.
Like he’d seen straight through my defenses and made submitting to him feel like a choice instead of a weakness.
And that was the problem. With Ford, surrender felt too damn good and that wasn’t a luxury I could afford.
He typed something into his phone and a second later my own device buzzed with a text that said, It’s Ford, so I could save his number, too.
Andrea walked into the room again, with Chase and Christopher in tow, and I was honestly grateful for the interruption because the longer Ford stayed, the harder it became to convince myself one night with him was enough.
“Jesus, Vi, are you okay?” Christopher asked, rushing over to me, looking pale and haunted.
I understood, considering our mom had died in a car crash.
This had to be terrifying for him. “Of course, I’m okay, I promise,” I reassured him quickly.
“They just wanted to keep me under observation for a bit in case I had a concussion. And they even gave me the good Tylenol, with the codeine in it.”
Andrea groaned. “Please don’t talk like that around the doctor.”
Ford chuckled. “Do you ever stop with the quips?”
“Oh, definitely,” I shot back. “I do have to sleep, after all.”
Andrea shook her head but perched on the edge of the bed, her hand closing warmly around mine. “I’d like to stay the night at your place. Just in case there are complications we don’t know about.”
“Could I stay, too?” Christopher asked quietly.
Andrea’s shoulders stiffened. “Sure. If you’d like.”
I felt the tension ripple between them. Andrea had never fully warmed to Christopher.
She’d voiced her worries more than once about the money I gave him when he needed it and worried he leaned too hard on me, maybe even took advantage.
I understood her concerns, but he was my brother. And helping him wasn’t negotiable.
A knock at the door cut through the moment, and the doctor entered. “Ah, Miss Popular, I see,” he said dryly.
I smirked at him. I hadn’t exactly been his favorite patient with all my attitude and smart remarks, and his surprise at seeing all the people crowding into my room wasn’t lost on me. “So, am I free to go?”
“Yes, but I’d like you to take it easy for the next week while the bruises heal,” he said firmly. “Keep an eye out for any signs of concussion tonight through tomorrow. If you experience unusual stiffness, pain, dizziness—anything out of the ordinary—come in immediately.”
I nodded. I’d been itching to leave since they brought me in, but deep down, I knew how lucky I was.
“We’ll make sure she looks after herself,” Andrea promised, her protective streak in full force.
The paperwork felt endless, but at last I was officially discharged. Relief washed through me. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my own bed, shut my eyes, and forget this day ever happened.
Chase kissed Andrea goodbye, promising to see her tomorrow. Andrea and Christopher were both coming home with me now—oh, boy, that was going to be fun—and Chase was leaving with Ford.
But not before he grinned at me one last time and said, “Try to be careful from now on, Trouble.”
His little jibe was deliberate. He knew exactly how much that nickname would annoy me. The crash hadn’t been my fault, and it sure as hell wasn’t about me being careful. He clearly just wanted to push my buttons.
So I glared because that’s what I did best around this man. Ford winked with too much charm and slipped out.
Andrea glanced toward the door, then back at me, looking a little curious over that exchange. “Well, at least you’re feeling more like yourself,” she said with a smile.
I realized that she wasn’t wrong. Because when Ford was in the room, I did feel like myself again—snarky, confident, sparking with life instead of feeling shaken and small, especially after today’s accident.
Damn Ford for knowing exactly how to get under my skin. And worse, for making me like it.