Chapter 13
KNIGHT
Cassia has gotten a lot of rest over the past two days, and her color looks much healthier.
You’d think things would be better between us after she opened up to me, but it feels like she’s withdrawn again. I can’t figure out why.
There’s a crease between her eyes, and she looks deep in thought.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
She nods, then says, “I feel strong enough to leave the hospital. I need to get to work.”
“Okay.”
I get up from the armchair and head to the nurse’s station, where Jasmine is hunched over a computer while sipping on a cup of coffee.
“Cassia is ready to leave,” I inform her.
Jasmine startles so badly that the coffee goes flying to the left, and the pen hits me against the chest while she lets out a shrill shriek.
I catch the pen, and as I place it down on the counter, I say, “At least it wasn’t the coffee.”
“So sorry,” she apologizes while scrambling to clean the mess the coffee made.
“Will you let the doctor know?” I ask. I gesture at the spilled beverage. “Once you’re done.”
“Yes,” she replies breathlessly.
I walk back to the room, and when I open the door, which I don’t recall closing, it’s to see Cassia pulling her suit pants over her bare ass that’s plump as fuck.
I stop dead in my tracks.
Christ.
I should backtrack and shut the door, but the only muscle moving is my cock, which is hardening at the speed of fucking light.
Then she takes hold of the white hospital shirt and pulls it up her torso and over her head. Her hair falls over her shoulders, her olive toned skin smooth except for where the stitches were removed yesterday. The surgical mark is red and swollen in the middle of her lower back.
The bullet missed her spine by an inch.
She grabs her bra, and I get a glimpse of her left breast as she fastens the strap behind her back.
Fuck, she’s breathtakingly beautiful.
I watch as she adjusts her breasts in the cups, then my eyes lock on the scarred skin on her bicep.
Reverse and shut the door.
Instead of getting my ass out of the room and giving her privacy, my feet remain glued to the floor.
I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, and at the same time, Cassia glances over her shoulder. Her eyes flick to me, then they widen.
I turn my head and seeing Dr. Anthony, I step backward and yank the door shut.
My voice is hoarse as fuck as I say, “Give Cassia a minute.”
The man smiles politely at me. “I’m glad she took some time to heal. She needs to take it easy, though. Don’t let her do anything strenuous for at least another two weeks.”
As I nod, the door swings open and Cassia glares at me, but then she notices Dr. Anthony before she can lay into me.
Her tone is tense as she says, “Morning, Doctor.”
“Morning. I hear you’re leaving us today?”
“Yes. I feel much better.” She moves backward so Dr. Anthony can walk into the room.
I stay out in the hallway while he checks her chart before writing something on it.
“I’ll have pain medication delivered to your house. Use it when you have pain,” he tells her.
“Okay.”
“I’ll need to see you for a check-up.”
“I’ll see if I can make time. I’m going to be really busy,” she says.
Dr. Anthony nods. “If you can’t come see me, then at least have another doctor check you.”
She nods, then holds out her hand. I watch as she lifts her chin when she shakes the man’s hand, and I realize she does it to appear taller.
“Thank you for everything,” she murmurs while giving him a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, which are much darker than usual.
Is she scared of the man? Because that’s the only time I’ve seen her eyes darker.
I tilt my head as I glance between her and Dr. Anthony, who’s walking toward me.
He gives me a smile before heading down the hallway.
I turn my attention back to Cassia, only to be met by an angry glare.
“Don’t ever come into a room while I’m getting dressed,” she hisses.
Knowing it was wrong of me to do, I own up to my mistake and say, “I’m sorry.”
I notice her cheeks are flushed, and her anger gives way to an embarrassed look.
Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and she hesitates for a moment before asking, “Did you see anything?”
When I stare at her too long without replying, she starts to look downright mortified.
Is she self-conscious?
Nah, someone with her body can’t possibly be self-conscious.
Unable to lie to her, I nod.
Her eyes widen, and she practically squeaks, “A lot?”
When I nod again, she turns away from me while letting out a groan. “Oh God.” She lifts a hand, brushing her palm over her forehead and hair while muttering, “I’m just going to die now.”
Wanting her to feel better, I say, “For what it’s worth, you have a sexy ass.”
“Oh Jesus,” she squeaks.
I gesture up and down my chest. “And the front is…” Fuck, I suck at this, “…not bad either.”
“Please stop talking.” She darts past me and hightails it down the hallway.
I need to learn how to lie.
Well, there’s no turning back time.
I glance around the room, making sure we’re not leaving anything behind, then head to where Cassia is standing by the nurses’ station, saying, “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Jasmine gives Cassia a friendly smile but it grows stiff when she sees me.
I give the woman a chin lift before exiting the building. I already had the staff transfer my duffle bag to Cassia’s house, so we don’t need to stop anywhere.
I climb behind the steering wheel of the golf cart and patiently wait for Cassia to join me. Once she’s seated beside me, I start the engine and steer us toward the other side of the island.
Cassia keeps fidgeting with her hands, her head turned away from me while nervous energy pours from her.
The silence grows uncomfortable between us, and wanting to make things better, I say, “You’re a beautiful woman and don’t have anything to be self-conscious about.”
Still staring at the passing scenery, as if her life depends on it, she asks, “Do you want me to fling myself off the golf cart?”
“No.”
“Then stop talking about it.”
Like a dog with a bone and needing to understand her better, I ask, “Are you upset because I saw you naked or because you feel you’re not attractive enough?”
Her head whips in my direction, and she levels me with a glare. “Do you seriously want to have this conversation?”
“Yes. I’m trying to understand you.”
Her chin lifts, and her irises are black as night. “And how will that help with protecting me?”
“If you have more self-confidence, it will make you feel more powerful. People will see it and think twice about fucking with you.”
She lets out a sigh and stares at me for a solid minute before her eyes narrow. “Are you self-conscious about any part of your body?”
Without having to think about an answer, I shake my head. “Not at all.”
Her eyes flick down to my chest and thighs before she mutters, “Of course, you aren’t self-conscious. Stupid question on my part.”
Does that mean she likes what she sees?
Nope. Not going down that road. Focus on building her up.
After a few seconds, she mutters, “Both.” She clears her throat. “I’ve never been in a relationship, so that was the first time…” her voice drops to a whisper, “a man saw…uhm…me naked.” She clears her throat again. “My weight never bothered me until today.”
Her words have me slowing down the cart until it stops. Turning my body slightly toward her, I brace my hand on the back of her seat.
“What weight?”
Cassia lets out a sigh, then gives me a pleading look. “This is a very uncomfortable conversation for me to have with you.”
Narrowing my eyes at her, I mutter, “What. Weight?”
She waves her hand over her body.
I lean into her personal space, and my voice is a low rumble as I say, “You’re goddamn near perfect, Cassia. The only thing wrong with you is that you don’t believe in yourself enough. You need to stop that.”
I lean back again and shake my head before I address the other piece of information I just learned about her.
Fuck. How has Cassia made it to the age of twenty-eight with her virginity intact?
Her father must’ve protected her, but with him gone, she’s free game to every evil fucker out there. It solidifies the fact that this woman is way too fucking innocent for this world she finds herself in.
I shake my head again while the protective feeling I have toward her spirals out of control.
“Why do you keep shaking your head?” she asks.
My eyes snap to her face, and the urge to get her away from all the danger surges through my chest.
The image of Cassia lying on a filthy single bed with some fucker on top of her while she’s foaming at the mouth and the life drains from her eyes knocks the air from my lungs.
“Knight?” Her eyebrows draw together, and concern creeps over her face. “Are you okay?”
My movements are jerky as I grip the back of her neck. I only manage to pull her closer before I’m sucked into the darkness, where memories of Ronnie torment me to within an inch of my sanity.
The death stare in her sky-blue eyes. The foam trickling down her jaw. Her emaciated body that’s covered in bruises.
Unlike all the times before, I feel cool hands frame my jaw and hear Cassia’s soothing voice. “Just breathe with me…come back to me…I’m here…deep breaths.”
The haze starts to lift, and the first thing I become aware of is how soothing Cassia’s cool hands feel on my heated skin. Then I realize my breaths aren’t ragged but deep and steady.
“That’s right. Come out of it,” she says, her tone comforting.
When my eyes focus on Cassia, it’s to see a worried expression tightening her features.
Lifting my arm, I wrap my fingers around her wrist. As I turn my head, my mouth brushes over her palm before I pull away and slump back into my seat.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I nod and clear my throat before answering, “Just a flashback.”
“Do you get them often?”
“Usually at night.” I start the engine of the golf cart again. “I only have them during the day if something triggers it and when I’m not busy with work and have too much time to think.”
“Was it something I did?” she asks, her tone sounding more worried than before.
I shake my head as I meet her eyes. “You’re innocent. Like Ronnie was.” When I press my foot on the gas and the golf cart starts rolling forward, I admit, “I just don’t want to fail you the way I failed her.”
“You didn’t fail her, Lincoln. You were away on a tour.” Cassia reaches across to me and places her hand on my shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened to her.”
“I had one job, and that was to protect and take care of my sister,” I mutter.
The longer her hand stays on my shoulder, the more I start to feel calmer, but the instant she pulls away, the storm in my chest grows again.
‘This time will be different,’ I tell myself. ‘I won’t leave Cassia’s side. No one will lay a finger on her.’