Chapter 13 Nash
NASH
Very carefully, I carried Georgie into my villa.
I ignored my barely used guest room and entered my own bedroom. I laid her gently on the king bed. She looked so feminine compared to the bold, masculine colors of my room.
She stirred.
“Shh.” I stroked her hair.
She settled again and I flicked on the bedside lamp. Damn, her face. My chest constricted. It was so battered. There’d be more bruises tomorrow, and now her lip was split and her eye swollen. I was afraid I’d hurt her if I touched her.
“Her name’s Georgie?” Landon sat beside her on the bed. He opened his black medical bag.
He’d left his assassin career long behind, then whizzed through medical school in record time. Now, he put everything into helping others his own way.
“Georgiana Linden. Prettiest girl in Elk Falls, Idaho. My best friend’s sister.”
“Ah.” He started examining her. “Forbidden fruit.”
If Elliot could see her now, he’d lose his mind, then go on a rampage to punish those who’d hurt her.
I’ve got her, buddy.
Landon checked her pulse, then shone a light in her eyes. It always amazed me that those big hands—hands that had killed so many times—could be so gentle. I’d seen him give kids lollipops to stop their tears and make them giggle. I’d watched him calm the most frightened patient.
“Get some ice for her face, Nash. We need to get the swelling on that eye down.”
I nodded. I hated leaving her. After getting some ice packs from my freezer, I was back as fast as I could. I sat on the other side of the bed and pressed an ice pack to the side of her face.
She whimpered.
I gritted my teeth. I hated that she was in pain.
She was done being hurt. I wouldn’t let anything touch her ever again.
“Her pain hurts you.”
I glanced at Landon. He was watching me, curiosity on his face.
“Yes. I tried to stay away from her. After I entered the program…”
Landon and I were both products of the same CIA program. I’d been trained to be a lone, deadly shooter. He’d been trained with the blade, to take his targets out up close and personal.
I knew of all of us, Landon was probably the most dangerous.
“When I got out, I didn’t go home, I didn’t look her up.” God, how many times a day had I wanted to pick up the phone, to go home, to find her. “I didn’t want to…contaminate her.”
Understanding darkened his eyes.
“She was supposed to be living golden. Having everything she wanted, everything she deserved…”
Fuck, I wanted to punch something, or someone.
“We both know life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes the bad guys prosper, the good guys suffer.”
I touched her hair. “I won’t let that continue, not for her.”
My friend shot me a faint smile. “Good. We have the skills to balance the odds a little.” He reached for the hem of her hoodie and pushed it up.
I tensed. Landon was my friend, but I didn’t like seeing his hands on her. Anyone’s hands on her.
A growl I couldn’t control escaped my lips.
Landon cocked a brow. “Easy. I’m a doctor, remember.”
I watched as he palpated her stomach.
“I don’t detect any broken ribs, and no signs of internal bleeding, but we’ll have to keep an eye on her. Put an ice pack here too.”
I added another one to her stomach. She made a sound, and I smoothed my hand over her hair again, soothing her.
Landon checked the bullet wound on her upper arm. The bullet had left a nasty crease in her bicep. I ground my teeth together. He cleaned and bandaged it.
“I’ll leave some painkillers. She needs rest. I’ll check on her tomorrow. Clean up the blood and get her in some clean clothes.”
“I’ve got it.”
“She’s underweight.”
“She won’t be for long.” I rubbed the strands of her hair through my fingers. “Thanks, Landon.”
With a nod, he collected his bag. “Call me if she needs anything.” Then he was gone.
Carefully, I stripped Georgie out of her bloody clothes. I had to cut the hoodie off so I didn’t hurt her.
I uncovered a long, slim body that was too thin. She’d been running on stress, anger, and grief for too long.
We’d fix that. I gently unhooked her bra and pulled it off, leaving her panties on.
Hell. I tried not to look at her pretty, pink nipples. Despite the fact that she’d clearly lost weight, she still had full breasts. They were the perfect size.
You’re an asshole, Oakley.
I detoured to the bathroom and returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth. I gently washed the blood off her skin.
“I promise, no one will ever hurt you again.” I rinsed the cloth in the bowl and squeezed. I wiped the blood away from her arm. “Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you. You’re done suffering, Georgie. If life wants to throw shit at you, I’ll stand in front of you and deflect it.”
The feelings I’d held back for years surged up. It was like a lock had been broken and a door flung open.
“I’ll protect you. I’ll kill for you. Whatever you need. If anyone tries to hurt you, I’ll burn the world down for you.” I stroked a strand of hair off her face. “Snyder, Bruno, and the others are going to pay.” Even in sleep, she turned her head, pressing her cheek into my palm.
My cellphone vibrated in my pocket. I’d turned off the ringtone so that it didn’t disturb her.
Pulling it out, I saw Bastian’s name on the screen.
I put it to my ear and rose from the bed. “Hey.”
“I’ve got Landon in my office. He said you’ve got your dream girl there.”
“Georgie. Her name’s Georgie.” I pulled in a breath, walking to the doorway so I didn’t disturb her. “Bastian, I need your help.”
“Anything, you know that. Landon’s mad as hell. Said she’s hurt badly. A bunch of guys way bigger than her beat her up.” There was disgust in Bastian’s voice.
“I need to find out everything you can find on a man called Dean Snyder, and the men he keeps around him. He owns a nightclub.”
“Shit.”
“You know him?”
“Yeah. He’s an asshole.”
I looked down at Georgie. “I’m well aware of that.”
“I don’t know him well, but I’m on it. I’ll find out whatever I can, along with whatever secrets he’s keeping. Whatever you and your girl need.”
My girl.
“Thanks, Bastian.”
“Take care of her. We’ll talk later.”
I slipped the phone away, and on the bed, Georgie moved restlessly. I sat beside her and brushed my fingers across her uninjured cheekbone.
“Shh, I’m here, Georgie. You’re not alone.”
She settled against my pillow instantly.
And I sat there in the darkness and watched her breathe. I stayed there until the pale light of dawn peeked around the curtains.