“Good thing that bastard is dead,” she said, putting her fork down. She leaned back with a grimace, placing her hand over her ribs.
“You’re in pain, I’ll get your pills.”
She shook her head slowly. “I don’t want them. Pain medication tends to make me loopy.”
“You don’t say.” He held back his smile as she looked at him suspiciously.
“I can’t remember much of what happened in the hospital, so I guess whatever they gave me put me out of it.”
“The doctor prescribed a lighter pain med for you. It shouldn’t make you loopy. I’m going to get it for you, you can wait until after we’ve talked to take it, but you will be taking it.” He spoke in a low, deep voice, knowing how beautifully she responded when he used his Dom voice.
“Go sit on the sofa where it’s more comfortable. I’ll clean up in here.”
She had to be in more pain that she was letting on, because she moved without protest.
Hunter quickly tidied up, got her bottle of pills which he’d run out to fill while she was asleep and grabbed a glass of water. He walked in to living room to find her sitting back on the sofa, her eyes closed.
“You need to go back to bed,” he said quietly, with concern.
Her eyes shot open and she shook her head, wincing. “I’m okay, my head’s just a bit sore.”
He placed the pills and water down on the coffee table before sitting beside her. “Lay back, rest your head on my lap.”
“No.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“And don’t bother giving me that look or trying to order me around. I’ve been as patient as I can. Explain yourself or I’m going home. I’ve had enough of being shut out, Hunter. I want to know what the hell is going on.”
Hunter nodded. She’d been far more patient than he’d have managed, if the tables had been turned.
“Ever since she died, I’ve been trying to tie Angie’s death to Worthington. I knew there was something suspicious about her car accident. Her blood alcohol level was really high. Only thing is Angie never drank. Then there was the phone call and the fact that her apartment was torched, it was all too much of a coincidence. Only, I kept coming up against dead ends.”
He ran his hand over the back of his head. “Then last week I got this call to say that the storage unit she’d prepaid for was overdue for the next payment. I never knew she had one.”
“Wait, was that the phone call you got while you were with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Hunter let out a sigh. “The reason I missed the call from Angie is because I was in bed with a woman. I let it go to voicemail because I was busy having a good time. I swore on Angie’s grave that I would find out the truth. I felt guilty for not living up to my promise.”
“So you pushed me away because you made a promise to your sister and I was a distraction, I was in your way.”
“No, well, maybe when I first got that phone call. But I would have come to my senses right away if it hadn’t been for what I found in the locker.”
“What? These books?”
“No, a key to a safe deposit box.” He explained about finding the thumb drive and photos.
“So you were staking that place out when you got the call from my landlord to say I’d been hurt, how did he know to call you anyway?” she asked.
“I bribed him to call me if you were ever in any trouble.” No way was he going to apologize for that.
“It’s my fault you were hurt,” he said. “I didn’t think any of this through. I was concentrating on figuring out what these photos meant and I didn’t want any of this to touch you, so I put distance between us, not even thinking how that might hurt you. I don’t deserve it, but do you think you can forgive me?”
“So you’ve been keeping away to protect me, not because you’re sick of me or because you decided you didn’t want anything more than a few good fucks.”