Bailey: Independence #1 (42 page)

“I won’t believe it for a few weeks, Bailey, so don’t try convincing me differently.”

“Weeks?”

He laughed this time. The high little squeak in her voice, the wide eyes that told him she’d be pushing every limit out there as far as her recovery was concerned. He’d never been happier to have a pool and hot tub for her to recuperate in.

“The nurse said you might need the bathroom,” he lowered the side of the bed and looked at the wires and IV drip going to her hand.

“I…you…oh, hell no.” Bailey shook the last bit of fog from her brain and glared. “There’s a call button for a girl nurse who can help me. You…you need to…to be…” she flipped her free hand up and waved it off to the entrance to the room. “Somewhere else. We are not anywhere close to bathroom duties in our…this…”

He leaned in until their noses touched and waited.

She swallowed hard and her eyes got impossibly large.

“It’s called a relationship. We have a relationship. We are a couple. You are my friend and my lover,” Gabriel stated each sentence slowly and succinctly, waiting in between only long enough for her to nod. “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t give a flying fuck what people walking the company halls think of who I choose to have in my life. Have I made that abundantly clear? Forget that other crap about it just being about the play and sex. I was an idiot and I’m past it. You are the woman I want in my life and in my bed…and unless you intend to tell me I’m wrong in that assessment…”

Then her lips started to quiver and she started crying.

Now didn’t that make him feel good. Gabriel carefully collected her against him, one hand gently surrounding her back while the other held her head against his shoulder.

“That wasn’t what I expected.” He stroked his palm over the mass of red hair, his lips next to her temple.

Sheila came around the open door, relieved at the sight and clearing her throat to let them know she was there.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. But I need to remove the IV and leads so you can go to the restroom.” She eased around the left side, lifting a box of tissues from the cabinet next to the bed and laying them over Bailey’s legs. “I wondered when the emotions of the event would catch up with her. But it looks like she’s in good hands.”

She worked quietly, glancing up at Gabriel and gesturing for him to lay Bailey back on the bed’s surface. Sheila had the IV removed and let him hold the thick gauze pad over the entry spot, lifting it above Bailey’s head.

“I didn’t mean to cry. I’m okay,” Bailey told them both with a sniffle, several tissues crushed inside her good hand. “I got me all over your shirt.”

“I doubt a few tears are going to make a big difference at this point.” Gabriel brought Bailey’s hand down and let Sheila finish setting the bandage. He waited until she had the monitors and IV stand collected and left them alone. “Bathroom?”

She nodded, sighing. “I can probably manage…”

“To be quiet and accept help like a good girl,” Gabriel finished the attempted evasion. “Listening to you pee isn’t going to change how I feel about you, Bailey. Deal with it. If you can strut behind me wearing one of those sexy corsets in the club, this should be a slice for you.”

“Every time I think I couldn’t possibly get myself into a more embarrassing situation, I amaze myself,” she said, pulling in a long breath and letting his strength help her to sit up. She felt the bandages and looked down at her chest and then up to see him waiting patiently. “Did you see the hole?”

“You had clothes on when I got to you,” he answered softly. “All I saw was the blood.” His fingers shook when he stroked them lightly over the side of her face. “I couldn’t get it to stop. Then you talked to me and before I could answer you, you passed out. If Tre hadn’t been there with the Lieutenant…”

“I’m okay, Gabriel. I heal quickly,” she tried assuring him, her hands around the thick wrists as she sidled to the edge of the high bed. “I think I had hoped I could grab her hand with both of mine…and shove it aside. I didn’t mean to get shot…it was weird…it didn’t hurt. Not right away…then I kind of started floating. I heard you and the others around you. I saw Colin and heard the doctor talking to the paramedics…I’m sorry,” she said softly, raising one hand to his face and using her thumb to swipe the tear that had eased free. “I really need to pee…seriously…”

Gabriel kept his hands away from the thick gauze on her left side.

“Put your hands around my neck and use me to ease to the floor, Bailey,” he said with a soft laugh. “I can’t lift you because of the angle of the bullet.”

“Did it go out the other side?” She tried straining to look behind her but only saw the back of the smock. A smock that barely came to the end of her panties. She really should be used to being half naked by now.

“It did. Which helped you lose too much blood too fast,” he told her, her head nodding where it rested against his shoulder. He swept one hand beneath her knees and lifted her against him. “I’ll lower you just next to the toilet and discretely step out if you promise to call me. If you try walking yet, I swear…”

“I promise,” she answered immediately, counting the steps into the bathroom and waiting a scant second before his back was turned and she was sitting down. Relief made her sigh, her temple against the cool tiles at her side.

“Bailey?”

She knew it would be useless to even try and deny him the need to care for her right now and she really didn’t have a lot of fight in her at the moment. She sighed and lifted her head, managed to stand up, flush and pull her panties into place. Thankfully, the sink was an arm length away.

“I’m good…almost…just need…” she jumped when the door was pulled wide in time to see her clinging to the edge of the sink with both hands. “Gabriel!”

“Put it away, Bailey,” he ordered instantly, his hands out and adjusting the water for her. “Wash and back into bed.”

She did as ordered but stared into the mirror. “I want to see.”

“No, Bailey, you do not. Not right now,” before she could protest, he had her right side against him and striding back into the hospital room. “Give it a couple days to heal and close up. I’m going to go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. You’ve got a lot of strength and blood to rebuild.”

“You’re very nurturing and sweet,” she said as he arranged the blankets around her, her eyes watering when he pulled the slim leather out of his pocket, showing her he had it. “They wouldn’t let me keep it on. I kept waking up…”

“Tre said you were a difficult patient.” He tucked the leather back into his pocket before leaning over and kissing her. “Stay here, Bailey. I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, Sir,” she offered with a little smile.

Gabriel Garrett didn’t give a second thought to his appearance or the people staring occasionally as he made his selection in the cafeteria. He paid and was heading back when he saw Tre leaving the hospital room.

“She’s asleep. Not surprising.” Tre looked him over. “Little chance of you going home and getting a shower and some rest, huh?”

“Colin’s covering the club for me, with Jeremy’s help,” Gabriel said without answering the question. “I’ve sent a text to my admin and she’s covering things at the office as well as notifying Bailey’s friends that she’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Tre chuckled, clapped him on the shoulder and headed toward the front. “I’ll check in tomorrow morning and see how she’s doing.”

“Thanks, Tre.” Gabriel moved silently into the room, the tray of food he’d brought with him set on the nightstand. He’d found a bottle of the soy chocolate stuff she drank as well as a carefully wrapped sandwich and a bowl of fruit.

“Hi,” Bailey blinked and offered a drowsy grin. “I shouldn’t be tired. It’s barely dark outside.”

“I think you left a good part of your blood on the floor of the club, pet,” he shook his head, running one palm over her temple.

“It’s big enough for you to lay down, too,” she winced as she hitched herself to the side, groaning at the ache that tore through her. Using her hands instead of her body, she pushed herself against the left rail and turned to face him.

“Bailey, I’m covered in…” but the look on her face, the wide hopeful eyes ripped right through him. “Alright,” Gabriel opened the buttons down the front of his shirt and stripped it off, leaving it lying on the chair behind him. The jeans weren’t too bad and would have to do for tonight.

His sub needed him.

His woman needed him, he amended firmly.

He slid onto the surface of the bed, carefully waiting while she positioned herself against him.

She was still far too pale and it presented him with the illusion that she was frail, almost delicate. He was afraid to close his arm too tightly around her until she pulled on his hand and snuggled against him with a low groan.

“Bailey…”

“I’m okay,” she lied, leveling off her breathing as the pain in her side subsided.

“You get beat for lying to me, pet.”

“I figured I have a few days before I’m in really bad trouble again.”

“Oh, a few days at least,” he agreed, knowing it would be longer than that.

Slowly the tension seemed to ease from him, the warmth in her palm as she hugged him soothing the mixed bundle of emotions that had been controlling him for most of the day. With night settling around them, he pulled another blanket over her and closed his eyes.

Bailey drifted through the next twelve hours. She knew nurses and the doctor had been back a few times. She knew she moved as close to Gabriel as possible because she was suddenly really cold.

Before noon, she managed to walk to the bathroom and back several times listening to Gabriel growl at her from behind when she growled back and told him to stay. He really hated that, she mused as she managed a light sink wash before returning to the bed. She wasn’t sure when he had disappeared long enough to change clothing and bring a few things from home. But she was really grateful for her own nightie and a pair of little socks and clean panties.

Natalie Templeton sauntered into the room shortly before one on Saturday afternoon. It had been a very busy twenty-four hours. She paused at the door, studying the scene before her.

Bailey sat in the center of the bed, facing away from him with the blankets pulled around her tautly. Gabriel had the metal chair leaned back on two legs, a book open on his lap and eyes focused on the print.

“Don’t you two look all cozy,” she said cautiously.

“She’s pissed because your husband won’t let her go home until at least tomorrow,” Gabriel said without looking up from his book. “And I shackled her.”

“I…” Natalie wasn’t sure of the appropriate response to that one. “You’re not serious,” she said slowly, biting her lip when Bailey held up her right arm from beneath the blankets. Her wrist now sported a fleece lined cuff with a short chain attached to the lowered railing on the bed. “Well. I honestly don’t have a response to that.”

“You could tell him this is imprisonment.” Bailey scowled at her.

“Then I’d have to implicate my husband and I’m thinking that won’t end well for me,” Natalie laughed and pulled another chair from the corner, turned it and straddled the padded seat. “I’ve come to impart information we’ve gathered. I thought you deserve to know what we’ve found.”

“Information about…am I in trouble because of Janelle?” Bailey felt the lunch she ate suddenly quake in her stomach.

“Absolutely not,” Natalie answered instantly. “Between the phone recording and the excellent video coverage of the club, it’s pretty much a lock. We’ve gone through both apartments, office spaces and personal effects. My ex-partner has been sent to a facility on the other side of the state for observation and incarceration until she’s deemed competent to stand trial.”

“Gabriel said you have my phone. I’m glad it helped. They…it was all about revenge for…” Bailey sighed, her head shaking. “I guess I don’t get the urge for that kind of behavior. They killed innocent people…and didn’t seem to care.”

“I’m not sure either one of them is what we’d call stable,” Natalie said quietly. “I had Fields on admin leave because when I started back-tracking her transfer, things weren’t quite as up-front as they appeared at first glance. She transferred from San Francisco where she had been living with her sister. Seems her sister was involved with a pretty high end BDSM club. However, her choice wasn’t…it definitely was not limited to lined, soft cuffs…” she searched for the right words, looking at Gabriel as he set his book aside and moved to sit behind Bailey on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest.

“Making a guess at your expression, her sister liked the pain aspect of BDSM, which made her a masochist.” Gabriel said confidently, enjoying his redhead snuggled back against him. Somehow she’d managed to wash her hair and confine it into a taut coil at the back of her head and the scent of the drying shampoo filled his senses along with the natural scent that was hers. It filled a place inside him that he never realized had been lacking. Somehow she’d managed to reach him with a very single emotion on the scale in ways he never thought possible.

“Yes. She was a sub, but on the pain end. Several people testified to that after her death. It was logged as death by misadventure. The guy she was with, though, never came forward and no one knew his name to give police. Casey was livid. Three weeks later, the owner of the club was found dead in his very expensive home. No witnesses and it looked like an accident,” Natalie let her arms dangle over the back of the chair. “She found people in various positions and used them, blackmailed them, and got the transfer she wanted out of California. She met Janelle in your club,” her gaze shifted to Bailey. “She was casing it for her next victim. You.”