Page 36 of Marking Mia

The three of them watch me- Jace sitting beside the bed, Kane standing with arms crossed near the door, and Finn in the shadows. There’s something primal about their vigilance, like guard dogs protecting their territory. Or wolves protecting their own? I shake off the strange feeling, blaming it on the medication.

The door opens, and a middle-aged doctor walks in, holding a clipboard. She looks up, taking in the scene- me on the bed and three large men surrounding me. Her expression changes subtly.

“Gentlemen,” she says firmly, “I need to ask you to step outside while I examine the patient.”

Kane straightens up. “We’re staying with her.”

“I need to speak with the patient privately. HIPAA regulations require patient confidentiality.”

A tense silence follows, and I can feel Kane’s frustration radiating from him in waves.

“It’s okay,” I say, my voice sounding thick and distant to my ears. “I’ll be fine.”

Finn pushes off from the wall.

“We’ll be right outside the door,” he says, a clear warning in his voice- not to me, but to the doctor.

Kane looks like he wants to argue further, but Jace touches his arm, and after a moment of silent communication, they all file out of the room.

Once the door closes, the doctor turns to me with a gentler expression. “Hi, Mia. I’m Dr. Reynolds. Can you tell me how this happened to your wrist?”

As she speaks, she gently examines my wrist, feeling along the swollen flesh. I wince.

“My boyfriend, ex-boyfriend- grabbed me and twisted it.”

She nods, making a note on her chart. “And do you feel safe at home?”

The question confuses me for a moment until I realize what she’s asking. “Oh, I... yes. I mean, I won’t be going back there. To his place.”

Dr. Reynolds looks up at me, her eyes kind but searching. She lowers her voice. “Mia, I noticed the handprint bruising on your wrist. Is it one of those men outside? You can tell me if you’re in trouble.”

It takes me a second to understand what she’s implying.

“No! God, no,” I say quickly. “They saved me. My ex, Justin, was the one who hurt me. These guys stopped him.”

I swallow hard, remembering how Kane had thrown Justin against the car like he was a toothpick.

“I’m glad to hear that. I just needed to be sure. We have protocols we follow when we see injuries like this.”

“Of course, I get it,” I say.

She wraps my wrist in a temporary splint. “I’m going to prescribe some pain medication for you to take at home. Do you have someone who can stay with you tonight?”

I hesitate, thinking of Justin’s apartment where all my things are. “I... I think so.”

“Good. You shouldn’t be alone, especially for the first twenty-four hours after taking the medication I’m prescribing.” She writes something on a prescription pad and hands it to me. “Take these as directed. The nurse will be back soon to take you for X-rays.”

She leaves the room, and almost immediately, the door opens again, and the three men file back in. Kane’s face is like a thundercloud.

“What was that about?” he demands.

I look down at my bandaged wrist. “She thought one of you might have hurt me.”

Kane hisses through his teeth, “Why thefuckwould she think that?”

I can’t help but laugh, though it comes out slightly hysterical.

“I mean…look at you,” I say, gesturing at his bloody hands.

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