Chapter Two
Evander watched Callie sleeping in the hospital bed. She looked so peaceful and innocent. Her blonde hair, even in disarray, was beautiful. Everything about her brought out his protective instincts. Normally he was inclined to kill, but with her, all he wanted to do was protect.
He checked his watch. She’d been out for a couple of hours now, but he’d had his nurse put a little something extra in her IV to keep her rested.
Evander hadn’t wanted things to move this fast, but he wasn’t about to let that asshole hurt her more than he already had.
It still pissed him off that he hadn’t gotten around to the back in time to stop him from hurting her at all.
His friend and colleague, Bastian, peeked in the doorway again. “Still out?”
He nodded. “She’s just exhausted. She’ll come to anytime now.”
“Then what?”
Bastian had been on him about not obsessing over the girl.
She’d been all Evander wanted to talk about lately, and his friend was getting concerned.
He’d never been attached to anyone or anything in his life.
He was afraid of nothing, which meant no one dared to fuck with him.
The fact he was showing his softer, twisted side seemed to freak out those who knew him well.
“I’m not kidnapping her.”
“You sure about that?”
“Look, I already explained I had no choice in the matter,” Evander said. “I’m not an animal.”
Bastian crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You could have easily dropped her off at the local hospital, but instead you brought her to your private clinic. This place is supposed to be off the grid.”
“It’s not like she was conscious when she came here. She has no clue where we are.”
“So, you’re okay with her returning to work at that strip club tomorrow? Same shit. Same assholes. You can’t watch over her every second, and you’re already behind on your contracts.”
“I have two outstanding, and I’m dealing with them. And guess what, Bastian, my caseload isn’t your fucking concern. Worry about your own hits.”
He began to walk away. “I’m starting to think you just liked going there every night to look at the naked bitches.”
“Fuck off, Bastian.”
Evander couldn’t stand the women he had to deal with in his line of work. And the last thing he wanted to do was stare at dirty whores all night in a piss-stained dive. He wanted the angel asleep in front of him, and nothing more. She stole all this logic. She’d become his obsession.
The sound of her steady heartbeat on the monitor was soothing.
This clinic was state of the art, unlike the local hospital.
She’d still be in the waiting room if he’d brought her there.
He only wanted the best for Callie. He’d started this clinic with several colleagues over a decade ago to serve them when they had injuries that needed to be kept off the radar, like gunshot wounds.
Now, others in their line of work paid top dollar to use their off-the-books clinic.
She began to shift in the bed, her breathing changing as she started to gain consciousness again. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately started looking around, trying to ground herself.
“What do you remember?” he asked.
She turned her head in his direction, the sudden awareness seeming to take her by surprise. “It’s you.”
“My name’s Evander, by the way. I wasn’t expecting you to pass out, but you’re in good hands now.”
“You saved me,” she whispered.
He didn’t respond, but got up to stand by her bedside.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Surprisingly well,” she said
“Probably the painkillers.” He winked, then reached out to feel her forehead. “You seem well.”
“I don’t even remember coming to the hospital. The last thing I remember…” She lifted her bandaged hands. “The blood.”
“Are you normally a fainter?”
She nodded. “Since I was a kid. The sight of blood is too much for me.”
Evander knew all about her accident. She’d been twelve years old when she’d been in a bad car wreck that almost took her life.
After that, she’d visited the shrink a few times but then her mother expected her to move on.
He knew all about childhood trauma and how it could fuck with your head as an adult.
It had only been nine years ago. Her mother may not have given her time to heal, but he’d give her all the time she needed. He’d protect her, coddle her, allow her time to process her past.
She tried to sit up, pushing with her hands, then winced.
“Hey there, take it easy. No rush to get up. Your hands will be tender for a while.”
“This isn’t good. I kind of need my hands for work.”
“Work should be the last thing on your mind right now, Callie.” He brushed some stray hairs aside, loving the soft texture of her cheek. “You should just rest.”
“I don’t have that luxury. Guy certainly won’t put up with me missing a shift with less than twenty-four hours’ notice.”
“What about that man who did this to you? Aren’t you afraid of running into him again?
You never asked about calling the cops or anything.
” Part of him was angry she’d think so low of herself.
He wanted her to feel angry, scared, vengeful, anything but worrying about her next fucking paycheck while she was confined to a hospital bed.
“I don’t know, Evander. It’s part of the job. I shouldn’t have gone out back alone. It was my fault.”
He clenched his jaw to keep from saying what he felt. Besides the way his cock twitched when she said his name, he was pissed off she’d blame herself.
“It was not your fault.”
“Guy was supposed to replace the lightbulb in the back, but I knew better.”
He wasn’t having this one bit. No way would he allow Callie to think she had any part in this bullshit. Even though he knew the asshole would never bother her again, she didn’t. As far as she was aware, he’d be waiting for her again tomorrow.
“No man should raise a hand to a woman or force himself on her without permission,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Not you. Not any woman. Don’t allow yourself to accept anything less.”
“Why do you care?” she asked. Then she smiled. “Ah, I was right about you after all. You don’t belong in that place. You’re better than that. Your mother obviously raised you to be a gentleman, and you’re a very rare breed. Trust me on that.”
He wanted to tell her he raised himself, that he’d been on the streets since he was seven years old. Whatever fucking horror movies she’d watched in her lifetime wouldn’t compare to what he’d been through the past forty years. His morals were his own, and he didn’t have many, just a few.
Instead, he replied, “You deserve better if you think that’s the standard.”
“What are you going to do, Evander? Whisk me away to your castle? This isn’t a Cinderella story, no matter how much I wish it were some days.”
****
Callie wondered why her mysterious knight in shining armor had bothered to stick around after saving her in the back alley. It meant a lot that he’d brought her to the hospital and made sure she was okay. It wasn’t something she was used to, but it was immensely nice for a change.
His eyes were the oddest shade of green and they contrasted against his dark hair and five-o’clock shadow.
The man was built, a completely different breed than her usual clientele.
He’d taken off his suit jacket and the material of his shirt strained against his hard muscles.
Why would a man like him bother going to a place like Guy’s Titties night after night in the first place?
It didn’t make sense to her. He could get any woman he wanted—for free.
“You need a little magic back in your life, sweetheart. You need to smile more.”
She couldn’t help but smile when he said that.
“See that,” he said. “Fucking gorgeous.”
Callie felt herself blush so strongly that the heat chased up her neck.
Nobody had ever called her gorgeous before.
The men at the club just wanted what was between her legs, even if she had a paper bag over her head.
Real men never looked twice at her. She had at least eighty pounds to lose and she was plain in every detail.
There was nothing special about her. Certainly nothing magical.
She began to wonder what Evander’s motives were. No man was that nice.
“What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“You’re still here. You’re too nice.”
He chuckled, a deeply masculine sound that went straight to her pussy. Why was everything about this man, from his scent to the roughness of his fingers against her skin, turning her on?
“Get used to it, Callie. For starters, I’m not letting you go to work tomorrow. You need to rest.”
“What? I have no choice. I need that job.”
“I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry about a thing right now.”
“You don’t understand—”
“You won’t lose your job or your pay,” he interrupted. “I promise.”
She was about to argue, but the way he said the last word was so confident that she believed him. In fact, she’d bet her life on it. Callie wasn’t sure why he was helping her out, but she decided not to complain. He obviously wasn’t trying to harm her. The man saved her life, after all.
“Okay.”
“Now that’s my good girl,” he said.
She briefly closed her eyes, savoring the words, trying not to let them affect her so. The way he spoke made her eager to please him. She wanted to make him proud just to hear those words again.
A doctor and nurse came in, giving her a much-needed distraction.
“It’s good to see our patient up and alert,” the doctor said. “Will she be staying on with us tonight?” he asked Evander.
Why was he asking Evander and not her? Why wasn’t the doctor making the medical decisions?
“I think it best she be transferred to my place. I’ll take good care of her while she rests.”
“That sounds like the perfect plan,” the doctor agreed. “If anything else comes up, you know we’re always here.”
Then they left the room.
“Your place?” she asked.
“No funny business, if that’s what you’re thinking. I have a guest room. I’m nothing like the pigs you serve drinks to every night.”
She knew that, so why was she questioning him?
“I know that. It’s just too much. You don’t even know me.”
Another person came partway into the room. He was dressed business-casual, and just as big and commanding as Evander.
“I hear you’re taking her home?”
“The doctor needs to keep his mouth shut,” Evander said.
“Well, those two contracts aren’t going to handle themselves.”
“Bastian, this isn’t the time.”
There was a hint of a threat in his tone, and the man put up his arms in surrender and left.
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Callie said. “If you have something you need to do, you shouldn’t be babysitting me.”
“My friend doesn’t know when to mind his business. Don’t worry about him.” He winked at her playfully. “Your clothes are on the bedside table. When you’re ready, my driver will take you to my house. It’s only a short drive.”
She was at a loss for words. Callie nodded and watched as he strode out of the room. He was pure confidence and stealth. She knew he had money. Maybe she was his charity case for the month.
As she got dressed, careful not to hurt her hands, she heard a low conversation in the hallway. When she heard her name, she moved closer to the partially open door.
“He’s obsessed.”
“A new toy?”
“No, more than that. She’s all he thinks about. It’s unnatural.”
“Should we get rid of her then?”
The man laughed. “Yeah, right. Then he’d kill us all.”