Chapter 17
Seventeen
Kayden
After placing Dani in the passenger seat, I round the truck to find Dani pinning me with a suspicious glare when I climb back in.
Her eyebrows pull down as though she’s trying to figure out a really hard riddle.
I start the truck, wary of the glances she throws my way as I drive, eventually forcing me to break the silence.
“What’s wrong, spitfire?”
“I don’t know, yet. I’ll let you know once I figure it out.”
I suspect she’s starting to put the pieces together about how I knew to come to her apartment, but maybe doesn’t want to know the answers or talk about it. Some people would rather act blind to the truth than face what is right in front of them.
“You just let me know when you want to talk about it.”
I look over at her, notice her side-eyeing me, and chuckle to myself as I shake my head. She’s a smart one, that’s for sure.
Twenty minutes later we pull up to Eden. The warehouse itself looks like shit from the outside, but inside is a state of the art facility. I employ one doctor, Dr. Crawford, to treat all our patients alongside his nurses, Evelyn and Maria.
Dr. Crawford was instrumental in the rescue of Emilia, Dani, and the rest of the women in the Romani house three years ago, and he was determined to do something meaningful with his retirement.
Our therapist, Jackie, works with Dr. Crawford to treat the survivors when they arrive.
She’s a hardass, but at the same time one of the sweetest people I know.
How that combination works, I have no idea, but she pulls it off.
Parking near the entrance, I go around the truck and open Dani’s door.
Just as she takes off her seatbelt, the door to Eden swings open, revealing Dr. Crawford.
He comes to my side, taking in Dani’s injuries as she climbs down from the truck.
She stumbles as she lands on her feet, the jarring motion triggering the pain in her back.
I catch her before she falls on her face, her quiet thanks left in the space between us.
“Hello, Kayden,” he greets warmly. “Let’s see here… I never forget a face. Hello, Jess.”
“That’s not my name anymore,” she protests quietly.
“Apologies, my dear. What should I call you?”
“Dani is fine.”
“Alright, Dani. Come inside and let’s get you looked at.”
I turn toward Dr. Crawford. “She has significant bruising starting over her right kidney. I suspect a kidney contusion but not sure if it’s something worse.”
“Well, I can say if it’s something worse she must have a very high pain tolerance. Most patients that have a lacerated kidney can’t walk at all. Her chances that it’s just bruising seem to be in her favor. But nonetheless, let’s get her inside for a CT and see what we find.”
“Sure thing, Doc.”
Turning to Dani, I scoop her up into my arms again. She can probably walk, but I’m a selfish bastard—I’ll take any excuse to hold her in my arms.
Once inside, Dani looks around, taking everything in.
Our facility has definitely made some improvements since she was last here.
Eden has a large, open, central area that is for the intake of new patients, with rows of beds covered in white sheets and pillows.
The warehouse houses a cafeteria, an imaging room with the latest technology, a large wash room with private shower stalls and toilets, numerous rooms for storage, a library, an indoor playground for the kids, and an entertainment room.
There are also private patient rooms available once victims are medically cleared.
The warehouse has everything a person could possibly need in those first few months that they spend here.
We leave the intake area and head to imaging. Dr. Crawford instructs me to help Dani undress—with her permission of course. Both our nurses are off for the evening, so I get to be the assistant for the time being. Not that I’d want it any other way, regardless.
I bring Dani to the changing room, helping her get out of her shorts and her tank top. Handing her the gown, I help her tie the back before turning her around to face me.
“Kayden…” Tears build in her eyes.
“What’s wrong, spitfire?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a lot being back here. Remembering those first few weeks, being at my lowest. It’s just hard.”
“Hey, it’s OK,” I say as I pull her in gently to wrap my arms around her and tuck her head under my chin. “You’re safe now, and that’s all that matters. That fucker is going to get what’s coming to him, though.”
“Thanks, Kayden.”
“Anytime. Let’s say we get this CT out of the way, and then we can get you some food. You need it after everything that happened. And I distinctly remember hearing your stomach growl on the way here.”
“Oh my god, you did not,” she says, swatting my chest as she moves her head to look up at me.
“Sure did. Come on, let’s go.” I lead her out of the changing room and pass her off to Dr. Crawford.
“We shouldn’t be too long,” Dr. Crawford reassures me. “Once the CT is done, I’ll be able to discern how badly her back injury is and we can get her on the mend.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
Taking advantage of being alone, I head up to the second floor where my living quarters are to grab a few things that I might need when I see Derek later.
While I wait, I contemplate our current predicament.
Part of me is dying to go pay a visit to where my men are holding Derek, but I know Dani needs me more.
Derek isn’t going anywhere, so there’s plenty of time.
Not only that, but it’ll build up his fear.
I want him to feel as scared as he made Dani feel, if not even more.
A spike of fear stabs at my chest as I think back to the moment I saw Derek on the cameras outside her apartment.
Franklin was able to install facial recognition software into the cameras after the diner events that would alert us both if he was recognized.
And sure enough, it did. He took advantage of another tenant propping the entryway door open as they moved their belongings into the building.
Knowing his intentions were anything but pure, I sped back to Dani’s as fast as I could.
The fact that he even hurt her as much as he did eats away at my conscience, guilt flooding my system. I should have never left.
Satisfied with what I grabbed, I head back down to wait for Dani, slightly uncomfortable still being in my combat gear.
Some time later, she returns with a tentative smile on her face. Her face is still swollen, but her cheek is stitched up at least.
I immediately stand and go to her, tucking her under my arm.
“Are you sure you’re OK to be walking, Dani?”
“I’m fine. Stop worrying so much.”
Before I can respond, Dr. Crawford comes into the office and sits at his computer.
“Sit, sit, please. Dani should be resting as much as possible.”
My stomach drops.
“So not good then?” I ask, looking between Dani and Dr. Crawford.
“Well, it’s not as bad as it could have been, let’s put it that way,” he says.
“Dani has the pain tolerance of a cage fighter, let me tell you. She sustained a grade two kidney laceration to her right kidney. Now this means the laceration is less than one centimeter and only a small amount of blood has leaked out around the kidney. With time and rest, this should resolve on its own and not require any surgery. She will have significant bruising and tenderness around the area for the next week, but all in all I think she will be just fine in a few weeks.”
I stand abruptly, pacing in the small office. I let this happen. I should have stayed, hell, even if it was just outside her building. I could have at least caught him before he went up to her door. My jaw ticks with my growing frustration.
“I’ll kill him. I swear to God, Dani. No one touches you, no one hurts you like that, without consequences.”
“I know you will. It’s OK. You do what you have to do, Kayden. I’m not going to stop you.”
I stop pacing, leveling her with a look. “It doesn’t bother you that I just said I’m going to kill a man. That I’m going to enjoy every second of it?”
“Kayden…” She hesitates before continuing. “I’m sick of men taking advantage of me. Quite frankly, he deserves it. Could I do it myself? Definitely not, but I know you’ll do what needs to be done. Who knows how many other women he would do the same to. The world will be a safer place without him.”
This woman, in a roundabout way, just accepted the darkness within myself. A part of me wants to drop to my knees before her, the emotions I’m feeling overwhelming me. The acceptance is a relief—a weight off my shoulders. She’s not running for the hills but instead standing at my side in the dark.
“Then it’s settled. Let’s get you some food and then I’ll leave you here in the hands of Dr. Crawford while I tie up loose ends. You can get some rest in one of the suites while I’m gone.”
“OK.”
I pull her to her feet and gently guide her to the cafeteria. With the cooks gone for the night, I get to work whipping her up some eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast while she sits at the metal island in the kitchen.
“Breakfast for dinner? A man after my own heart,” she says as I turn over the bacon, the sizzle of the grease filling the silence.
I look at her over my shoulder with a smirk. “That’s true.”
She looks down at the metal counter, running a finger along the cool surface. I can tell I just made her nervous, but it’s the truth. I’m not about to sugar coat my intentions with her.
“How do you want your eggs cooked?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Scrambled, please.”
Just as the bacon finishes, the toast pops out of the toaster and the eggs are done. I plate our food, giving Dani a generous helping. Her adrenaline and the whole ordeal probably burned up her energy reserves, and I can tell by her eyes she’s worn out.