Page 6 of The Packaged Deal
“Yes, he’s bringing Detective Montford and Hazel with him.”
I hesitate, trying to think of who Detective Montford is, but my brain is still muddled and confused.
“Okay,” I whisper under my breath.
“We need to get you down to the other room. I don't allow men back here, typically, but Doctor Shultz is the exception.”
I try to sit up, but after thirty seconds, I lay back, panting. Fran nods to herself as if she expected it.
“Just as I thought,” she mutters. “Wait for a moment. I'll get some help.”
The world spins a bit, and I have to fight the urge to vomit. The door opens a while later and two women come in.
“Hi, Jo. This is my boss Julia Lathem. She runs the Omega Refuge. And this is one of our long-term residents, Silver Davies.”
Julia is a beta, I think, but Silver is an omega, and when she gets close, she smiles softly.
“Hey, I’ve got a wheelchair just outside the door. If you’ll allow us to, we can get you in it in a jiffy and wheel you down for your meeting.”
She brushes her long black hair behind her ears and smiles with gentle enthusiasm. I don’t think she remembers me.
I don’t want to remind her.
“Thanks,” I mutter.
She gets an arm around me and hoists me up. Pain lances through me, turning the world white. My knees buckle, but Julia gets in on the other side, and the two of them drag me to the wheelchair and get me settled in it before I can even groan.
Sweat runs down the side of my face, but Fran gets a wet cloth and dabs at it.
“You’ll be okay. Just a quick meeting, some x-rays, and you can sleep,” she says in a tone that reminds me of how cold and lonely my life has been. I want to lean into her safety. My mother never was this kind.
I force a smile and whisper my thanks.
After a dozen or so short turns in a maze-like corridor, I find myself sitting alone in the empty room. There aren’t even any chairs. Nothing about this square box encourages conversation. Ten minutes pass before there’s a knock on the door. The man I have vague memories of last night comes in. He looks tired, but more than that, his face is just as handsome as I dreamed. His eyes are deep blue, his hair is jet black and sits back in a slight wave. He’s tall and handsome, and my heart thuds hard.
Why does he have to come into my life now? Where was he before? I lift a hand self-consciously to my jaw and wince at the pain. My stomach flutters and then drops out because he’s perfect, and I'm this swollen, suffering mess. It’s enough to make a girl bawl.
He, of course, notices my wince and comes straight to my side.
“Hey, Jo. How are you this morning?”
I peer at him stupidly. His voice is deep and growly, and it’s, like, the most attractive sound I’ve ever heard. It takes a moment to realise I can’t tear my eyes off him, and he’s barely even looking at me.
There are more people filing into the room, and when I look up, my breath catches again. The man in front of me is as stunningly attractive as the doctor, but he appears far more dangerous.
Except, as my shock fades, he’s still staring at me like I'm the threat. I glance at the doctor in concern. He mutters something and peeks under a bandage.
“I'm not happy with this one. We’ll get the x-rays done after this meeting.”
I shake my head, trying to focus on his words, but I'm just dazzled by the light that is this man. I can’t focus on anything when he’s touching me, running his fingers along the inside of my wrist.
“I'll come with you. I'm going to get them to check this rib, too. Hmm, yes, I don't like the colour I saw last night, and it doesn’t look much better.”
I didn’t even notice him pulling up my top to check my ribs. I was too busy memorizing the shape of his jaw and the colour of his hair.
I glance back at the other man. His hair is shaved off, he’s got stubble on his jaw, and stunning hazel eyes that look straight through me. He’s tall, with muscles on muscles. He’s everything my mother would hate.
“Hey, hold up! Silver, wait.”