Page 37 of Savage SEAL's Virgin
Another one of them added, “Schedule a CAT scan of her liver.”
“Am I in that bad of shape, guys?” I whined.
“You’re getting better. But you’re in pretty bad shape, yes.” I was rolled over and saw the doctor who’d spoken looking at me with a concerned expression. “When you’re released, where do you plan on going?”
“To Napa Valley with Troy. He and his mother are going to take care of me until I’m better.”
The three of them gave each other looks I didn’t like, then one of them said, “You don’t have anywhere else to go?”
“No, I don’t. I let my apartment go before I left Stanford. I gave my crappy car away. I’m supposed to get whatever sum of money Troy bid for me at the end of the contract between us, which is at the end of summer. But even with that, I’d have to set up a place to live and things like that. Believe me, no matter what you think about Troy, I am much better off with him.”
“Damn,” the clipboard carrying doctor cursed. “You really got yourself into a bind, didn’t you?”
“I suppose I did. I had no idea I’d be getting myself so injured that I’d need help. But it happened and I’ll deal with it.” I was getting tired and the pain of them removing my bandages was getting to me. “Can I have something for the pain you guys are giving me?”
“Can you give us an idea of what your pain level is, from one to ten?”
“Seven. A solid seven. I think some Ibuprofen will suffice.”
“We’ll make that decision,” one of them said. I heard him whispering to the others.
Another one said, “Put her down for some oral Ibuprofen.”
I sighed as I realized just how much control they had over me. I was at their mercy, it seemed. So when they rolled me back over, done with the examination, I let them have it. “Okay, I’m not one to be victimized. The man who did this will not affect me for long. Worse things have happened to me in my life. Things I had no part in. I had a part in what happened to me. Believe or don’t believe it, I don’t care. I want Troy. I know he’s paying the hospital bill. I’m sure if you want me to be watched over full time, he can pay for that extra care to be done in a private room. I want him, end of discussion, or I’ll seek to be moved and complain about no one listening to me.”
With sad nods, they all left me. I suppose they thought me a lost cause, but they didn’t know Troy and they didn’t know me. I wasn’t about to make any rash decisions about the man. I just wanted him around. I trusted him more than I had ever trusted anyone. And I knew I had to take responsibility for what had happened to me.
I could blame Troy. It seemed everyone else was. But what good would that do? The truth was, I’d begged for what I got. He was my Dom, and he felt he needed to give me what I’d asked for so repeatedly. How could I ever blame him for what another man did to me?
The answer was, I couldn’t. It was my fault and I’d accepted that. It also meant I needed to take my time with Troy. Not jump into things. I was too quick to go with my impulses and that had left me in a bad situation—one where I had to depend on others just to survive. I wasn’t about to keep making rash decisions.
I hoped like hell Troy would understand that and not force anything on me, like making a commitment to living with him. I wasn’t ready for that. Anyone could see that.
Troy
After reuniting Veronica with her parents and her grandmother, I felt good about leaving her happy and smiling. But when I walked out of their hospital room, I was in for some pretty rude remarks from one of Blyss’ doctors. “Come with me, Masterson.” It was Doctor Toby. That’s all I knew him by, as I’d heard the other doctors call him that. “You and I need to talk, man to man.”
“Or should you say, Dom to Dom?” I asked him as I stepped up to walk beside, rather than behind, him. He exhibited many alpha traits and his authoritative manner was a dead giveaway.
“Just come on,” he muttered as we went to a private area. He closed the door behind us and it seemed we were in a dressing room. Different colored scrubs lined the shelves, giving me the impression people went in there to change.
“I’m sure I know what this is about. You think I’m a terrible Dom for Blyss.”
He spun around and caught me by the collar of my shirt. “You’re the worst mother fucking Dom I’ve ever met. Now you shut the fuck up and listen to me. That young woman is a physical mess because of your lack of proper care.”
My tone was even. “Let me go before I fuck your world up, Toby.”
He held on for only a moment before the fire in my eyes told him to do as I’d said. “I don’t want this to get out of hand. I just want you to fucking disappear. I’ve never seen a Sub who had been done so wrong. And she was completely innocent, Masterson. When you got her, she was as innocent as they come. You had an obligation to take care of her, and you failed her so miserably that she’ll wear the marks of your mistake for the rest of her life. Leave her here and go away. I’ll make sure she gets put into a rehabilitation facility.”
Narrowing my eyes at the man who thought he knew better than I did about what Blyss needed, I proceeded to set him straight. “I’m not leaving her. I’m taking full responsibility for what happened to her. But you need to understand that BDSM is behind us both. I’m going to marry that woman and nothing bad will ever happen to her again. Hell, I didn’t want to take her to the club at all. She wanted it.”
“Since when do Subs tell their Doms what to do?” He walked away from me and threw his hands up in the air. “She runs you, Masterson. Everyone saw it that night at the show.”
“I agree. She did run me. But things are going to be different from here on out. Like I said, and like you ignored, BDSM is behind us.”
“How do you think that’s going to help her? I mean, yes, she doesn’t have the attitude to be a Sub, but how is being with you going to help her? She needs help. The poor thing is all alone in this world.”
“She’s not alone. She has me. And we’ll make our own family. I love her. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but it’s not your call. If she doesn’t want me, then that’s between her and I. You doctors can mind your business. I didn’t hurt her. Not intentionally. And you better believe I’ve learned from letting her guilt me.”
