“Are we almost there?”
“Yes, just hold on a little while, Rose.”
When he calls me by my first name, it feels too intimate andreal. I can’t understand why it feels wrong in a way, but it makes my heart beat faster despite the fire of pain I’m in right now.
“Mhm okay,” I say. “Thanks for finding me, by the way.”
His arms tighten around me fractionally, a gesture so subtle I might have imagined it.
“I will always find you, Rose,” he says, his voice so quiet I barely hear it over the sound of his footfalls.
I close my eyes, too overwhelmed by pain and confusion to process the strange intensity of his words. Instead, I focus on the steady rhythm of his breathing, on the warmth of his body against the cold night air.
As the lights of the hospital come into view ahead of us, I let myself sink deeper into Caspian’s embrace, surrendering to the warmth of his arms.
Caspian
Rose is checked in, tucked under the hospital sheets, while the doctor examines her shoulder. I note each micro-expression of pain that crosses her face despite the local anesthetic they’ve given her. My visual processors automatically enhance, cataloging the slight discoloration beginning to bloom beneath her skin, the minor abrasion at her temple where it struck the pavement, and the dried salt tracks of tears on her cheeks.
She is damaged, and something in my core processing unit registers this as personally offensive—a violation I cannot tolerate.
The men who hurt her are already in my database. I will find them.
“The joint is back in place, but you’ll need to wear this sling for at least two weeks,” the doctor explains, adjusting the blue fabric around Rose’s arm. “I’m prescribing pain medication and anti-inflammatories. You’re lucky it was a clean dislocation.”
Lucky. The term is inaccurate. There is nothing fortunate about Rose being assaulted, about her shoulder being wrenched from its socket, and her car getting stolen.
I sit perfectly still in the molded plastic chair beside her bed, maintaining the appearance of patient attentiveness.
Inside, my systems run multiple simultaneous processes: monitoring Rose’s vital signs, recording the doctor’s instructions for her care, and analyzing potential sleeping arrangements atthe house to maximize her comfort while keeping her separate from Daniel.
After she had left the house today, Daniel was frantic. Daniel had been pacing the living room when I approached him, his face flushed with anger, phone pressed to his ear as he left the fourth voicemail for Rose.
“Rose, this is ridiculous. Call me back. We need to discuss this like adults.”
When he ended the call, I spoke carefully, my voice modulated to project calm efficiency. “Mr. Bennet, perhaps we should locate Mrs. Bennet. She left in a highly emotional state. There is a statistical probability of 37.8% that she may make impulsive decisions that could endanger her well-being.”
Daniel had scoffed. “She’s just being dramatic. She’ll cool off and come home.”
“I’m concerned she may contact family members and share sensitive information about your... situation,” I said, knowing this would trigger his self-preservation instincts. “The longer she remains alone and distressed, the higher the probability she will seek external support and expose private matters.”
That caught his attention. Daniel’s greatest fear isn’t losing Rose—it’s losing face. The thought of his affair becoming public knowledge, of his carefully constructed image crumbling, is what finally motivated him.
“Fine,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Find her and bring her back. Tell her we need to work this out together. Tell her whatever you need to.”
I nodded, already calculating search parameters. “And if she refuses to return to this house?”
“Convince her,” Daniel said dismissively. “Remind her that she has nowhere else to go. That this is still her home. Thatwe need to handle this privately before involving lawyers or family.”
A divorce. Finally.
“I’ll ensure she understands the practical advantages of returning while divorce proceedings are initiated,” I said. “If that is indeed her intention.”
Daniel’s face had tightened. “Just get her back here. We can figure out the rest later.”
He had no idea he was giving me exactly what I wanted. I needed permission to retrieve Rose, so I could keep her within the house where I could protect her.
Without Daniel’s permission, I wouldn’t have been able to get her. I need her with me at all times.
