His mom and dad? No problem.
His sister? Again, no biggie. Apparently, I was in need of some ‘punishing to get me in line.’
Other people that weren’t directly related to him? That was a big no. He was very careful, and I never showed any outward signs of abuse—at least not anything that wasn’t covered by clothing—most of the time, anyway.
“No,” I said. “I can’t.”
And I couldn’t. I could literally remember nothing from since I’d gotten home from work.
“You have what I think is a hairline fracture in your jaw. Also, some cracked ribs, a broken femur, and some major bruising.” He hesitated. “Are you ready to file anything yet?”
He sounded so hopeful that it was hard for me to deny him. So, I didn’t.
“Yes,” I breathed.
***
“Katy!”
My eyes blinked open, and I finally became aware of the body that was wrapped around mine.
He was talking slowly, and super soft so nobody but I could hear what he was saying.
“Honey, you’re scaring me,” I heard that deep, masculine voice say again.
Instead of the terror that I expected to roll through me at knowing that I was in a man’s arms, nothing but contentment sank into my bones.
“I can’t believe you gave me a ticket,” I finally said, feeling terrible for scaring him, even if he had given me a ticket a few days ago.
His chuckle had me lifting my head to find him sitting, ass to the steps, with me in his arms and between his upraised legs.
His shiny, black boots were pressed in close to my body, and he was practically cocooning me with his.
I felt a wave of thankfulness that I didn’t end up going to the main police station. That I’d gotten to go to the second precinct that was on the opposite side of town as the main one.
This one was new, small, and rarely used by anyone that wasn’t a detective.
In fact, I was more than curious what Officer Gibbs was doing there, but I was just thankful that he’d caught me before I’d collapsed fully, and recognized that I wasn’t in a good way.
“If I’d known that you were my neighbor and a nurse, I wouldn’t have given you one,” he rumbled.
My eyes finally moved to his face, his eyes in particular, and what I saw there wasn’t pity, but tenderness.
“What does me being a nurse have to do with anything?” I wondered, finally realizing that we weren’t the only ones here for the show I’d just performed.
“Nurses save our asses when shit hits the fan,” a man said. “Don’t you know that, girl?”
I decided correcting them on my profession wasn’t the best course of action right now, mostly because it’d invite more questions, and I was in no way, shape, or form in the mood to talk.
I looked at him and realized rather quickly that the man was gorgeous.
You know that guy off of Grey’s Anatomy? The one that died in the plane crash, and everyone and their brother was pissed off about being killed off? McSteamy. Yes, that one. The hot, graying man that was tall, muscular, and had the prettiest blue eyes in the world?
Yeah, this man looked like him, only bulkier with blue eyes. And he wasn’t wearing hospital scrubs.
No, this man was wearing the same freakin’ outfit as Logan. Only tighter. Which I thought before wasn’t possible. Apparently, though, it is.
Jesus, what did they put in the water here?
It took the man turning to the side, however, that caused me to realize I knew him.
Well, knowing was a relative term. I knew of him.
Jonah Crew was the younger half-brother of one of my father’s SWAT buddies. He’d gone away to the military when I was young, and I hadn’t realized he’d even come back.
He’d aged well, though.
Like a fine wine.
Yum.
“Yeah?” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “That’s cool, I guess.”
His lips kicked into a grin.
“Can you stand?” Logan asked.
I could, but I didn’t want to.
I wanted to spend the rest of my life right here in Logan’s lap, but I wouldn’t.
I was a strong, kick-ass woman.
I wouldn’t allow this man to see me so puny.
“Yes,” I answered, showing him that I could, indeed, stand on my own two feet.
I was wobbly, though, and he noticed that within seconds of my feet being planted solidly on the ground.
Logan stood up and took hold of both my arms.
“You drive?”
I raised a brow at him. “I sure didn’t float here on my broom.”
So, I got snappy when my weaknesses were aired out for the whole freakin’ world—or the town police station—to see. So sue me.
“I’m just trying to make sure you’re okay,” he told me, still holding on to both arms.
I pursed my lips, then nodded. “I did. But I’m okay.”
He gave me a skeptical look.
“Okay,” he finally said. “But I’ll be checking on you tonight.”