Page 11 of Romancing His Heart
What am I? Fifteen?
Now it’s Ashton’s turn to laugh, causing a rippling effect throughout the room. Except for me, I keep my scowl firmly in place.
“Aren’t there privacy laws between a patient and doctor?” I ask pointedly, which flusters Emory.
“Yes, of course. Okay, guys, go wait in the family room.”
Sloane lets out a huff of air, but Emory cuts her off before she can speak.
“Sloane, I know what you’re going to say. We all appreciate how well you’re taking care of Loki. Especially since he was so adamant that you not be out of his sight,” she sends a pointed, distrusting glance my way, “but he’s right. If he wants privacy during his exam, I have to honor that.”
“Come on, Ramona,” Ashton says while holding open the door. We all stare at him. “What? She reminds me of that character, Ramona Quimby. No?”
“No,” Sloane answers, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, how about Nancy Drew?” I don’t hear her response, but Ashton keeps going, “I’ve got it, Pippi Longstocking.” The last is followed by a grunt, making me believe he just got elbowed in the gut. Somehow the thought makes me like that girl even more.
“Sorry,” Emory begins, “my sister is a bit, ah, inquisitive, and it’s putting all the guys on edge.” I don’t get to ask what she means because she rolls right into the exam. “We really should have you in a hospital, Loki. Head injuries like yours can be very serious.”
My brain must still be foggy. “Why wasn’t I brought to a hospital?”
Emory looks around uncomfortably. “Well, Seth and Ashton didn’t think it would be safe. They’re under the impression someone is after you, and if that is the case, they thought you would be in danger there.”
“They’re right,” I mumble.
Who would be after me? I dismantled Black’s organization, didn’t I?
“Loki? I can see your brain working, but you can’t force your memories to come back. In fact, forcing an issue like that can sometimes make it worse. You have a lot of injuries you need to recover from, and this may be your brain’s way of protecting you.”
“M-hmm. Right,” I reply while my mind takes off. I need to piece this together before someone gets hurt.
“Loki, you need to listen to me. The more you force this, the harder it will be. Can you focus on me while we go over your injuries?” I turn my head to face her, and she continues, “I need you to understand that memories come back in different ways for different people, and sometimes,” she looks away before continuing, “not at all. Something may trigger you, and everything will come rushing back. Or it could trigger you, and you’ll have fuzzy recollections but cannot fit them together right away. After speaking with a colleague, and based on the tests I’ve been able to run from here, I believe you have retrograde amnesia. Since you have remained stable, it’s reasonable to rule out any permanent brain damage. Do you understand that I could not run comprehensive exams on you to know any of this for sure?”
“Yes.”
“Do you also understand that I’m a heart surgeon? This is so far out of my field of expertise I could lose my license for treating you? But given the circumstances, I’m doing everything in my power to give you the best care possible.”
Swiping a hand over my face, I try to focus. This woman is doing an incredibly risky favor for a man she has never met before. The least I can do is follow orders for a while. Finding her eyes again, I say, “Yes, I do. Thank you, Dr. Camden.”
“Okay, let’s go through your list of injuries, then I will check on the wounds.”
I say nothing in response, just give a slight nod of my head as I take an inventory of my body. It fucking hurts, and by the time she’s done listing my injuries, it’s no wonder.
“Obviously, the amnesia and laceration on your thigh were the most serious of injuries. Both will take time to heal properly. If you are unwilling or unable to go to the hospital, you must promise me you’ll rest so that you can recover. If you’re anything like your friends, I can only assume you’re stubborn, but I’m serious about this, Loki. If I can’t trust you to follow my orders, I cannot continue to care for you. My ass is on the line here, too. I have an oath to uphold, and this is dangerously close to a line I cannot cross.”
The emotion in her tone has me refocusing my attention on her. “Yeah, I’m … I’m sorry. Of course, I’ll follow your orders the best I can. I need to work with my guys, though, to put together a timeline. If I can’t figure this out, the people I love could be in danger. I’ve fought too long and too hard to let that happen.”
Sighing, Emory takes a seat in the chair Sloane just vacated. With her eyes focused on me, she says, “Give me a few days, Loki. A week, tops, to observe you now that you’re awake, and we will use that time to get you mobile again. If that all goes to plan, then the guys can take you to the Loki Locator.”
“Loki Locator?”
Grinning, she shrugs her shoulders. “Preston gave up half our condo for the mission, so I figured it needed a name. Loki Locator just fit, and Sloane ran with it like wildfire.” Pointing her finger in my direction, she levels me with a glare. “A few days, Loki. Sloane will be on watch, and no one is getting by her. I can promise you that.”
I frown. “Watching me?”
“Yes. Since she was hellbent on taking care of you, and you weren’t letting ‘Red’ out of your sight, it was the logical solution.”
Red. That damn tingling sensation is back, and I know Red should mean something.Why does she keep saying I wanted Sloane with me?An image of my hands around Sloane’s throat floods my vision, and I grimace just as Preston walks through the doorway. My grumbling little pixie-guard following closely behind.
