Chapter 12
“Zee, look at me, please.”
The plea in her tone caused his head to turn to her, to unclench his hands on the steering wheel.
Ella’s face was pale. She leaned against the passenger seat, holding her elbow with her hand on her non-injured side.
“Almost home.” Those were the first words he had spoken to her in a good hour.
His adrenaline had been pumping, ever since he’d found her on the ground.
Seeing her broken and fragile ripped his chest in half, and he couldn’t process it, so he kept moving.
First in the ambulance, where he called Max to ask him to bring his car to the hospital, then at the hospital where they waited for two hours to be seen, and he wore a hole in the hospital floor.
He had to grit his teeth to keep from barking at the X-ray technician, the kind nurse and the doctor.
His phone kept him occupied and distracted.
Because guilt threatened to knock him on his ass if he stopped long enough for it to catch him. He got busy taking care of everything Ella would need for the next six weeks, and when he was done with that, even though it probably made him an asshole, he sent his boss back a yes.
When they reassured him for the third time that it was “only a shoulder dislocation,” and they could go home, he argued that Ella should stay in for overnight observation.
The doctor firmly told him there was no need for inpatient care and that she could follow up with her physician.
Zee blew out a breath, trying to dislodge the frustration that clawed at him from the inside. It was his job to take care of her, and he didn’t.
He should have fixed that fucking light.
When he saw her on the floor, fear gripped him, reaching into his chest with a chill and he’d been fighting off those dregs of panic ever since.
“I guess this gets me out of being your demo model for a while.”
He knew she was teasing but she winced as the car rolled up the drive. He white-knuckled the steering wheel, angry at himself.
He hated seeing her in pain.
“Home. Good, Ares and Josie are here.”
“I’m not up for company, Zee. Did you call them?” Her tone rang with incredulity.
“I should have given you a heads-up. I called them. I knew you’d need help.”
Because I’m not going to be here, the words were lodged in his throat, but he couldn’t make his mouth say them.
He got out before she could say anything, came around to her door, and helped her get out of the car, supporting her as she walked.
“I don’t need help,” Ella murmured.
Her cheeks were red, and he knew she was pissed off at him, but she was too polite, too well trained to let him have it in front of their friends.
“Zee, I got here as soon as I could. I saw the crew finish working when we drove in by the gates.” Ares Montague clapped Zee on the shoulder.
“Thanks for coming,” Zee said.
“Ella! I’m so sorry! You must be in a lot of pain.” Josie Montague rushed forward, her cane clacking on the pavement.
“I think the painkillers they gave me at the hospital are still working.” Ella’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. Zee took her arm, guided her up the steps to the front door.
“Let’s get you inside.”
“What crew do we have working on the gates?” Zee bit the inside of his cheek, wanting to hide everything from her because he didn’t want to cause her any further distress.
“We’re working on increasing security, and I had River Stone’s team take a look.” That wasn’t a lie.
“Members did ask about that at the last founders’ meeting,” Ella said through a yawn. “They wanted to make sure that former guests who had come when Club Bandit was opened to the public wouldn’t try getting in now. You got them to work on a Sunday?”
“Guess that’s when his team could fit us in.” Zee bent to help her take off her shoes.
“Are Ares and Josie coming in?”
“I think they’re getting stuff out of the car.” Zee wrapped an arm around her waist as she lost her balance.
“The pain meds they gave me are wearing off. I’m not up for company, Zee.”
“Ella... I need to make sure you’re all right.” It was the only thing he could say, and he said it, marching several feet in front of her. “I haven’t called the girls yet, like you asked, but you can’t hide this from them.”
“I don’t want them to worry. I have to tell you something.” Ella winced as she took a seat at the counter.
“Here we are!” Ares strolled into the kitchen, setting two large paper bags down.
“All this for us? Ares, she made too much food.” Zee rushed forward, thankful for the distraction.
“She emptied an entire freezer,” Ares said, the pride in his voice evident as he slung an arm around Josie’s shoulders and kissed her.
“It was the least I could do.” Josie laughed as Ares nuzzled her neck.
“It’s no big deal. I’m happy to help. I’m not doing catering anymore, but I always have stuff on hand, like the roasted red pepper soup you like.
I brought a couple loaves of the whole-grain bread.
I thought of simple things you could warm up throughout the week by yourself. ”
“That’s what friends are for, right?” Zee ran a hand through his hair, hoping Ella would think Josie meant the work week.
“That’s very sweet of you, but I’ll be okay,” Ella said.
“I know it’s hard to accept help. I wanted to make your life as easy as possible. If you need anything else or have a craving, please call and ask. I don’t mind.”
“You’re a good friend, Josie,” Ella said.
“Hey, anything we can do to make your healing easier,” Ares said, his bright eyes warm. “Please call us if you need anything, Ella. I know it must be hard having Zee away from you.”
“It’s been an adjustment,” Ella said.
The doorbell chimed again, and Zee practically dove down the hall to answer it, opening the door to their friends Nick and Mulberry Laurent.
“Thanks for coming,” Zee said to Mulberry and Nick.
“Of course! What an awful thing to happen! Maybe we need to have security at the club all the time? If Erik was there like in the old days, there would have been someone there,” Nick said.
“Trust me, I thought the same thing, but this was a submissive-only class and there wasn’t a need for onsite security.”
“Accidents happen, sir,” Mulberry said, squeezing Nick’s arm.
“Yes, I didn’t mean to blame you, Zee.”
“Nothing I’m not telling myself. Thank you both for coming. I know you’re busy.”
“I will always make time for Ella,” Mulberry said, smiling at Zee.
“Ella!” Mulberry ran over to her and gave her a hug, careful not to touch the sling. “This is going to make sewing difficult. Not that I sew, but I can help you take pics!”
Zee curled his hand into a fist as he saw the realization hit her that her hobby would be impossible with her injury.
“Guess I have a holiday from work,” Ella said, her voice small. Zee’s heart twisted, with the urge to soothe away her pain.
Ares and Nick talked behind him but his focus was on Ella.
Her face lost all colour, her fingers trembled.
“Sasha said she’d be over tomorrow to help,” Zee said.
“Help with what?” Ella said.
“Your corsets!” Mulberry said. “Show me what’s new.”
Ella darted a look at Zee, but she got down off her seat and led Sasha over to her sewing table.
“Gabe and Ivy are coming to the club’s anniversary dinner,” Nick said.
“It’s going to be a night to remember. Simone said she’ll be over tomorrow.”
“Why is Simone coming over?” Ella frowned.
“I’m going to try to come too,” Josie said, turning from packing the fridge. “It’s so we can get the details finalized.”
Ella winced and he rushed over to her, pressing his hand to the small of her back.
“Ella, sit down on the couch. You can share Annie’s latest piece.”
“Okay.”
He couldn’t swallow over the lump in his throat.
Her devotion flowed, even now.
“Look at the time,” Ares said. “Josie, we need to go and do that thing. We’ll come by tomorrow. Call us if you need anything.”
“Same. We should go do that thing too,” Nick said. He slung his arm around Mulberry and kissed her cheek.
“Yes, that thing,” Mulberry grinned, and Ella giggled.
“Ella, your Master means well,” Ares said, “Even if he’s overbearing.”
“Thank you for coming. You’re good friends.”
Zee said goodbye to their friends, leaving her in the kitchen.
“Maybe you should give Nora a call.” He stood at the edge of the counter.
“Of course I will.” Ella went to cross her arms and winced, a wave of pain making her hiss through pursed lips. “When you’re advocating for me to call the friend you hate, it must be bad.”
Zee clenched his fists, his jaw tight as he took two steps toward her, his breath coming in quick bursts.
He took two steps, crowding her against the counter. He lifted her chin with his finger, making her look him in the eyes. Her beautiful emerald eyes flashed annoyance.
“Got something else to say?”
“Zee, I could just scream.” Her tone was heavy as a stone; it clawed at his guilt.
“Ella, seeing you hurt…fuck.” Zee rubbed his thumb slowly across her chin. She sighed as he brushed it against her lips.
She pressed a palm against his chest. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I said that, didn’t I?” He swept his thumb across her cheekbone, to the shell of her ear.
Her breathing steadied as she gazed at him, the well of emotion she was holding back clear in her eyes.
“You did, Sir.”
“It’s time to take your medication.”
In the kitchen, he grabbed a cloth and furiously wiped down the spotless counter.
He needed to leave, to move, to do something other than stay here with his swirling thoughts.
“I don’t want to take too much pain medication.”
“You follow directions and take them as needed,” Zee growled.
“I know I was lucky that it’s not a break. I don’t need surgery, but it hurts.” Ella brushed her good hand along his forearm, her expression pinched and raw.
“You’re going to see an orthopedic surgeon, Ella. I want a second opinion. I’ve already made the appointment.”
And he had someone lined up to take her to it.
“Zee, they did everything they could. They told me at the hospital that surgery isn’t necessary.”
She sounded like she was trying to soothe a wounded animal.
“You’re going to see the surgeon.” He said the words through clenched teeth.
“I need to go to bed.” Ella’s tone was clipped. “All those people here, I didn’t need that.” He stood there as she walked by him, and he let her, his own knot of emotions keeping him frozen.
He wanted to make it better for her, to soothe her, to show her that people were here for her.
But he knew he was being an ass.
“What do you want me to do?” He didn’t raise his voice often, but he shouted the words, and instead of flinching, she turned on her heel and marched toward him.
“I don’t want you to treat me like this, it’s making me feel useless. I know you hate that I got hurt. I want you to…” She glanced down, squeezing his hand, and he exhaled, wrapping her in his arms, mindful of her sling.
“If you’re in the mood to scream, dear heart, I’m going to make you.”
“Yes, that. Please, Master.” Her voice cracked.
He pulled her good arm against him, his lips crashing over hers like he hadn’t seen her in days.
She whined against him, sending a vibration down to his toes, warmth curling around him as she let out a soft whimper.
Kissing her with all the hungry, needy possession that he still had for her all these years after the very first kiss.
He was a lucky bastard, grateful she put up with his overbearing nature and stubborn need to control everything.
Gliding a hand through her hair, he pulled her back. “You’re not allowed to get hurt.”
“No?” Ella raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you remember that you have two rules?” He dropped his tone, twisting her hair around his wrist.
Her first rule was to obey.
Her second rule was to take care of herself.
Falling off a ladder was not taking care of herself in his opinion.
“Yes, Master.” She reached back against him, her mouth parting, her eyes wide, waiting.
“You broke one of them.” He had to taste her again, so he dropped her hair and kissed her, swirling his tongue around hers, his adrenaline finally stalled with how she moaned against him.
His.
This woman, with all her love and compassion and strength, was his to protect, to take care of and to play with.
And she was okay.
Yes, her arm was in a sling, but her shoulder would heal.
“We are going upstairs, and I’m going to remind you that you’re mine. Arm in a sling or not.”
Ella’s smile eased the tension in his shoulders. “Yes, Master!”
He pressed a palm on the small of her back and exhaled as they climbed the stairs.
It was going to be okay.
Nothing could ever come between them.