Page 38 of Nanny for the Bodyguard

When the nurse steps away, I face the room and look inside for the first time. My chest caves, a massive kick to my sternum, and I nearly burst into tears.

I would have if it weren’t for the fact that Hazel sees me, and her face lights up, a face that’s covered by a huge bruise on her cheek and the bandage taped to her forehead.

“Oh my god.” I run forward, right up to the side of Hazel’s bed, and both of us, without a second thought, wrap our arms around each other. “Hazel, what happened. Jesus…when they called…”

My words trail off as my voice cracks and my eyes burn.

Warmth bleeds through my shirt as Hazel lets out a little sob, and I know she’s crying. Hazel Dowd is fucking crying in my arms, and whoever did this to her is on my fucking list.

“I didn’t…didn’t see him.” Her words are muffled until she leans back, looking up into my eyes as her hazel stare swims with tears. “I was going to Pete’s…I never…I n-never should have gone th-through the alley.”

Hazel can barely speak around the sobs that are making her hiccup, and I pull her close again.

“Don’t say that. This isn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

After a moment, I lean back, still holding my arms around Hazel as I run my stare over her face and body. She looks evenworse up close, and I’m filled with a seething rage I’ve never felt before.

It’s terrifying and overwhelming, and I know for a fact that if I ever get my hands on the cowardly fucker who decided to attack an innocent woman, I’m going to kill him.

There’s a pause in our conversation as Hazel just stares up at me, and I can see the exhaustion fill her eyes. I lean her back against the bed again and sit down next to her.

“What did the doctor say?”

Hazel sucks in a deep breath, visibly trying to refocus. “Umm, I have a concussion, which, hey, that makes sense, seeing as whoever the guy was smashed my head into a wall. I had to have some stitches.”

She reaches up toward the bandage on her forehead, not touching it but frowning nonetheless.

“He punched me, too. God, that’s such a weird thing to say.” I angle her face gently, looking at the shiner that spreads from her left eyesocket to beneath her cheek.

“He got you good, huh?”

Rolling her eyes, Hazel lets out a tired laugh. “Yeah.”

“Was it a mugger or…” Her eyes flick down to the bed. “Did he say anything to you?”

“I…I’m really tired, Easton. I just…this is a lot, you know?”

Hazel snuggles down into the bed, but I notice her chewing on her lip. It’s an old habit of hers. One I remember from before.

She does that when she’s nervous.

Why would she have anything to be nervous about? It doesn't add up. Tired, in pain, scared, sure. But this…thisis different.

“Hazel, what’s going on? I can tell there’s something you’re not telling me.”

I don’t look away from her face, holding her hand tightly in mine as we try to share the narrow hospital bed.

“It’s nothing. You have your own life to deal with. I’ll be fine.”

She doesn’t look at me, using her free hand to fiddle with the blanket. I reach out, lifting her chin so that she had to look me in the eye.

“Hey, I’m here because I want to be here. Talk to me. I want to help.”

“Easton,” Hazel shakes her head in my grasp, “we’re not together. This isn’t your drama to deal with. I won’t drag you into something.”

Frustration gnaws at me. I know that I have no right to demand information from Hazel, but she nearly died. The thought of losing her showed me a lot of what I’ve been feeling.

I’m still not sure I want to face just how destroyed I felt, but I also can’t sit around and do nothing about what happened.