Page 51 of A Dance With Obsession

He fumes, seemingly shocked someone wouldn’t obey him. “I’m not moving anywhere until you answer me!”

The dimwit has the audacity to lunge at us, but I easily out maneuver him by stepping to the side and striding out the door.

“Okay, okay. Everyone needs to calm down,” Nora says, taking charge of the situation before I lose it any further.

I can’t handle her being hurt, and I sure as shit can’t handle a doctor not doing his job, especially when it concerns her.

This pounding in my chest won’t ease until I hear a doctor confirm the diagnosis through imaging. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t push her to go to the ER and her ankle was broken instead of sprained.

She’s a world class dancer, for fuck’s sake. You’d think getting a damn x-ray would be a given.

Alex is hot on my heels. Derik is laughing his ass off, and the doctor? Well, that good-for-nothing waste of an MD is striding down the hallway in the opposite direction, apparently done with his job.

When we reach the bathroom, I open the door and take Nora into the single-stall room before slamming the door in Alex’s, red and puffy face.

“Well, that was slightly dramatic, big man.” Nora chuckles as I slowly lower her to her feet.

I guess I didn’t think this all the way through because now that I’m standing here, I’m unsure what to do. Do I offer to help? Do I go back out into the hallway and wait?

I don’t like that option for various reasons. One is the man banging on the door, who we both ignore. The other is I’m unsure she can get dressed on her own with how she hobbles to the toilet.

Nora decides for me when she says, “Toss me my clothes and turn around, big man. You can’t see the goods just yet.”

Her response pulls a deep laugh from my throat as I do as I’m told. “So, there is a time when I might see the goods, then cupcake?” I ask playfully.

Alex’s obnoxious banging subsides as Nora starts to get dressed.

Her response is just as playful as mine. “Hmmm, if you’re lucky.”

If that happened, lucky wouldn’t even begin to cover it. It would be a gift from the universe.

“I want to go on record as saying I think this entire visit to the ER ordeal is unnecessary, but you look ready to bust a blood vessel, and we can’t have that.” A groan pours from her lips just as she finishes her sentence, and I sigh.

“Thank you for humoring me. Better safe than sorry. Do you need help?”

It takes everything in me to not turn around and go to her. She’s in pain, and there isn’t much I can do besides carry her around and insist she go to the hospital to fix it.

I hate feeling helpless.

“Nope, I got it, big man. Almost done.”

After a few grunts and cuss words, she finally says she’s ready to go. I don’t waste any time turning around. When I look down at her ankle, I see how swollen it is. It’s taken on a dark red hue. I need to get her to a hospital. I cross the small bathroom and lean down to pick her up.

“Ready for another ride?” I ask. I don’t want to assume anything, but I’m also having a really hard time not turning into a caveman right now.

“Anytime, big man. Anytime.”

She smirks when I raise my eyebrow in question. Her smirk breaks into a smile as I gently lift her, placing one arm under her knees and the other across her back to cup under her arm. My hand spans across her ribcage.

With her secured snuggly against my chest, I exit the bathroom. I'm almost positive we’ll still have to deal with Alex, but he’s gone. It’s pleasantly quiet as we make our way down the hall to the elevator.

I’d take the stairs because this tightness in my chest hasn’t eased up, and I’m anxious to get her seen. One look at her grimacing face, and I beeline to the elevator.

“A girl could get used to this, you know?”

I’m distracted, trying to push the main floor button on the elevator without jostling her too much. “Used to what?”

She sighs as she leans her head on my shoulder. “Being carried around by a handsome-as-sin bodyguard.”

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