Chapter Sixteen.
The breath was driven from my lungs as I was flung backwards, and I braced for impact. Instead, I landed on something softer than the pavement and stared down into icy green eyes.
“Christ, Alicia, were you hit?” Cain Russell demanded.
“What… no… Cain, what happened?” I asked as I lay across his body.
“Are you okay?” a man yelled. Hands reached down to help me stand, and I got to my feet as Cain sat up.
“Shit,” he muttered, touching his head.
“Hey, I’ve called for an ambulance and the police,” the bystander said as other people hurried over.
“The car kept going.”
“That looked deliberate.”
“Lady, it didn’t pull out until you were crossing the road.”
I was bewildered by what everyone was saying, and Cain hadn’t got to his feet. I crouched down. “Cain, are you injured?”
“Just need to breathe. I landed wrong. Give me a few moments,” he muttered. In the distance, sirens wailed, heading our way. Cain wore a pained expression, and I guessed he was downplaying the injury.
“Did you hit your head?” I asked, gently checking.
“Alicia, I’m fine, it’s just my shoulder,” he murmured. “Honey, help me up.” Honey?
“Cain, wait for the paramedics,” I argued.
Ice-green eyes flashed. “Alicia,” Cain growled.
Stubbornly, I held his gaze and refused to move.
Cain sighed and started trying to shove up.
With no way to keep him down, I moved impulsively and sat on his lap.
Cain’s arm wrapped around my waist immediately.
I wondered if I looked as surprised as he did.
“That’s one way of keeping a man off his feet,” a woman chortled.
A deep blush began creeping up my neck, but I refused to move. Cain held my gaze as I bit my lip. Would he yell at me for causing a scene in public?
“Not quite how I wanted to hold you,” Cain murmured as heat bled into his eyes. My mouth opened in an O, and the blush reached my cheeks.
“You must have smacked your head,” I whispered as the sirens grew louder.
“Mr Russell!” someone yelled, and two guys forced their way through the crowd.
“Stand down, I’m fine,” he said.
“Do you need a hospital?” the bigger guy demanded.
“Dillion, I’m okay,” Cain repeated. Dillion kept looking between us, and it was clear he didn’t know what to make of the situation.
“Cain hit his head and hurt his shoulder,” I tattled.
Cain snorted and regarded me incredulously. “Did you just snitch?”
“Yes. Are you Cain’s friends? Can you help? This is a little undignified,” I blurted, hoping they’d come to my aid. My embarrassment was growing.
“Alicia, if you move now, I’ll embarrass everyone here,” Cain murmured in my ear and shifted his hips.
“Oh,” I gasped as I felt his hard cock press into my ass. “Make that behave!”
Cain chuckled. “How?”
I pressed the cold back of my hand against my flaming cheek at Cain’s increasing amusement. “Imagine Oliver and Eve in bed together.”
“Well, that worked,” Cain said moments later. “Dillion, help Mrs Kensington up.”
“Yes, boss,” Dillion replied as sirens announced the paramedics’ arrival. Cain displayed all the pent-up angst of someone who didn’t wish to be fussed over. However, he ended up in the ambulance and was heading to the hospital.
Somehow, I was bundled in the rear of a car and following. Cain was of the opinion that I needed checking over, too. And being me, I caved and obeyed. That’s what I’d been taught to do after all.
Cain
“Someone better have got the fucking license plate. That vehicle aimed for Alicia,” I snarled at Mace, my other bodyguard.
“The witnesses are giving statements, and Dillion’s hung back to listen. We can also tap your contacts in the police if we need to.”
“I pay enough into the widows’ and children’s fund. Mace, I want to know everything. Someone deliberately tried to hurt Alicia. If I hadn’t been there…” I broke off. A world without Alicia Kensington was unthinkable.
“Dillion will get what we require.”
Was Mace patronising me? I couldn’t tell. He’d worked for me for fifteen years, and Dillion for thirteen.
“Is Alicia being seen?”
“Mrs Kensington has a doctor in with her. She’s unharmed,” Mace replied. There was a twinkle in his eye that made me scowl.
“Don’t read more into this,” I warned Mace.
“No, boss, even if you did risk your life for her.”
“Mace—”
“And you’re buying the loft next to hers.”
“Too far,” I snapped, and Mace grinned before wiping his expression. My bodyguard was an asshole.
“Plus, you’re also purchasing Dillion and me the apartments on the floor under you, alongside Stellan and Pax,” Mace murmured.
Loudly, I sighed. That made sense to me.
The four apartments under mine and Alicia’s being used by my bodyguards meant added security.
Having them underneath was easier in the long run.
Sure, I had a penthouse elsewhere, but Alicia was choosing to live there, and I wanted to be close. Anyone who didn’t like it could sue.
“Get me the information, Mace. I want to know who was driving.” I wouldn’t be shocked if it had been Oliver or his cum bucket whore.
Alicia
“Thanks, doctor,” I said, shaking his hand as he released me. On leaving the room, I was surprised to find one of Cain’s acquaintances outside.
“Mr Russell would like to see you,” he stated.
“Cain? His friends call him Mr Russell?” I asked, confused.
“Mr Russell’s my employer, ma’am.”
“Oh. Um. Okay, lead the way, McDuff,” I replied, trying to be flippant and failing.
What would Cain be thinking of my earlier actions?
Red hit my cheeks again, and his employee studiously ignored me.
We walked down the corridor to another private room.
Cain was inside having a support put around his neck.
“You were injured!” I hissed and rushed forward.
“Broken collarbone. It’s not the first time,” Cain replied, brushing away my concerns. My hands fluttered helplessly. I wasn’t sure whether to touch him.
“Cain, I want to apologise. What I did was inappropriate and violated your personal space. I was just worried you were badly hurt.” I wrung my hands together, and Cain reached out with his good one and grasped them.
“Alicia, calm down.”
“I can’t. My actions went beyond the bounds of decency. Sorry,” I blurted.
Cain’s eyes narrowed. That made everything worse.
“Oh, God. Do you need the police to make a statement? I’ll admit what I did. I never meant harm or to sexually harass you…”
“Alicia, shut up. You, leave,” Cain ordered the doctor, who looked completely confused.
“Cain…”
“Alicia, be quiet,” Cain repeated.
I immediately dropped my head and clasped my hands in front of me. Nervously, I kept twisting them together. My shoulders rounded, and I prepared for a lecture.
“What the fuck?” the bodyguard exclaimed as Cain began cursing.
“Alicia, look at me,” he ordered. I raised my head a little but didn’t make eye contact. That meant bad things.
“Jesus, Cain…” the guy muttered.
“Mace. Alicia, look into my eyes, honey. I’m not angry.
You were upsetting yourself, which is why I said, ‘shut up’.
There’s no reason to be upset; you’ve done nothing wrong.
In fact, it could be claimed that I sexually harassed you.
My cock was quite happy to say hello,” Cain quipped, and I rocked backwards on my heels.
A hand caught and steadied me before swiftly releasing me.
“That’s not what happened,” I whispered, finally looking up. There was anger in Cain’s eyes, despite him trying to keep his voice relaxed. Why was Cain angry? I was out of my comfort zone; Cain wasn’t reacting the way he should be. I stared, unsure of what he wanted.
“Honey, Mace is going to drive you home. You’ve had a bad upset and a fright. Tomorrow, join me at Samuel’s at one?” Cain asked.
I nodded, obeying immediately.
“Alicia, would you like to have lunch with me, or are you agreeing because that’s what you’ve been trained to do?” Cain inquired softly.
“Want to.”
“Go with Mace and don’t worry. You did nothing wrong,” Cain repeated, squeezing my hands.
“Okay.” I turned and left quickly. Somehow, I knew I’d been bad, but I wasn’t sure how.
Cain hadn’t liked my listening stance. An inner voice ridiculed my thoughts.
That was what Oliver had drummed into me: my reaction wasn’t normal; some part of me understood that.
But the other part argued that it was my normal. Which side was right?
Cain
“What the hell was that about earlier?” Mace demanded after entering my home office without invitation.
“That’s called emotional abuse and conditioning. Maybe even Stockholm Syndrome. Oliver Kensington really fucked his wife up.”
“What’s your plan with Alicia, boss? Alicia Kensington isn’t your usual go-to. She’s nowhere near experienced enough to attract you,” Mace challenged.
Mace wasn’t wrong. Alicia wasn’t a supermodel or a famous actress.
Those I dated knew the score. We’d have some fun, and that was it.
Naturally, a few had thought to force or trap me into putting a ring on their finger.
That was a mistake, and they paid the price.
I was my own man, and nobody ruled me. But Alicia had drawn me from the moment I set eyes on her.
At first, it seemed she and Kensington had a perfect marriage, but a deep dive proved many things a lie.
Kensington had cheated multiple times during their relationship, starting six months after they’d wed.
The man disgusted me on all levels. Ever since he’d landed the investment from the Founding Five, as Aaron, Brock, Dax, Ryder, and Jude were known, Oliver had grown too arrogant.
Even my cancelling two contracts hadn’t stopped the asshole.