Page 70 of Shattered Veil
“Jillian, what the hell happened?” I ask.
“I rang the bell, and she wouldn’t let me inside. She asked me who I was and what I’m doing here.”
“I didn’t mention you were stopping by. Eoghan said Monday.”
“It sounded urgent.”
Panicking, I reach down to lift up Ella, still grasping my towel. “Jillian, turn the hell around.”
I let the towel fall and stark naked, I briskly carry Ella into the house and lay her on my sofa. With her settled, I snag a throw blanket and tie it around my waist.
Jillian comes in and closes the door. Holding the towel, she says, “Am I interrupting something?”
“Of course not. She works for me.”
“In your house. While you’re in the shower?”
“She’s a personal assistant. This is my house. I shower in my locked bathroom. I wasn’t bathing in the kitchen sink. I was upstairs and heard the doorbell.” Interrupting a killer jerk-off session imagining her gagging on my cock.
“Right.” Jillian nods. “She locked us out.”
“How?” I check Ella’s pulse but don’t know what I’m feeling for. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
I crouch down and feel that she’s still breathing.
“Did she throw up?” Jillian strokes her forehead, nudging her chin at a giant green splotch on Ella’s shirt. “Poor thing.”
“That’s my smoothie, I think. She doesn’t keep achange of clothes here.” I put that on the to-do list.
Heck, I’m ready to move her in. Her father makes my skin crawl, and I hate her living with him.Ifigured out who he is, so I’m sure others will, too. Someone dangerous who can show up at his apartment and hurt my Ella. Not to mention her fucking ex who’s out there with a badgeanda gun.
“Does she have a temperature?” Jillian asks. “Feel her forehead.”
“She’s a little warm.” I stroke both of Ella’s cheeks.
“Lay her on her back and raise her feet with a pillow to get the blood moving back toward her brain.”
“Ella, baby.” My body sears hot as I nudge her awake.
“I’ll get some ice for her head.” Jillian dashes off, her high heels clicking against my ceramic floors. “Maybe take that stained shirt off, if she feels a little warm.”
Shaking my head, I gently lift the stained T-shirt over Ella’s head, smiling at the cute lace trim camisole underneath that doesn’t appear wet or stained. I toss the shirt and lay her out on my sofa, tucking one of the pillows Shea bought under Ella’s feet.
Smoothing her hair, I stare down at her, worry and panic consuming me. But also, visceral possessiveness crawls through my veins.
“Here.” Jillian hands me a towel soaked in cold water and a bowl.
I don’t ask how she found everything.
Gently, I press the towel to Ella’s forehead.
“Ella, baby, open your eyes. Deep breaths, baby. Deep breaths. You’re okay. I’m here.”
She gasps awake and coughs, clutching me. Her nails digging into my skin wakes up something primal in me.
Mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN