Page 31 of Healing Hazel
Hazel’s head craned back, her eyes wide again. “Apologize? For what? You have nothing whatsoever to be sorry about.”
“I do,” he countered, “I should have caught on sooner.”
A chestnut ponytail swayed as she shook her head. “No. You were theonlyone to catch on at all and for that, I will always be grateful.” She paused, then added, “Though, I suppose I sure didn’t look grateful a moment ago.”
“You look just fine. Far happier than I’ve ever seen you and I do want to say you are one hell of a brave young woman.”
She looked back at the three of us. “I’m trying to be, but it turns out it really does take a village. Or maybe an entire Ranch.”
The guard chuckled. “That’s for damn sure. I also wanted to let you know that whenever you’re ready, I’m keeping a slot open for you in my class.”
“Class? Where do you teach class?”
He chuckled. “Here, at the Ranch.”
“Here? I didn’t even know you knew about”—her eyes widened—“of course you’d know at least something about BDSM or else you probably wouldn’t have been at that club. I just haven’t seen you, well, since that night.”
He smiled. “I actually saw you a few times in the hospital, but you were always asleep. As for the Ranch, I’m on the security team, and like I said, teach some classes.”
“My schedule is pretty full already, but…”
“Before you say no, I’m not talking about a college course. I teach a self-defense class. Master Derek, Chief Berringer, and a great many others are of the belief that being either Little or submissive does not in any way mean you are weak. While we’d love to think we’re always only a step away, sometimes we aren’t. When we need time to get to you, we’d like you to be able to have some tools to do some damage yourself.”
Hazel’s lips curled. “Would this class teach me how to scratch, claw, bite, jab and kick?”
He nodded. “All that and more.”
“Then sign me up!”
“Consider it done,” he said. “Now, how about you introduce me properly to your Dom.”
Hazel seemed a bit surprised to still find us standing behind her. “Oh, sorry.” She stepped back and held her hand out to me. “Master Nigel, this is Cedro Belefonte—Master Cedro. He’s the man who not only stopped the scene at that club, he took me to the hospital and handed me off to Master Wes.” She shot Wes a look and smiled. “Master Cedro, this is Master Dr. Nigel Berringer. He’s Chief Lawson’s Baby B.”
I chuckled when Cedro looked a bit confused. “Baby brother,” I clarified and offered him my hand. “I’d like to thank you for helping Hazel that night.”
“As I said, I only wish I’d helped her before.”
Wes stepped forward. “The only thing that matters is that you did. Good to see you again, Ced.”
“You too, and Miss Mira, may I say you have a definite glow about you tonight,” Cedro said.
Mira laughed. “That’s such a polite way to say, ‘wow, you’re the size of a whale,’ but I’ll take it. Hi, Master Cedro.”
It wasn’t how I’d pictured our night’s start, but sometimes life just happens and tells us that it doesn’t follow our agenda. After another couple of minutes, Cedro returned to the podiumand signed us in. I turned to see Hazel had that wide-eyed deer in the headlights look again. Before I could suggest we try again another night, she made yet another totally unexpected move.
“Master Cedro, may I ask another favor of you?”
Cedro didn’t hesitate. “You may.”
She darted a glance toward me, then to Wes and Mira, and back to me, then landed on Cedro again. “I’ve been trying to gather the courage to share all that happened that night. And I do remember most of it, but not everything. I didn’t want to know once I woke up in the hospital either. Would you, I mean, do you think you could maybe?—”
“Help you tell your story?” Cedro offered quietly.
“Yes, I know it’s silly, but–”
“It’s not!”
The fact those two words came in a four-part harmony had Hazel giving a slight jump but then also flashing a smile.
