COWBOY ROMANCE: Justin (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 1) (33 page)

Chapter Two:

“Miss Norris?” a soft voice made her open her eyes. The light that welcomed her was so bright that she had to blink severally times before her eyes began to adjust. She stared up at a perfectly white ceiling. Her hands fisted in scratchy bed sheets as she looked around the sparse hospital room.
            Stood over her was a man wearing a white coat. He held a file in a steady hand as he looked down at her. His handsome face broadened in a smile as he saw her gazing up at him.
            “Please, don’t try to move.” The doctor told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, “How are you feeling?” he asked as he glanced at the machine that was beeping beside her bed.
            “My lungs hurt.” She told him and instantly began to cough. Her chest hurt so badly that she curled in on herself.
            “They will hurt for a few more days just while the smoke clears out but I think that you are going to be fine.” The doctor smiled down at her as he wrote something down on the files, “I’d like to keep you in overnight just to be sure.” Laura nodded in understanding.
             “I’ve got nowhere else to go.” She shrugged her shoulders and instantly regretted it. Her entire body ached and every small movement caused her pain. She felt as though she had been crushed by a ton of rock.
             “There’s a man outside who’d like to speak to you if you are feeling up to it?” the doctor asked as he folded the file and placed it in the holder that hung on the end of her bed.
             All Laura could do was nod. She had no idea who could have wanted to see her. For a moment she held her breath as she wondered if it was him, if it was the man she had been running from for the last few years of her life. She tried to push the thought away as she watched the doctor head toward the door. He pulled it open and waved his hand as though he was beckoning someone forward.
            “Five minutes and then she needs to rest.” The doctor explained before he slipped out of the room and allowed the man inside.
             Laura was shocked to find herself face to face with the man who had saved her from the fiery apartment. His face was no longer covered with ash and he looked more handsome than ever. He’d changed his fireman uniform for a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His golden hair hung around his face bouncing lushly as he walked toward the bed.
            “How are you feeling?” he asked as he stopped at the end of the bed and gazed down at her with worry in his pale green eyes.
            “Sore,” Laura replied as she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand, “What are you doing here? Do you visit everyone you save from a fire?” Laura felt a small thrill in her heart as he shook his head and smiled down at her. His teeth were perfectly white, not a stain in sight.
            “I was worried about you,” he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, “I wanted to check that you were alright.” He sounded nonchalant as though he was trying to be masculine but Laura could see the worry in his eyes.
            “I’m fine.” Laura assured him as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. The man stared back at her as though he didn’t quite believe her.
            “You didn’t sound it,” he sighed, “When I pulled you from the fire you were ranting and raving about someone who had tried to kill you. Who were you talking about?” Laura sighed. She had forgotten all about her raving yet as he spoke she remembered how she had paced up and down the grass verge with tears streaming down her face.
            She felt the tears stinging her eyes again as she stared back at him, trying to think quickly of a reason for why she had been so crazy.
           “Miss Norris,” he spoke softly as he sat down in the chair beside her bed and looked at her, “I am a government employee and that makes it my job to ensure that the public are safe. If someone is trying to kill you then I need you to tell me about it.”
            Laura hated the look of sympathy in his eyes. She hated the way he was looking at her like she was a victim. It was a look she had been running from ever since she had left her first home to get away from everything that had happened to her.
           She looked down and twizzled her thumbs as she sighed and finally answered his question, finally said the words for the first time, “It was my ex.” When he didn’t say anything she looked up. He was staring at her as though he was waiting for her to continue.
            When she didn’t speak he asked, “Why would he be trying to kill you?” his question was one she had often asked herself ever since the first time her ex had hit her. She remembered the pain like it had been only yesterday. His fist had hit her nose so hard that it had broken and she had ended up in hospital having stitches in her cheeks.
            “He’s got a screw loose.” Was the only answer she could give him. She had nothing more to give him. She didn’t even know the reason herself. There was no way to hold the tears back anymore. They began to fall down her cheeks and she sobbed uncontrollably. The man reached forward and placed his hand on top of hers. For a moment she wanted to pull away but then she felt it. There was a sudden spark of electricity that shot through her skin and down her spine. She turned her gaze to his face and found him gazing back at her.
             “How do you know it was him that set the fire?” The man asked. Laura sighed and shook her head. There was no way he was going to think she had any evidence if she told him about the scarf. Instead she simply shrugged and replied, “My gut tells me it was.” His eyebrow rose as though he was going to reject her answer.
            “Well if you really think he is trying to kill you then I should give you this.” He told her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a personalized calling card. Laura took it from him and looked it over. On the card were the words ‘Bear Security’ and the name ‘Lee Pine’ along with a mobile and landline number.
           “What do I need this for?” she asked as she lifted her hand to indicate the card. Lee smiled and rubbed the corner of his lips with his thumb.
           “If you really think someone is trying to kill you then you should have some protection.” He explained as there was a knock on the door. Laura looked around to see the doctor’s friendly face peer around the door frame.
          “Your five minutes are up,” he told Lee before he turned to Laura and added, “You should get some rest. I’ll be back in the morning to get your vitals before I discharge you.” Laura nodded.
           Lee pushed himself up off the chair and nodded at the doctor before he turned back to Laura. “Think about it.” he told her before he turned back toward the door and headed out. The doctor gave her one last look as though he wanted to make sure she was alright and then he closed the door behind him.
          Laura was left alone. She looked around her feeling her tears roll down her cheeks. She thought of how alone she had been for the last few years and how she had let her ex make her life a living hell. She crumpled the card in her fist as she felt anger rising inside her.
         
How could I let it get this bad?
She asked herself not for the first time. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep but as she lay down she thought of the dream and suddenly she was scared to close her eyes. She could think of nothing worse than seeing his pale face again.

Chapter Three:

Laura lay awake all night, fighting the urge to sleep. Eventually she pushed back the sheets and climbed out of the bed. Her hand stung as she pulled the IV drip from her vein. Her legs were shaky as she moved toward the window. She pulled on the cord of the blinds and peered outside. The stars were growing dim as the sky began to lighten. The car park was beginning to fill with movement as staff arrived for their shifts and several ambulances brought patients to the emergency room.
          The knock on the door made Laura jump. She turned as the doctor entered the room. He smiled warmly to her and looked impressed that she was up and out of bed.
          “I see you are feeling a little better.” He said as he reached for the file at the end of her bed and opened it up.
          Laura was glad that he didn’t see how ill she felt. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and her lungs still ached. That didn’t seem to show on her face though.
          “Would you mind sitting on the bed so that I can give you a quick check over?” he asked as he placed the file on the chair. Laura nodded and crossed the room. She perched on the edge of the bed and the doctor took her wrist between his fingers. His hands were ice cold like every doctor she ever remembered. He pressed on her wrist and looked at his watch as though he was taking her pulse.
            “I spoke to one of the nurses last night,” he told her as he counted, “She’s around your size. I asked her if she’d bring in some old clothes for you when her shift starts. She should be here any minute.”
            “That’s very kind of you.” Laura smiled at him as he took a small pen torch from the pocket of his white coat and flicked it on.
            “Look up.” He told her as he moved to shine the torch in her eye. She did as she was told, “Look down.” Again she moved her eyes. He flicked the torch off again and then raised his finger to her.
            “Follow my finger.” He ordered. Laura did as she was told as he moved his finger slowly from side to side.
            “I don’t remember hitting my head.” She told him as he dropped his hand back to his side and picked up the file again to write something inside.
            “I have to check everything.” The doctor smiled as he placed the file back on the chair and took his stethoscope from around his neck. “I just need to check your heart and chest and if everything is ok then you are free to go once the nurse arrives with those clothes.” He smiled as he waited for her to loosen her hospital gown.
            When he placed the stethoscope to her chest it was ice cold and made her gasp. She jumped a little and he smiled, “I apologize. I always forget how cold these things are.”
           “Almost as cold as your hands.” Laura laughed. The doctor frowned at her and shook his head.
           “Please stop laughing and take a few deep breaths for me.” he told her. When she breathed deeply he looked as though he was concentrating hard. He moved the stethoscope along her chest and nodded every time he wanted her to breathe deeply. He did the same thing all along her ribs and on her back before he finally stepped back and nodded.
           “I’ve got no complaints.” He told her as he pulled the stethoscope buds from his ears and returned it to his neck. He picked up the file again and began to write.
          Just then there was a loud tapping on the door. They both turned to see the nurse enter. She smiled as warmly as the doctor had as she placed a bag on the bed. “Doctor Heron asked me to bring you these.” She told Laura before she turned to the doctor, “Is there anything you need?” the doctor shook his head.
          “Thank you.” Laura told the nurse. She simply nodded in acknowledgement before she disappeared from the room again. Laura turned back to the doctor and asked.
           “Is there anything else you need?” she asked. The doctor shook his head.
           “I’ll be back with your discharge forms in a few minutes.” He told her as he folded the file up and placed it back in the holder. Then he placed his pen in his pocket and left the room.
           Laura pulled the bag the nurse had left toward her and pulled it open. Inside were a pair of jeans, a white blouse, some underwear and a pair of white dolly shoes. Laura smiled as she realized that the nurse had good taste whether she wore scrubs all day or not.
          She headed into the en-suite bathroom to freshen up before she pulled on the clothes and slipped her feet into the shoes. Dark hair was scraggly and unkempt, her face pale and her eyes sat on huge black bags she there were no signs of burns and she was finally able to move properly.
         She ran her fingers through her hair as she headed back into the bedroom. Her heart stopped as she found him perched on the end of the bed. He was looking at her file, his toe tapping on the floor as though he was growing impatient.
       “Well…well…well,” he grinned as he looked up at her, “You are a hard one to find.” His smirk made her feel sick. She wanted to turn and run but there was nowhere to go. His outstretched legs were blocking the doorway and she couldn’t get to the alarm button beside the bed.
         “What are you doing here?” she demanded though she knew exactly why he was there. He was there to finish what he had started when he had set the fire in the apartment building.
          “I’m here to take you home, of course.” He frowned as though his answer was obvious. Laura felt her entire body shaking with both fear and rage. He stood then, dropping the file to the floor. It slapped the hard tiles as he stepped forward. Laura was about to shrink back when she realized she couldn’t show him her fear, only her anger.
           He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek. “Laura, I’ve missed you so terribly.” He sighed as he placed his other hand on her other cheek and leaned down. Laura felt sick to her stomach as he pressed his lips against hers.
           Before she knew it her hand had risen and her palm had connected with his cheek. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock. His hand rose to his face and he glared at her as the realization of what she had done hit him.
          “You…you hit me?” he gaped at her in amazement. Laura no longer felt the fear. Now she was angry. Angry that he thought he had the right to touch her in such a way.
           “Yes, Marcus, I did,” she glared at him, “You tried to kill me and I hit you. We are far from even.” Marcus ran at her then. She could see the anger flare in his dark brown eyes as he reached for her throat. She slapped at his hands in an attempt to push him away but he simply grabbed her wrists.
            She pulled away as hard as possible as she kicked out with her foot and slammed her heel into his toes. He screeched in pain and stumbled backward again, giving her enough time to slip back into the bathroom. She slammed the door shut behind her and locked it as quickly as possible. The door shook as Marcus slammed himself against it. Laura’s lungs hurt and she felt breathless as she reached for the hospital gown she had left on the side of the bath.
            When she reached into the single pocket she found the card that Lee had given her. She did her best to straighten it out before she realized that she had no phone to call him on. The tears came again as she leaned against the wall and realized it was hopeless.
            “Excuse me?” another voice came from the other side of the door and Marcus stopped slamming himself against it, “What do you think you are doing in here?” it was a female voice and Laura guessed it was a nurse who had been passing by the room.
             There was a loud thud and a scream and then silence. Laura held her breath as she waited to hear voices again. When the silence lingered on, she pushed herself to her feet and placed the card into the back pocket of her jeans. She placed her hand on the door handle and held her breath as she undid the lock.
            When she slowly pulled the bathroom door open she found the nurse splayed on the floor. Marcus was nowhere to be seen. Laura dropped down onto her knees and shook the nurse’s shoulder.
             “Wake up.” She cried as she shook her. Then she saw the puddle of blood that was seeping from the woman’s head. Her heart stopped as she realized she had hit her head hard.
             “Help! Someone! Help me!” Laura screamed at the top of her voice as she turned her head toward the door in the hopes that someone might be passing by. The thundering of footsteps came rushing toward her and several people appeared in the doorway all at once.
           Laura jumped to her feet knowing that the nurse would be cared for and pushed her way through the people. She glanced both ways down the corridor before she turned to her left and made for the elevator. There was no sign of Marcus, as though he had never even been there.
          She could hear the murmured voices behind her asking what had happened as she pressed the button and tapped her foot waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive.
          As soon as the doors slid open she stepped inside and pressed the button for the ground floor. Her heart pounded as she eagerly waited for the doors to close. When they finally did she allowed herself to relax. There was no way Marcus could get her inside the elevator while the doors were closed. She prayed they would stay closed until she reached the bottom floor.
         The movement of the elevator made her feel nauseous as it always did. She clutched the side rail so hard that her knuckles turned white. When the elevator came to a halt she felt her legs jolt. When the doors slid open she found herself face to face with a couple who jumped into the elevator as quickly as possible. Laura pushed her way past them and out into the lobby.
         She ran for the reception desk, feeling her heart pounding with fear that Marcus wouldn’t be far behind her.
         “Excuse me.” Laura tried her best not to let her voice shake as she spoke to the blonde woman behind the desk. The woman looked up at her from behind thick black glasses and smiled. She was an older woman with a wrinkled friendly face and a wart on her chin.
        “How can I help you sweetie?” she asked, “Are you here to visit someone?”
        “I was wondering if I could borrow a phone,” Laura told her, “I need to call a ride.” The woman smiled back at her and picked up the phone from where it sat beside her computer.
         “I can call you a taxi.” She told her. Laura shook her head quickly and felt the irritation growing inside her.
          “I need to call a friend to come and get me,” she explained, “I have no money.”
           “Well honey, I’m afraid I can’t allow civilians to use the phone.” The receptionist explained, “I could ring your friend for you?” the woman suggested. Laura shook her head and sighed.
          “Thanks for nothing.” She snapped as she turned and headed for the front doors of the hospital.
           As soon as she came to the top steps of the hospital she realized she had no idea what she was doing. She glanced around and found herself stopping on a pay phone across the street. Her feet instantly began to carry her toward it. She was so desperate to get to the phone that she stepped out into the road without looking. Cars swerved and sped past her as she made her way across the road.