Page 50 of Protective Love

"I couldn't get to a hospital, so it wasn't stitched by a professional," he says, breaking the silence.

I hesitantly turn to look at him as the car slowly creeps forward.

My eyes are automatically drawn to the scar slashed across his face and I realise that's what he's referring to and that's why he thought I was staring at him.

"Honestly, I wasn't looking at that."

He shrugs, keeping his head straight, staring at the brake lights of the cars ahead of us.

"Everyone seems to. Just assumed you were too."

I analyse the jagged line for a moment longer before turning away from him, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

"How'd you get it?"

He snorts, and a small smile spreads across his face as he changes gear and he drives further through the city.

"Pissed someone off."

"He must've been a big guy, because you don't exactly seem like the type of person it'd be easy to do that to."

"Shewasn't a big guy at all," he replies, a scowl now painted on his face.

"It was a woman who did that to you?" I ask in shock, turning back to the man beside me.

He's over six feet tall, extremely muscular, and there's no doubt in my mind that he can handle himself. Plus, he's intimidating as hell, so I can't help but be shocked by that information.

"An extremely feisty one, yeah."

I look out the window again as a smirk threatens to break free.

As much as I feel bad for him, I'm also kind of proud of the badass mystery woman who managed to get the best of him, and I'm intrigued to know how.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jaylen

Ican feel my knees wanting to buckle beneath my weight, but I grit my teeth and push myself to take another few steps, holding onto Dominic's arms with an intense grip, not wanting to fall on my arse and embarrass myself in front of the rest of my family members in the room.

"Come on, you can do a couple more," he says, lightly squeezing my arms.

I glare at him through the sweat that's dripping into my eyes.

"Maybe we should give him a break," Sophia says from where she's seated on Kaleb's lap across the room.

"No, he can do it," Michael adds.

"As much as I appreciate the confidence you seem to have in me, I feel like I'm about to fall over if I take one more step," I bark back at my uncle who's standing by the door to my room, watching my wobbling legs.

"I know you can do it, son. You've just got to believe in yourself."

"Maybe we should go and get his nurse in here. I'm sure that'd light a fire up his arse."

"You're a dickhead," I snap, turning my fierce glare to Kaleb. "And put that fucking phone down. I don't want videos of me like this."

"Jericho wanted updates on you," he replies with a smirk.

"Come on, Jay, this was your idea. You can do one more step, and then you can rest again," Jess adds, walking over to me and Dominic to wrap her arm around my back, offering me the slightest amount of support.