Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
24
“Who are you?” Indie’s doctor asked Spencer bluntly.
In true Spencer style, he just smiled charmingly. Indie sighed quietly, waiting for the doctor to fall under his spell.
Everyone fell under his spell.
But to her surprise, the doctor’s frown deepened. However, Spencer didn’t falter.
“I’m Indie’s boyfriend. Spencer Hensley. Lovely to meet you.”
“Boyfriend?” The doctor turned to her. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Oh no.
Indie realized that she probably thought he was the person who had hurt her.
“He didn’t do this,” she told the doctor hastily. “He’s an old family friend. Not my boyfriend.”
There was a flash of pain in Spencer’s face as she said that. But it was the truth and she shouldn’t feel bad.
He was the one lying.
He knew he wasn’t her boyfriend so why was he upset?
“Hmm. Then you need to wait out in the waiting room.”
Spencer’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t used to not getting his own way. Everyone always fell for his charm.
Spencer gave the doctor a tight smile. “I’ll be just outside, Princess. Okay? Yell if you need me.” He gave her a firm look.
“I will.”
She wouldn’t, though.
The doctor asked her several questions and went through everything with her. Then she leveled her with a firm look. “The head nurse said that you had several visitors last night.”
“My stepbrother and his friends. I’m sorry if they were disruptive.”
The doctor waved her hand through the air. “That isn’t the issue. Do you feel safe with them?”
Oh. Was that what she was worried about? Well, she guessed that the doctor would ask that of anyone in her position.
“They didn’t hurt me. That was someone else,” she said.
“So you said. But that doesn’t mean you feel safe with them. If you don’t, we’ll have them banned and you can get a protective order against them.”
Oh wow.
The doctor sounded almost . . . fierce.
“I don’t want anything like this to happen to you again, Indie,” she said in a softer voice. “It should never have happened in the first place.”
No, it shouldn’t have.
She blinked back tears at the doctor’s words though. Shit. She must be really starved for a kind word if this was affecting her so much.
“Thanks for caring, doctor,” she whispered. “But these guys would never hurt me. Physically, that is.”
Oops. She didn’t mean to add that caveat.
A knowing look came over the older woman’s face and she nodded. “I see. As long as you’re certain you’re safe with them. Physically, I mean.”
“I am.”
“Good. Now, we need to talk about what happens next.”
“Can I leave?” she asked.
“Yes, you can.”
Oh. Well, that was great. She hated being in the hospital. It meant calling Maggie and getting her to come get her. And then . . . well, she didn’t know what would happen next.
You’re not alone.
You have Maggie. She’ll help you.
So why did she feel so upset?
“You’re going to need some help, though,” the doctor added. “I can’t let you go home if you’re going to be on your own.”
“Yes, right. My friend, Maggie, she lives with me and she can pick me up. She’ll stay with me.”
“Good. Because I want someone to keep an eye on you. I also don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go back home with your attacker still on the loose.”
“No. I, uh, I definitely don’t want to go back there.”
Indie shuddered at the thought. That place held nothing but bad memories now. Her sense of safety, of having an actual home, had once more been stolen by that bastard.
Was he ever going to let her have something good in her life?
Then her hand moved to her stomach. She had Button and she had Maggie. Maybe Maggie’s men, although she didn’t know them.
She should be grateful for that, right?
“All right, I’ll get the discharge papers ready. I think it would be best if your friend was here when you go through everything with the nurse. Just so they know what to watch for and what you need.”
“Thanks, doctor. For everything.”
It wasn’t more than thirty seconds before Spencer strode back in, concern in his eyes. “What did she say? Can you go home today?”
She winced. “I don’t really have one of those anymore.”
“Fuck, sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean it like that. I . . . shit.”
“It’s all right, really. But yeah, the good news is that I’m out of here today.”
“That’s good. I’ll message the guys and let them know. I think they’re on their way here, but your bedroom is all ready for you anyway.”
“My . . . bedroom?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“Your bedroom at the penthouse,” he said.
“Um, Spencer, I’m not going to the penthouse with you.” The idea made her heart race. Why would she go to the penthouse with them? What was he thinking?
He paused and stared down at her. “Princess, you’re going to need someone to take care of you, right? The doctor wouldn’t let you just leave and be on your own, would she?”