Page 40 of The Vigilante's Heart

“No, Bennett. I never moved in with you, I stayed with you temporarily. I won’t be moving in with you, not yet anyway, and definitely not before I know the truth.”

“Damn it, Peyton. Don’t do this, don’t punish me,” I bite out.

“I’m not punishing you, Bennett, but I’m also not rolling over like you seem to think I will. There are things we need to work out before we take this any further.”

“If you think I’ll be spending a night without you, then you’ve got another thing coming. If you’re not at High Tides then I’m here. Every damn night.”

“You can’t just invite yourself into my house, into my bed.” She stamps her foot as her anger mounts.

“Watch me.”

Peyton

Hours later and my blood is still simmering. No one pisses me off like Bennett Miller, that man is on a whole other level. I’m also replaying his words in my head constantly, over and over again, trying to piece together what it is he’s trying to tell me.

“Oh, Peyton, you treated him as well.” Sally, our registered nurse, calls out to me as she gestures me over to the small group.

“Who?” I ask as I approach them, Derek walks up just as I do.

“Barclay Davis, he was the one I got you to continue the stitches for. Do you remember? It was the same day your hunk of a man came in.”

“Yes, I do. I remember at the time he made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him on the news.”

“Well, if you ask me, I personally want to thank the vigilante, everything he does is to keep us safe.” Something makes me pause as her words register with me.Keep us safe.Why do I feel like that should mean something?

“Well, I’m just glad none of you were ever alone with him. It doesn’t bear thinking about.” Derek murmurs next to me. “Peyton, can I borrow you on something? I’d like a second opinion on a case I’vebeen looking at.” He turns to me as the rest of the group continue discussing the Barclay issue.

“Of course.” Being asked anything by Derek is a big deal, I dont’ think he realizes how much I truly admire him.

“I think I know what it is,” he says as he leads me towards the treatment rooms, “but I’ve seen it once before, so I want to make sure my opinion on this is not biased. I’m not going to give you anything before you see him, I want you to view it with a completely open mind.” This is one of the many reasons I love working for him, there’s no power trip with him, he will always put the patient first, something far too many people don’t do.

“Color me curious.” As we walk through the door of the room the patient is currently in, something is still niggling at me with Sally’s words. I need to work out what, though.

Derek was right — which of course he was, the man’s a genius — but I appreciated him bringing me in and asking my opinion. I’m just about to leave when a member of our reception team walks in.

“Peyton, I’m so sorry to interrupt but a man has just come in saying he’s backed into a car, it’s yours. He asked if you could go out and check the damage and swap insurance details.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” I mutter under my breath.How can someone hit a car in a parking lot?“I’ll go now, thanks for letting me know.”

“Let me come with you,” Derek says as I turn to leave.

“Don’t worry about it, Derek. I won’t be long.”

“You sure?” I just nod at him. “Okay, come find me when you’re back, let me know everything’s alright, okay?” I can’t help but chuckle at his words, what is it with men worrying about me at the moment?

“I will do, Derek. You’re almost as protective as Bennett,” I laugh again as I turn towards the door, but I freeze as my own words registerwith me.Protective.Bennett would burn the world down to protect those he loves. Sally’s words from earlier hit with new meaning.

“I personally want to thank the vigilante, everything he does is to keep us safe.”

No, surely not. He can’t be, but everything he’s said replays in my mind.

“Just know that everything I do is to keep you safe.”

“I can’t tell you. Sweetheart, I can’t put that on you, I’d do anything for you, but don’t ask me to do this. This I can’t do, not to you.”

“You’re the only one that could know.”

“He was never getting to you. Never. I told you no one will ever hurt you.”