Page 23 of Unruly Protector
“Arturo, take Donya home.”I stalk closer to them.“Leandro, handle this mess.Black is coming and I’m taking my woman out of here.”
“Black is already here,” the detective says and glances over the scene.“What the hell happened?”
“I have no clue.”A sigh rips from my throat.“My woman’s guard was dead in her lap when I arrived.She’s in shock so I’m getting her out of here.”
He snaps his fingers in front of Rina’s face.“Dammit, you’re right.Are you sure you don’t want her checked out at the hospital?”
“No, I want her home.As far as I can see it’s just a flesh wound on her upper arm.I’ll call the doc the second I get her in my car so he’ll be waiting at the house when I arrive.But I’m sure she will come out of the mind loop she’s in any damn minute.She’s strong but the guard was someone she grew up with.It’s a massive impact to see your friend getting killed and everyone handles it differently.”Black nods at my words.
“I’ll call you with an update when I’m done here,” Black says.
Now it’s my turn to nod.“Swing by tomorrow, we’ll talk things through and I’ll have your bonus waiting for you.”
We all head out and leave the detective to handle it while I take my woman home.The second I have her safely in my car and I jump behind the wheel, she starts to come back to life.Well, it seems that way because there are tears spilling over and her hands start to shake and fiddle.I reach for her and lace our fingers, placing our joined hands on my thigh to comfort both me and her.
“He’s dead, Clemente.”The words are a torn whisper cutting straight through the air and into my heart.
“I know,mia cara.”My dear.The endearment automatically flows from my lips.
She stays silent for the rest of the ride and when we arrive at the mansion the doctor along with a few of my men are already waiting on me.I want nothing more than to take her into my arms and carry her into our home but she’s already out of the car and walking toward me with her head held high.
This woman.The trauma she just went through hit her hard and I’m sure the ride here just temporarily hit the pause in life to give her a moment to take a breath, but I know damn sure things will come back full force if she doesn’t take more than one damn moment to breathe.
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close, thankful she accepts my comfort and leans into me.I’m pretty sure Arturo ordered the extra men for security.Until we know what happened in that bathroom, we’re going to assume this was a direct hit on me.I know I ordered the doctor over to check on Rina, but the ride home spiked the need inside me for a different approach.
“I’m going to take her upstairs and shower first.When we’re ready we’ll come downstairs so you can check her.”The doc is about to question my words and it makes me add, “If I find out she’s shot elsewhere or not coping I will come get you.For now she needs to catch her breath.”
His eyes slide to Rina but he accepts my words.“I’ll be just down the hall from you.”
The doctor has been on our payroll for years and was hired by my uncle.He knows what to expect and to be available at any time, day or night.Once I have her in the bedroom, I shrug out of my jacket and throw it on the bed.Stepping toward her, I reach out to slide the spaghetti straps from her shoulders but she bats my hands away.
“I can take my own shower,” she snaps and starts to yank off the dress.
Anger is crackling around her and the effect is added with the fabric of her dress ripping from the force she’s using to get out of it.I leave her to it as she stalks into the bathroom.The water starts running and this is when I strip out of my own clothes and join her underneath the shower.
She shoots me an angry look.“I’m not going to slice my wrists or crash to the floor in tears, Clemente.I know I freaked out and made it seem I was going nuts with the whole withdrawing from everything.But I’m fine now.I can deal.I will deal.”
“Cut the defensive mode, Rina.No one can process what you went through for the first time without losing some of their sanity,” I simply say and grab the shower puff to add some of her jasmine and rose smelling shower cream on and start to caress her body.
It takes a while for her shoulders to stop tensing.There are no words, just the warmth of the water and the silent comfort I offer by just being near her.She suddenly turns and leans her forehead against my chest.
My arms automatically wrap around her.There’s nothing sexual about this—even if we’re both naked—it’s the closeness both of us crave to know we’re still here; alive and breathing.
Eventually I turn off the water and grab a fluffy, large towel to dry her body and wrap it around her.I grab another one to quickly dry myself off and take us into the bedroom.She mindlessly slides into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tank top.
When she wants to put on her pajama top, I stop her.“Let me throw on some clothes and I’ll get the doc to check your flesh wound.It doesn’t look deep, but it needs some attention.”
She nods at my words and takes a seat on the bed as I rush to put on gray sweatpants and a white shirt.When I step into the hallway, the doc is already there—holding his bag—and he follows me back into the room.
He takes his time checking her over and eventually tends to the wound which is the only surface injury.The dull look is back in her eyes and it rises a feeling of unease inside me, making me rub my knuckles over my sternum.I hear the doc question if she would like something to help her sleep but she politely declines.
The doctor strolls up to me and I walk him out.“She declined something to help her sleep.If she changes her mind, call me.”
I grab his shoulder.“Will do, doc.Thanks.”
Gian stalks toward us and lifts his chin at me.“I will show the doctor out.”
The two men head downstairs and I return to Rina.Her shoulders are turned inward and her eyes are set on the soft carpet.I sit down next to her and pull her against me, placing a kiss on her temple.
