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“Date or sleep together?”
A bitter laugh escaped me, then I flinched from her touch on my bruised and battered core. Gripping the comforter between my fingers, pain radiated over my body, stealing my breath.
Silent tears slipped down my cheeks. Finally, I answered between clenched teeth. “Either.”
Natalie finished the tests and offered her hand to help me sit up. “I know you’re sore, and there is some vaginal and anal tearing, which is to be expected. I have some Proctofoam that will stop the bleeding. Physically, you’ll feel better in a few days. If you ever need to talk, I’m always happy to get together for a drink. It helps when someone else has been through it and has resumed a normal life. Everything you share is confidential, of course.”
She removed her gloves, tossed them into a separate baggie, then dropped them into her purse. “As for your other question if I’d slept with Cole. I tried.” She grinned at me. “After Cole and Taco found me, and I had time to heal, I reached out to him. At first, I wanted to thank him for helping me, then it turned into something else. He’s smart, gorgeous, and funny.” She gave me a half-shrug. “I know I’m older, but hey, why not?”
I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, a lash of insecurity whipping my ass for a second. I’d certainly not seen the funny side of Cole—ever.
“Eventually, I asked him out. He shot me down, which hurt my pride a little, but I suspected there was someone else.” She picked her bag off the floor and hefted it onto her shoulder.
“Was there?” Secretly, I was relieved that she hadn’t slept with Cole. I couldn’t help but like Natalie, and it would have made me super uncomfortable when I saw her. I would have constantly questioned what Cole had done to her in bed and compared myself to her.
“When I asked him, he said the only girl for him was on his bike. We were having drinks at a bar, so I looked out the window and spotted his motorcycle. There wasn’t anyone on it. I just figured he was trying to let me down easy.” She gave me a slight shrug.
My heart skipped a beat. The face in the flames … He’d never answered me the other day. Standing, I grabbed Cole’s boxer briefs and stepped into them again. “I had blood and brain matter all over my clothes.” I wasn’t sure I should have mentioned those details, but she’d said everything was confidential.
“I assume from that statement he was shot in the head while you were nearby.” Natalie pulled her hair into a ponytail and wrapped it with a black band.
“Yeah.”
“That’s pretty traumatic, Shae. Maybe consider some counseling to help you deal with this. I realize the assault just happened, but think about it.” Natalie surprised me again and gave me a kind hug.
“Okay. Thank you.”
She stepped away. “I’ll contact you in a few days with the test results.”
“I really appreciate you coming here.” I nibbled on my thumbnail.
“You bet. If you want to hang, give me a call. Otherwise, I’ll see you the next time one of these guys is hurt.” She softly laughed, then opened the door.
Cole was at the end of the hall, staring at the bedroom when we finished. Worry lines creased his forehead as he hurried over to me. He didn’t ask any questions, just pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Thanks, doc. See you soon, I’m sure,” Cole said.
“Later.”
The men told her goodbye, then Taco watched her leave from the driveway. I guess the shitty day with Ibrahim had shaken everyone up, and they wanted to make sure we were safe from the bastard that was after Cole.
“Since I don’t have any shoes … I suspect they’re in whatever limo Ibrahim used.” I could feel the blood drain from my cheeks, the events punching me in the chest until I could barely breathe.
“Hey, it’s all good. The guys searched the limo and found them. I’m not sure who was driving, but no one else was around, so the car got wiped clean. It’s as if you were never there.”
Holy shit. I had my own crime cleaning crew.“Thank you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did …”
Cole cupped my chin and pinned me with an intense stare. “Stop. We did get to you in time. You’re safe.” He rubbed his thumb along my bottom lip, his gaze darkening with need. He dropped his hands, then placed one protectively against my lower back. Cole’s touch warmed me as he guided me down the hall and into the living room.
“Can we go outside?” I asked, searching him for any resistance.
“Sure. Let me get your shoes.” He scanned the area around him. “Taco, where are Shae’s shoes?”
Taco shoved his fingers through his hair and pointed at the front door where my tennis shoes were waiting for me. After I put them on, Cole and I walked outside. Crickets chirped, filling the early evening air with their song. Otherwise, it was peaceful and quiet. I took a deep, slow breath, overwhelmed with gratitude that I was alive.
Cole cleared his throat, and his attention swept over part of the property. I assumed he was checking to see if anything was out of place.
I lifted my face to the glow of the setting sun and closed my eyes for a moment. “We heard a noise right before you busted down the door. I thought it was Ibrahim’s boss. I’d told Ibrahim that you’d moved out last night and had no clue that I wasn’t home. His play to get to you through me wouldn’t work because I wasn’t sure when I would even see you again. He said since you’d left, I was disposable, but he would wait for his boss to arrive, then take care of me.” I shuddered and rubbed my arms, realizing I’d barely escaped death.
