“Of course. But Hunter, what happened?”
I don’t answer her question. Instead, I hang up right as the last syllable comes out of her mouth. Explaining to Leah what happened will take too much time and effort, and right now, I’m more focused on making sure I take care of Meg. I look over at her and see her resting her head back now. I can tell that she feels relaxed compared to how she was when I first found her, and I’m relieved that she’s not more severely injured.
“He was there when I came home,” she says, her voice just above a whisper. I want to tell her she doesn’t need to explain anything to me right now, but I don’t. I let her talk. “He hit me in the head with something.”
“It was probably his fucking cane,” I say, the spot on my head where the bastard hit me still smarting.
“And then…when I opened my eyes again, I was tied to the chair. I don’t even know how long I was there.” She shakes her head slowly and then rests it back again.
“It doesn’t matter now, baby,” I tell her, reaching over to squeeze her knee. “You’re safe now. I’ll make sure you’re safe from now on.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I know she’s exhausted, so I let her rest.
Stopping at a red light, I let my mind wander. The money—that’s the money that Jonathan stole from me. The bastard. How the hell did he get it hidden in the floor of that apartment? And why is it in bearer bonds? I may never know the answers to those questions.
We arrive at my place, and I see Ethan pulling in right behind us, which is good because I don’t want Meg walking anymore. I scoop her up into my arms, and she doesn’t protest. “Grab the bag,” I tell Ethan, nodding toward the backseat.
He gets it, and the three of us go into a private entrance. The others go on about their day like nothing happened.
I carry Meg to my bed and gently lay her down. Immediately, she seems to melt into the pillows. “There we go,” I say, smoothing her hair back. “You’re safe.”
She smiles up at me, but before she can speak, I hear Ethan talking to someone. “She’s in here,” he says, leading Dr. Taylor to my bedroom.
“Well, what seems to be the trouble?” the older gentleman asks. He’s carrying a large, black medical bag, and I know he’s got all kinds of equipment in it to fix a variety of ailments.
“Just check her over,” I tell him. “Especially her head.”
“Yes, yes!” he says and sits down next to Meg on the bed.
I do my best to stay back, to let the man do his work, and not to hover as he asks Meg a few questions about what hurts. She answers, and he does the regular doctor stuff, like listening to her heart and checking her blood pressure.
“Thanks for getting there so fast,” I tell Ethan, clapping him on the shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“I hardly have a scratch on me,” he says with a crooked smirk. “You know I’m always up for a little shootout. You gonna have the doc look at that gash in your skull?”
“Fuck no,” I tell him. “I’m fine.”
“Looks kinda nasty,” he says. “You’ve got blood on your shirt.”
“I’m fine!” I say, stepping away. “Why don’t you go get back to work?”
“Fine,” he says, shaking his head. “You sure are a mean boss.” He grins at me again and then heads out just about the time the doctor stands up and looks in my direction.
“She’ll be just fine in a day or two,” he says with a reassuring smile. “Just make sure she rests. Plenty of fluids for the slight dehydration and some over-the-counter pain medication for any discomfort.”
“Really?” I ask, shocked that it’s nothing more serious. I am also relieved, though. “Does she have a concussion?”
“No, no, just that nasty gash in the side of her head. I cleaned it up and put in a couple of stitches. They’ll dissolve in a week or so, and then she’ll be back to normal. Now, you, on the other hand, Mr. Stone…” he says, looking at my head.
“I’m fine. Thanks, Doc. You know how to see yourself out, right?”
He chuckles at me and pats my arm as he heads out the door. My eyes lock on Meg, and I am about to go to her, to tell her what I wanted to tell her before, but before I can, Leah comes storming into the apartment. “What the fuck happened?” she asks me, one of her eyes slightly narrowed, which is how she always looks when she’s mad.
“Mr. Nyx happened,” I reply. “He had Meg tied up and was tearing her apartment up.”
“What? Why?” Leah asks.
“Because he was looking for this,” I tell her, gesturing at the duffle bag full of bearer bonds that Ethan carried in for me. It’s currently on my kitchen counter.