Master for Tonight (21 page)

“Reese has feelers out for Evangeline. Yeah,
Reese, he’s like me. Much older and stronger than I am, though. I
asked him to watch over you for me. To protect you when I couldn’t.
Please don’t be mad at the tricks we had to play to get close. I
regret no part of it, and would do it again in an instant if need
be. I think he likes your friend, Mazzie.”

Kate’s fingers moved haltingly against his
chest until they were in between two buttons on his shirt. Her
fingertips touched his bare skin through the opening and rested
there. At her touch, he sucked in a breath.

“Does this mean you forgive me, beauty?” He
watched as her eyes rolled behind her eyelids, and he pulled one
open. It still wouldn’t track, but did focus somewhat. He let it
close. “Hey. Don’t push yourself in there too hard. Okay? I gave
you my blood already to aid in your healing. You’re going to make a
full recovery. I’m happy just being here with you. You don’t know
how much I missed you and wanted to be with you. I had to do some
repulsive things, but that’s over now. I would go through anything,
suffer anything, if it meant I would be with you afterward.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her.

“I love you. Do you hear me? This is it for
me. You’re the one. I’m going to win your heart. I promise you
again, just as I did in your shower. Do you remember being there
with me?”

Her finger tapped lightly against his
chest.

“Hey! Was that on purpose? Can you do it
again?”

His muscles tensed until she did. He
squeezed her, and decided to take it as a ‘yes.’

“Those memories were what got me through our
separation. Memories of us together.”

He kissed her closed eyes, wishing they
would open. Those beautiful green windows would show him what he
needed to know. She couldn’t mask them from him the way she did
with her words. They were no longer in rapid movement, but
still.

“I wish I knew what you were thinking right
now, beauty. I’m sure you have a lot to say to me, and I want to
hear it all.” He ventured another question. “Do you want me to put
you back in the bed?”

At the one tap of her finger, his heart
fell, interpreting her rejection of him.

Did I misread her this entire time? Hopeless
fool you are, Julian! Prattling on about your love for her when she
has no way to kick you out. To tell you she doesn’t want you
anymore.

Another slight tap, and his heart seized in
his chest again.

“Try again. I need to know. Do you not want
me to hold you? Do you want me to put you back in the bed?”

He held his breath as he waited, supporting
her neck against his shoulder.

Her response was slow, but clearer. Two taps
of her index finger a bit closer in time.

“That means ‘no,’ yeah?” Julian started to
allow himself hope.

She struggled to lift all the fingers of her
hand, managing to raise two before they fell against his chest.

Sheer joy exploded in him, and he settled
them again in the chair. She sighed against him. A few minutes
passed before it dawned on him, what she was trying to say.

“You want to lie together in the bed,
yeah?”

She signaled once.

“Seems I’m a bit slow tonight. Sorry.”

He gathered her in his arms, put her on the
side of the bed, tossed off his shoes, and climbed in beside her.
He turned on his side to both face her and give her more room. She
rolled into him when the mattress dipped. He shifted her to what he
thought was a more comfortable position, and propped up on his
elbow, with his head in his hand.

“Beauty, I know that was hard for you. Rest
now. Sleep. Your eyes are closed already, yeah? Why not? Your
Julian will hold you until I have to leave. I’m yours until you
tell me differently.”

Within minutes, her breathing slowed and he
knew she was asleep. He stretched his arm out beside his head and
held her with his other arm. Not the most comfortable position, but
he wasn’t complaining. He was with his woman, and she would be that
until she said otherwise.

This has to be good, right?

The hours ticked by, and Julian again lost
himself in the memories of him and Kate, and fantasies of their
future together. Evangeline would not stop their love. As soon as
Reese located her, he was putting Kate and Mazzie in a secure
location and ending her, once and for all. He was so lost in
thought of all the inventive ways he could destroy his Maker, he
didn’t hear the voices down the hall until they were right outside
the door.

“Mazzie, you can’t go in there right now,”
Nurse La’Rainne said.

“Why not?”

“Her sheets are being changed, and there’s
not a lot of room for them to maneuver. You know the drill. Go to
the waiting room for a few minutes.”

Quick thinking, Nurse. I knew you were
sharp.

“Okay. You’ll come get me when they’re
done?”

“Yep. Go on, now.”

Julian heard Mazzie’s steps recede, and got
up to put his shoes on. It was close to dawn, so he would have been
leaving soon, as it was.

The door opened, and the nurse poked her
head in.

“You heard that. She won’t wait long.”

“Yes, I did. Thank you. I’m leaving.”

When he kissed Kate, her arms rose and her
fingers tangled in his hair before falling to her sides again.

He spoke with lips close to hers. “Oh, Kate,
you’re killing me. I have to go, beauty. Your friend, Mazzie, is
here. As much as I want my secrecy in your life to end, Reese asked
me to wait until you are released from the hospital. I don’t know
why, but I have to respect his wishes. I suspect he thinks she’ll
make a scene. I love you. You know I’m returning to you, either
here or at your home, if you get released today.”

He backed away from her and saw the green he
had yearned for. He smiled when she revealed what he had hoped for
in their depths—happiness.

“Hey, there you are.”

He climbed on top of her, making sure to
keep the bulk of his weight lifted. He smoothed her hair away from
her face and looked away, letting her look him over without being
watched. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her eyes roam over
his face, hair, and neck, down to his necklace, and back. Looking
back at her, he cocked his head to the side and nuzzled his nose
against her neck, moving up to her face, across her lips, replacing
it with his mouth. He loved her at a leisurely pace. Neither
Mazzie, nor the sun, a concern any longer. His Kate was back. It
might take her a few days to get her muscle strength, but she was
alive and looking at him in pleasure.

“I knew you were real,” she rasped.

“Oh, I’m real, beautiful girl, and I’m going
to do very real things to you very soon.” His lips turned up in a
dirty smirk. “Very real things, and you’ll watch me do them to you
with those eyes I love. My favorite color.” He crushed his mouth
against hers, feeling her shiver at his touch. He only stopped at
the insistent knock at the door. “What can I get you, beauty?”

“Water.”

He went to get it, locking the door as he
passed. He held the back of her raised head and held the cup to her
lips as she drank.

“Thank you.” She motioned for him to sit by
her again and lifted her hand to rest on his cheek. “I don’t think
you’re weak, Julian.” Kate struggled to get her words out. Her
throat was sore from the lack of moisture for so many days.
“Strength is doing what you have to do…for those you care
about…even though you don’t like it.”

“I’m going to make things right. I swear it
on my life. I love you, Kate.”

“I’ll see you tonight?” Her chest rose and
fell quickly as she asked.

“Nothing could stop me.”

He kissed her hand, walked to the door, and
opened it. After glancing left and right, he looked back to see her
eyes roaming his body where he stood. He winked at her and
left.

“Mazzie! You can go in now,” the nurse
called out.

“Those don’t look like new sheets,” Mazzie
said as she walked into the room. “Nurse La’Rainne! Her eyes are
open! Get a doctor! Kate, you’re back! Can you speak? How do you
feel? Are you in pain? The flowers were for you? I saw them being
delivered. Who are they from? John?”

“Stop pestering her.” Nurse La’Rainne waved
her away from the bed. “Give her some room to breathe. She may be
awake, but she’s still weak. Go across the hall and get her some
ice chips.” The nurse went about checking Kate’s vitals. “I’ve
buzzed the doctor. You’re a lucky girl, Ms. Collins. Most patients
don’t recover from injuries this severe. Do you remember what
happened?”

“No.” Her voice cracked.

“You don’t remember any animal or person
attacking you?” The nurse peered at her over her glasses, which sat
at the bridge of her nose.

“No.” Her tongue was thick and cottony. She
didn’t want to talk anymore.

“Probably for the best, then.”

The doctor and phlebotomist came into the
room at the same time.

“You’re up. Quite the recovery, you’ve
made.” The doctor stared at her. “When you came in, we didn’t know
for sure if you’d survive. The lacerations you had… And there were
some oddities in your blood we couldn’t identify. They were gone
the day after you were admitted, and then back again yesterday. We
need to check it again.”

The phlebotomist already had a needle in her
vein, and she watched as the tube filled with her dark red
blood.

“Let’s get it tested on a rush basis.”

“Yes, doctor. I’ll bring you the results as
soon as I have them.” She dropped the tube in the tray and
left.

“I’ve never seen x-rays come back so
incorrectly, either. Your ribs were broken, according to the
screens. How do they feel, Ms. Collins?” He pressed against her
side lightly.

“Ow!” She replied, flinching and faking her
pain. She scrunched her face. “It hurts.”

“Hmm.” He backed away and made a few marks
on her chart before sliding it back into the plastic slot on the
door. “The nurses said you have no memory of how you got hurt. Is
that correct?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve tried to remember, but I
don’t. All I remember is waking up here. Thank you for everything
you and your staff have done for me.”

Kate continued to insist throughout the day
she had no memory of the events to the police, doctors, nurses, and
anyone else who asked, although she remembered it in vivid detail.
She would never forget the woman’s face or the words she’d
said.

Hours later, her blood tests came back
clean.

At her insistence, she was released from the
hospital later that day with prescriptions for pain and blood
thinners to prevent clotting.

“Thanks, John, for coming at such short
notice. Appreciate your help getting her inside,” Mazzie said.

“Oh, no problem! I’d do anything for Kate.
Anything.” He carried her inside her house and placed her on the
couch. “You know that, right, Kate?”

“John, I need water, please,” Kate said, and
he hurried off to her kitchen. After he was out of earshot, she
turned to her friend. “Mazzie, get rid of him. I don’t want him in
my house.”

“Kate, that’s kind of rude, don’t you think?
He’s a nice guy. He came all this way to help you.” She tossed her
purse onto the chair and unwound the knit scarf around her
neck.

“Please, Mazzie. I’m too tired to
argue.”

“Okay. Okay.”

“There you go, Kate. Do you want me to hold
the glass for you?” John held it to her lips, and she shook her
head. Her eyes told Mazzie to take over and get him out.

“John, I think she needs to rest. I’ve got
it now. Thanks again for your help.” Mazzie opened the front
door.

“I can stay as a long as you need. What if
you need help moving her again?”

“We’ll manage. Look, she’s already
asleep.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Kate heard their footsteps and the front
door close.

“You can stop faking now.”

Kate struggled, pushing herself back up
until she sat straight on the couch again.

“I don’t want him around anymore. He gives
me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Oh, he’s a nice enough guy. He’s got it in
a bad way for you. That’s for sure. Do you want to lie down and
sleep? What do you need?”

“I don’t think I’ll sleep for a week. Can
you help me with the glass? I’m scared I’ll drop it.”

After Mazzie helped her drink some water,
Kate said, “Sit down. We need to talk.”

“Yeah, we do. I’m really sorry about what I
said to you. Do you forgive me?

“You were tired of it all. I understand. I
just couldn’t snap out of it. There’s nothing to forgive you
for.”

Kate put her arms around Mazzie and they
held each other until Mazzie pulled back. “Hey, do the letters J, L
and N mean anything to you?”

“Yes.” Kate took a deep breath and Mazzie’s
hand. “I have my memories now. He gave them back to me.”

“What do you mean, ‘he gave them back’? Who
gave them back?”

“I need you to listen to me and believe what
I tell you this time. I’m going to sound crazy again, but I’m not.
There’s a reason why I healed so quickly. I don’t need the pain
pills or the blood thinners. Just listen to me and don’t say
anything until I’m done.”

As Kate told Mazzie the events of the past
two nights, her eyes grew wide and she checked Kate for fever.

“Stop that!” Kate pushed at the hand on her
forehead. “I’m telling you the truth. You’ll see when Julian comes
over tonight.”

“He’s coming here tonight?”

“Yes, he said he was. Did you let Reese know
I’m out of the hospital?”

“Yeah, I texted him earlier. Haven’t heard
back from him yet, though.”

“You two were pretty chummy before I got
hurt. You still think he’s gay?”

Mazzie snorted and took a drink of Kate’s
water.