“Two days. I’ve been stuck in this place for two days. If he doesn’t let me out today, I’m going to go postal. Have you ever had to take a shower on just half your body? It’s impossible. And I want to wash my damned hair…it’s disgusting.” Kodi, Savannah, and Tally all grinned from their respective positions around her bed.
Thank God Reagan had finally convinced Rafe to let her turn over, because she’d gotten damned tired of talking to people she couldn’t see. “He’s hovering over me like he thinks I’m going to escape.”
“But isn’t that exactly what you’re planning to do?” Tally gave her a knowing grin. “I’ve seen that look in patients’ eyes before, Reagan. And you can bet your sweet, soon-to-be-flaming ass, Rafe has, too. He knows if he tells you when he plans to discharge you, you’ll jump ship six to twelve hours before. So, he won’t tell you.” She gave a negligent shrug, and Reagan wanted to slap her silly for being right.
“I got a glimpse of the cuts when I stepped out of the shower before the Nurse Follow-every-order-to-a-tee hustled me out of the bathroom. Evidently, I’m not supposed to see Dr. Newell’s fancy repair work until he gives the okay. There aren’t any stitches. All I saw was faint red lines. How is that possible?” What she’d seen didn’t make any sense to her. It looked like someone had drawn on her back with a red fine-line marker. “I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact one of the most sought-after plastic surgeons in the country is taking care of me.”
“I’ll bet he’d take care of you in a lot of other ways, too, if you’d let him. And I’ve heard amazing things about his work. I’ll bet you have little or no scaring. There’s a reason people fly from all over the world to go to his clinic. You scored a hottie, girlfriend.” Kodi’s teasing tone made Reagan blush.
“Fu…dge, did you see that blush? Woo hoo. We’re going to have a front seat to this one. Somebody order a case of popcorn and soda.” Savannah did a little happy dance in place, making the others giggle.
“Good save on the cursing. Your Master is making progress. But consider yourself forewarned; Masters are sneaky. They’ll bait you then paddle you when you mess up. God knows mine are straight up evil when it comes to that trick.” Kodi smiled, but Reagan noticed it didn’t reach the pretty woman’s eyes.
“When is your next book coming out? I’d be happy to beta read for you.” Tally’s laughter gave away the fact her offer wasn’t entirely benevolent.
“You just want to know what happens with the East twins…not fooling me this time, girlfriend.”
“Dammit. Those cliff-hangers are just plain mean, Kodi.” Tally’s lip was pressed out so far in her mock pout Reagan wanted to warn her about a pigeon swooping in for a landing.
“Reagan, do you like to read? I have a pretty extensive collection of books I could share.”
Reagan felt the heat of another blush work its way over her cheeks. “I do. And I loved your first book. I’ll probably be stuck in my apartment for a couple of days so…” She stopped talking when the other three women burst out laughing.
“Do you really think Rafe is going to let you go back to a freezing apartment?” Tally was looking at her as if she was a dim-wit.
“An empty, freezing apartment.”
“Kodi, you are going to be in so much trouble.” Savannah shook her head at her friend.
“Fuck-a-dilly circus. I forgot.” Kodi didn’t sound at all repentant, and Reagan wondered what she was up to.
“What do you mean ‘empty’?” Reagan heard the squeak in her voice as she tried to hold her panic in check.
The door opened, and Taz stepped into the room, his gaze zeroing in on his wife. “Baby, you are in big trouble.” Kodi ducked her head, but not before Reagan saw her sly smile. “Nanna-son is meeting us for dinner, but she’s staying at a motel so she won’t be around to save you from the punishment you have coming.” Kodi’s eyes went wide and were suddenly wary. “Oh, baby, you are so very easy to read. Of course, I knew. You thought she would be your get out of jail free card. You forget how well my brother and I know you, baby.”
Taz turned to Reagan and smiled. “You look much better today, sweetness. And what my lovely wife wasn’t supposed to mention is that we’ve cleaned out your apartment. Your landlord has no intention of turning on the heat. He was trying to drive you out so he could remodel and rent the space out to skiers.”
Reagan felt her stomach drop. “No job. No place to live. What am I going to do?” How did I fall so far? I tried to do everything right…and still… The room was starting to spin around her when she felt warm hands close over hers.
“I swear, Kodi, if you weren’t pregnant I’d paddle you myself for upsetting her.”
“What? I’m not…”
“Of course, you are. The changes in your skin are easy to see.” Shifting his gaze to Taz, he smiled. “Congratulations. I’m sure your grandmother is going to tell you the same thing when you see her later, but you should stop and pick up a test on your way out of town.”
The whole room erupted into a flurry of happy chaos, and for a few minutes, Reagan forgot about the fact her life was spiraling down so fast she couldn’t seem to stop it. Rafe leaned down to whisper against her ear, “I think Taz and Nate knew, but were afraid to trust what they were hearing. They’ve wanted this for so long they were afraid it was just wishful thinking. But I’m not kidding about the changes in her skin.” He brushed away her tears and raised a brow in question.
“I’m so happy for them. I know Kodi was worried this day would never come.” She was grateful for their good news for several reasons. The Ledeks were going to be wonderful parents. Reagan saw the way they took care of their employees and the members of the club, and she envied their future children. But she was also happy to have an excuse to cry. Knowing she had nowhere to go was terrifying.
Taz had been hugging his crying wife, but he turned to her so quickly Reagan felt herself tense at his scrutiny. “Sweetness, I said we moved your things. I did not say you have no place to go. Get that out of your head right now.”
Nate pulled Kodi into his arms and kissed her before smiling at Reagan. “That’s not how we take care of our friends, Reagan. You should know us better than that by now. We’ll let Rafe explain. I’d like to get that test and hit the road. Being late to dinner with Nanna-son isn’t an option. And remember, we’re going to need you full-time now more than ever.”
“Oh yes, please. I really do need you, also. When you see my office and the mess I’ve made of my social media accounts and advertising, you’ll understand why I’m so desperate.” Kodi’s tear-stained face was filled with such joy Reagan couldn’t do anything but nod. Their friendship humbled her, and seeing their happiness made her heart clench with longing.
After the room emptied, the silence was almost deafening. Reagan had realized she’d become increasingly reclusive after the attack, but she hadn’t fully understood how much it had affected her until now. Everyone assumed the attack had been the worst part of trauma she’d endured, but it wasn’t. The betrayal of trust had hurt more than any of the knife wounds. Knowing the officers charged with her safety cowed to pressure from the Major and administration had cut her to the bone. Pulling in a deep breath, Reagan pushed the pain aside. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized Rafe was still standing beside her bed.
Rafe watched emotions chase over Reagan’s face and wondered what it would take to make her feel safe again. She seemed to recognize the fact she was physically safe, but the damage to her soul was going to be much harder to heal. Since his first conversation with Nate, Rafe had spoken with Taz, as well as Kent and Kyle West. The more he learned about Dick Merrett, the more contempt he had for the son of a bitch whose relentless pursuit of Reagan had terrified the young physician’s assistant. She’d lost everything in the aftermath. Her friends had abandoned her when she’d refused to stop fighting a battle she couldn’t win. She’d been forced to give up the career she loved when the review board in Texas sided with the Department of Corrections staff and pulled her license for “unspecified reasons.” What the fuck did that even mean?
Rafe had already contacted the physicians she’d worked for in Texas. Luckily, Kirk Evans and Brian Bennett were members of the Prairie Winds Club, so they’d understood exactly what Rafe meant when he’d said Reagan was his. He’d also enlisted help from Sage Morgan, whose political clout in Montana would go a long way to persuading the local board to review her case. Once she’d gotten her license in one state, others would follow suit. Empowering Reagan would help her heal.
“You didn’t ask them where they moved your things, Peach.” He wanted to chuckle when her eyes widened in realization.
“Oh fudgesicles. I got so caught up in their happiness I forgot. I can get the name of the storage facility later, I guess. Boy, oh boy, I sure hope it’s climate controlled. But that means it’ll probably be expensive. Shoot, I’d better call Nate or Taz and find out. I don’t really have the money to spend on a storage unt…well, unless they’ll let me live in it, too. Aside from a bathroom, it probably wouldn’t be that bad.” She was rambling, and Rafe found himself smiling at the randomness of her thinking.
“Peach, our friends moved your things to my house. The guys moved everything, and the ladies unpacked what they could into your suite. The rest has been stored in the basement for you.” He saw her lips part, but didn’t wait for her to argue before shaking his head. “Don’t start. You need a place to stay, and I will appreciate the company. You’ll also be a wonderful house sitter when I have to return to the west coast in a few days.” He was pleased to see something close to regret flash in her eyes when he mentioned leaving.
“As much as I know I should protest, I’m too grateful to put up any real fuss.” Relief swept through him, and suddenly, he couldn’t wait to get her discharged and back in his home. The lacerations on her back and legs were healing quickly, and there was no reason to wait.
“Perfect. I’ll finish up your discharge paperwork, and we’ll be on our way within the hour.” He had big plans for her once they were home. He’d seen the desire in her eyes when she didn’t think he was looking, and it matched his own. They were several days past what he’d originally planned, but that didn’t mean he was giving up.
Rafe would need to be careful with her, but he could still show her some of the mind-bending pleasure of BDSM. He wanted to spend quality time with Reagan before he was forced to return to San Francisco—he needed to know if his instincts were right about her. And she needed to know whether or not the lifestyle was for her. He’d seen the longing in her eyes when she watched her friends with their Masters. The tighter they held their spirited subs in check, the more intent Reagan’s observation.
Reagan appeared to crave structure and a sense of belonging. Things, according to her file, she’d never had as a kid. Those who’d packed up her small apartment reported a small stash of erotic romance novels. They’d sent him a list of the well-worn paperbacks, and he’d noticed a recurring theme when he’d researched the titles.
None of the books were hardcore, but all contained bondage and spanking scenes. Her interest in the lifestyle proved how good her instincts were. She would likely find the sense of security she sought—if she could surrender herself into the care of an experienced Dominant who understood what a treasured gift her submission was.
The nurse told him she’d gotten a quick look at her back, and that she hadn’t understood what she’d seen. His patients were always surprised when they saw how quickly they healed. The body could do remarkable things when its wounds were closed properly.
Rafe completed the paperwork in record time and was pleased to see Reagan dressed and ready to leave when he returned to her room. Her uniform had been shredded and discarded the night she was admitted. He’d been more than happy to choose something for her to wear home. The only indication she wasn’t pleased with the clothing he’d left for her was the frown lines between her brows. Smart girl that she was, Reagan would wait until she was out the door to voice her complaints.