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"I’m glad I’m living up to my reputation."
"Also,"—her brow furrows—"how do you have your phone with you?"
"How do you have yours with you?"
Her lips curve, and god, her smile is so beautiful, so bewitching, so everything. I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss her fingertips.
Her phone buzzes. She reaches for it, but I get to her bag first. I hold it up and out of her reach.
"Hey, gimme my phone."
"Not until the doc has checked you out and pronounced you okay."
"I really am okay, Hunter." She says softly.
"Let the doc give you a clean bill of health."
She looks between my eyes, then blows out a breath. "Fine, if he says I’m okay, then I walk out of here, on my own steam, and you don’t follow me."
"No fucking way. You came with me, and I’ll drop you back home."
"Let your chauffeur drop me off, but I’ll ride alone. After all the speculation that is, no doubt, circulating amongst the guests, it’s the least we can do to ensure no other gossip spreads."
"I don’t fucking care what people say."
"But I do. I care about your campaign. I want to see you elected, Hunter."
I set my jaw, then take in the expression on her features. They mirror the stubbornness that is my hallmark, and which I’m recognizing is also second nature to her. "You’re not budging on this, are you?"
* * *
"So, she’s okay then?" JJ leans over and tops up my glass of whiskey. When he offers the bottle to Sinclair, he refuses. As does Michael. Both men are not drinking for the duration that their wives are still nursing.
"She seemed fine when I dropped her home, but I don’t understand why she didn’t allow me to be in the room when the doctor examined her." I peer into the depths of my glass. Cade had reached Weston, who’d turned up in the next ten minutes. At which point, Zara insisted I leave. I refused and she grew increasingly agitated. Weston pulled me aside and told me it was best to respect her wishes. I didn’t want her to get more stressed—her health is of paramount importance—so I removed myself from the room.
I paced outside for the half-hour it took for the doctor to complete the examination. Cade watched me with curiosity on his features, but he didn’t ask me any further questions about my relationship with his sister. Thank fuck. Meanwhile, her phone vibrated non-stop, as did mine. I refused to look at either of the screens. Truth is, I wasn’t able to focus on anything, until Weston finally came out of the room. He had a strange look on his face, and for a second, my stomach plummeted to my toes. Then he smiled and reassured me that she was fine. Maybe a little exhausted. Nothing that a good night’s sleep wouldn’t cure.
The tension drained out of my shoulders and I felt faint. Only then, did I realize how overwrought I’d been about her condition. Somewhat reassured, I thanked him and walked into the room to find her on her feet. Adamant woman insisted she was fine. She then told me I needed to tell my chauffeur to drop her home. I was having none of it.
No way, was I letting her be driven back on her own. Much to her consternation, I told her I was breaking my word and driving back with her. Cade supported me, and it was both of us against her, so she finally backed down.
I had the car come around to the back door so we could get in without any prying eyes. Then I took her to her apartment, insisted on seeing her up, and tucked her into bed. By then, she was so exhausted, she didn’t protest. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. I covered her up and placed her phone—after putting it on silent—next to her bed. I stayed there watching over her until the wee hours of this morning, then I came home and put in a full day's work, before arriving at the 7A Club. I walked into the private room which has become the unofficial meeting place for me and the rest of the Seven, as well as the Sovranos, and those known to us.
"You respected her privacy and left the room when the doctor examined her? I’m assuming you have eyes on her." Michael tips his chin in my direction.
"I’m running for office. I need to uphold the highest levels of ethics" —I glance between the faces of my friends— "but when it comes to her, there are no rules. I’ll do anything to ensure she’s safe. Even if it means protecting her from herself."
"So, you have eyes on her." Michael nods.
"On her phone, her laptop, in her house." And now, I’ll finally find out why she kept evading the investigator I had on her. Y-e-p, that’s me, wading out into the morally gray area.
While Zara slept, I called in Axel Sovrano and his security team. Axel is Michael’s younger brother. An ex-cop, he now runs an agency and can be counted on for discretion. I explained what I needed, and he obliged. His team moved in within the hour and put the security measures in place.
After the team left, I brewed a fresh pot of coffee for Zara, and left a plate of breakfast for her. Woman needs to eat to keep up her strength, after all. Only then, did I leave.
"You do realize, this doesn’t bode well for you? What you did is bound to come out, at some point. And when it does, she’s going to be pissed." Sinclair drums his fingers on the arm of his chair.
"That’s a bridge I’ll have to cross when I get to it."
