G’ANNA
After the poking and prodding and testing ended, the pain tyrants left me alone in a room. I knew they would keep me for the night for observation. Going home sounded better to me, but they and Ryder nixed the idea right off the bat.
They destroyed all my hard work. Why would someone do that? My remarkable shots went up in smoke. Who stood to gain from that kind of misdeed? The only person I could decide on was another photographer. Someone wanted my job. Some hack thought if they destroyed my work, they could step in and snag the position.
I stumbled from my bed and landed on the floor just as Ryder and the doctor walked in.
“What are you trying to do, sugar? We need you well, not hurt worse.” He turned to the doctor. “You might have to restrain her to keep her here.”
“I’m afraid restraints are no longer an option unless she’s threatened to hurt herself.” He flipped open his chart, and I stuck my tongue out at Ryder. Mature, right?
“I need to go.”
“After looking at the CT scan, that’s out of the question. You need to rest and let your brain calm down some. It’s had a good knocking on it. It’s obvious someone wanted you unconscious from the lump on the back of the head. I believe the one of on your forehead happened in a fall, either from the floor or something on the way down.”
Ryder spoke up. “Someone hit her hard enough to knock her out?”
“Yes, they did. I assume the police will want to speak to you about this.” The doctor never looked up from the clipboard while talking.
“They’ve already asked me questions. I saw no one walk in, but my back faced the doorway while I worked on editing photos.” My mind raced trying to think who would do this to me. “I know it had to be another photographer, Ryder. Someone wants my job with you.”
He took my hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing my palm. “You don’t need to worry about that. No camera shoots my picture unless you’re behind it. Understand?”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“Okay,” the doctor interrupted. “Depending on how you make the night, and if you’re feeling better in the morning, we’ll probably let you go home.”
“Perfect.”
“One thing, though. I expect you to rest and stop worrying about what happened. Your blood pressure reading tonight will tell the tale. Right now, it’s elevated from the trauma. Remaining calm and resting changes that number.”
He shook my hand and Ryder’s before walking out the door.
As the door closed, Ryder leaned over with his face next to mine and let out a breath he’d been holding. “Thank God you’re okay. This worried me to death all the way over here. When I found you on the floor, I almost lost my shit at that moment.”
“You seemed calm when you spoke to me.”
He pulled back, and his eyes met mine. “Calm? Sugar, any word but calm describes how I felt. I instantly thought of the worst possibility when I spotted you.”
I considered what he said and perked up. “You thought I was dead?”
He tipped his head before pulling me to his chest in a tight hug. “Feelings I buried long ago returned to torture me. Kneeling next to you, a yell bubbled up my throat, and it took everything in me not to let it go. Then you moaned, and I knew you were alive. I prayed to God you were all right, and you answered with a moan, sugar. It topped any moan I’ve ever heard you make.”
I wanted to laugh because he’d heard me moan during our long night of lovemaking. Those moans stayed buried for me to think of when I saw him walking toward me or smiling at me across the room. “This is the only time you will hear me moan in pain, Ryder.”
“Please let that be true, sugar.”
“I’ll give it my best shot.”
I woke the next morning to Ryder holding me in the hospital bed. All night long the machine beside me beeped and made horrid noises. I didn’t remember him taking me in his arms, but at that moment, I felt safe with him around me.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to get out of her bed. I heard you’re someone all important and the caregivers didn’t want to disturb you two. I’m the charge nurse, and I say move into a chair or leave.”
The stern voice woke us both with her loud, rude words. Ryder jumped from the bed. I expected him to salute her. “Sorry, ma’am.”
I smiled at his comment before looking at the tall, husky woman. “Thanks, Nurse Ratched. We heard the message loud and clear. Can I go home now?”
She glared at me over the top of her half-glasses. “You’ll have to wait to see what the doctor says, but your blood pressure is under control, so I don’t see why you and your group will be here any longer than necessary.”
“My group? There’s only two of us.” Ryder and I looked at each other
She wrote something on a notepad from the machine she examined. “In this room maybe. The people camping out front and the reporters are waiting to get a picture of him…” she glared at Ryder, “… took up all the parking spots. This forced the relief staff to be late this morning as we navigated the insanity of getting to our jobs.”
So now we knew. Steel’s fan club and paparazzi blocked the way. I wondered if everyone took it as personal as this fun lady.
Ryder spoke up, “I’m truly sorry, ma’am. We didn’t notify anyone we were here except the few who had to know. We value your position here at the hospital. Without fine people such as yourself, hospitals would fail to function as they should.”
Man, he poured it on thick trying to get on her good side.
“If you’ll allow me to do something nice for you people in return, breakfast or lunch can be delivered to the staff or a food truck will be set up in a private area so each of you can order your own meal as my guest.”
The priceless look on her face made all his sucking up worth it. Ryder approached the problem from a different angle than I would have. Complaining about her bad attitude sounded like a good idea until I saw the way she gawked at him. The incredulous look turned into a smile brighter than the sunrise now lighting my room.
“I’m Nurse Linda.” She put her hand out to shake his.
“Ryder Steel.” The two shook hands as she nodded in acceptance. A lack of recognition on her face said it all, no inkling of the name Ryder Steel.
She turned the smile on me. “Ms. Lucian, I hope you had a good night with this fine-looking gentleman keeping you company and that your ride home will be uneventful.” With that, she left the room.
“What the hell? Did you put a spell of some kind on the woman, Ryder?”
“I just have a way with some women.” He looked at me and grinned. “Now let’s see about serving lunch to the people here.”
Nurse Linda knew what she was talking about. A cluster-fuck waited on us as we tried to leave the hospital. The staff all wanted pictures, so apparently, word got out Steel was in the building. Fans and photographers alike stalked the exit doors. Ryder’s security led us through the kitchen and out the back doorway to an awaiting dark-windowed car.
I longed for my bed all the way to my house. The bumps and curves rattled my brain. Ryder tried to hold me stable through all of it and yelled at the driver a few times. Finally, he turned the car in my driveway.
Walking into the kitchen with Ryder hot on my heels, I stopped at the small woodblock island. “You don’t need to stay. A shower and bed sound perfect.”
“I’m not leaving you here. They hurt you doing work for me, G’Anna.” He pulled me into his arms. “Please let me take care of you.”
“Hold on, big guy. No manipulating me, buster, with your sweet words like you did Nurse Linda.” I smiled up at him.
“Me? I would never try to manipulate you into anything.”
“Uh-huh. I heard your bullshit loud and clear when you won her over.”
“I’m staying, and you’re stuck with me.” He kissed me lightly on the forehead opposite the lump.
Secretly, I desired he stay, but I didn’t want him to feel like he had to. I felt safe having him around. After the break-in, I admitted to myself it scared me to think that I could have been killed. The security company monitored my house but having him in it relieved my thoughts.