Page 45 of Protective Love

My chest tightens and my head starts to pound.

Has he been watching me?

Has he known where I've been this whole time?

My hands thread through my hair, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I tug on my hair, trying to cause a bite of pain so I can get a grip on reality.

He wouldn't have managed to get him out of the hospital.

Jaylen's a high-profile patient, someone would've noticed.

But Danny's smart, and manipulative.

If he wanted to hurt me by getting to Jaylen, he'd find a way.

"No. Stop it!" I whisper harshly, knocking my knuckles against my head, trying to physically rid the absurd thoughts from my mind.

The sound of my ragged breathing seems to echo around the room and my body slides down the wall as I curl my legs up against my chest and push my head down to my knees as I begin counting.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jaylen

"Ireally am sorry for my bitchy comments towards you," Jess says as she wheels me out of the elevator and through the corridor. "I was out of line."

"Jess, I've already told you, you don't need to apologise. I completely understand why you said what you did, and I'm going to work on fixing things. I've been too focused on my assigned work, and I let that get in the way of what really matters. I promise, I'm going to make it up to you," I tell her, glancing over my shoulder.

"You can be a real sappy bastard at times, you know?"

"Well, I was raised around women, what do you expect?"

"Fair point," she says, laughing. "Although so was Dominic, and I haven't seen a sappy side to him in years."

"That's because he puts on an act. He has to, especially now. It's expected of him."

"You say that, but Uncle Michael has never acted like that."

"That's because Aunt Lou has him by the balls."

When we get closer to my room, I stretch my legs out, groaning at the ache the movement creates in my body.

"Go on, I'll push the door open for us."

"Such a gentlemen," she snorts, pushing me forward until my feet bump into the door, pushing it open.

My amusement dissipates instantly when I see Rory curled up on the floor with her head in her hands, crying, and visibly shaking.

"Rory! What's wrong? Are you okay?" I ask in a panic, quickly glancing around the room looking for anything or anyone that could've caused her to be in such a state.

When I see nothing, my eyes drop back to her at the same time she lifts her head from her lap and stares up at me with a panicked, tear-stricken face.

"Oh, thank God!" she croaks, standing up and quickly moving towards me. "Thank God you're okay."

Her arms wrap around me as she literally sits on my lap, sobs wracking her body as she clings to me.

I'm frozen in shock until Jess pushes the wheelchair forward so that we're all now in my hospital room and closes the door behind her.

My arms circle around Rory, holding her as tightly as she's holding me and I rub my hands along her trembling back while her tears soak my hospital gown.