In The Still of the Night [The Protectors 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (7 page)

Nearly an hour had passed, and he felt Jenna trembling in his arms. She moaned, and he instantly knew she was in pain.

“Hold on, Jenna. I’m going to go get you something for pain. Damn the time.” He rolled out of the bed on the opposite side and hurried down the hall to the kitchen.

He located the medicine and poured out two of the pain pills. She already had water by the bed, so he returned to the bedroom and helped her back up to swallow the pills. She coughed, and he worried he’d choked her with the water. Damn, coughing would make her headache worse. She seemed to get over it and indicated she wanted to lie back down. Once she was settled again, he kissed her cheek and pulled the chair up to hold her hand while he watched over her from the chair.

When her hand no longer gripped his, Riley knew she’d finally fallen back to sleep. Sleep was the best thing for her, too. He tucked her hand under the covers and went to see if Logan was back up or not. He left the door open so he could hear her if she called out. He needed to be doing something besides sitting on his ass watching her. It was killing him to see her in so much pain.

He found Logan in his office, working on the computer. The other man looked like he’d just had a round of good sex. And he probably had.

“Is Tina still asleep?” Riley asked.

“Yeah. What about Jenna?” Logan turned from the computer.

“Finally. I gave her something for pain. I couldn’t stand it any longer. She needs the rest.”

“You can’t be still, can you?” Logan grinned.

“Why the grin, asshole?” Riley was sure he didn’t want an answer to that question.

“Because you’re all knotted up over her, and I can laugh about it now.”

“Don’t bet on it. Nothing has changed how it has to be. I’ll be leaving once this bastard is out of her life.”

Logan frowned. “You’re just going to fuck her and leave? Just like that.”

“Stay out of it, Logan. She’s been through too much to get involved with someone like me.”

“That’s what you and I both said about Tina. You see how that worked out.”

“Yeah, well. Who knew she was as kinky as you are?” Riley growled.

“Riley, all I’m saying is give it a chance. Don’t run off the minute she’s safe.”

“What? And make it even harder for the both of us when that time comes? Because it is going to come.” Riley nearly shouted but caught himself.

“Damn it man, you love her. You can’t just give up ’cause you think you’re too rough for her. You’re branding her a coward, and she is most definitely not a coward,” Logan said through clinched teeth.

Riley drew in a deep breath through his nose and tried to calm down. Morgan was only trying to help, but he wasn’t doing him any favors by pushing him. He knew what his limits were, and they went way past where Jenna needed them to go. No, he had to keep his head about this. No more messing around with Jenna. She would only get hurt in the long run. Never mind that he would be, too.

* * * *

Light seeped in around the edges of the curtains and woke Jenna from a sound sleep. Her head felt better, only a dull throb now. Her body was an entirely different story. She ached all over, and her ribs were really sore. She turned over gingerly and found Riley sitting back in a chair with his socked feet resting on the bedrail. He looked to be asleep, but when she turned the rest of the way over, his head snapped up.

“You need something? More pain medicine?” he asked. He sat straighter in the chair now and leaned toward her.

“No. I’m fine. Well, better than I was anyway. I need to get up.” She desperately needed the bathroom.

“You don’t need to get out of bed too soon. Let’s wait until later in the day.” Riley stood up, hovering over her.

“No. I
need
to get up now. I have to go to the bathroom, Riley.”

“Oh.” He looked slightly uncomfortable. She would have grinned if it didn’t hurt so much.

Jenna pulled back the covers and attempted to sit up on her own. She couldn’t help the slight cry that escaped when she put pressure on her ribs and her hip. Riley was instantly there, helping her to sit the rest of the way up. It sure made it a lot easier to have help. She wasn’t sure her friend would have been able to deal with it. Riley was doing okay, she thought.

“Thanks, I need to stand up now.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll carry you.” He didn’t give her time to protest.

Suddenly she found herself in his arms, being carried down the hall to the bathroom. He opened the door with one hand and walked inside where he carefully put her down on the lid of the toilet.

“I can handle it from here,” she assured him.

“I’ll be right outside if you need help. You call me to come get you when you’re finished,” he admonished her.

Jenna took care of her needs and washed her hands at the sink. She looked into the mirror and grimaced then moaned at the pain that it caused. At least she could see out of her swollen eye now. It was actually a lot better than she thought it would be. She raised her shirt to look at the bruises on her ribs. They were a colorful combination of all the off colors of the rainbow, leaning heavily on the purples. She let the shirt drop and leaned against the sink with her head down. What was she going to do about Riley?

She knew in her heart she loved him. She had no doubt that he didn’t feel the same way. After all, he had been leaving when she got hurt. He had told her she couldn’t handle someone like him. Why not? What was there to handle? Why did she get the feeling he wasn’t being entirely honest with her? She sighed and turned around to open the door. She was surprised he hadn’t already knocked on the door.

Just as she opened the door, he had his hand up to knock. She would have laughed except he scowled at her.

“I told you to let me know when you were ready and I’d get you.” He swept her up in his arms before she had time to protest.

“I can walk, you know.”

“You’re not until you’ve had time to rest more.”

“Can I go to the living room and sit up for awhile? I’m sore from lying in bed so long.”

Riley seemed to think about it, pausing in mid stride. He nodded and turned toward the living room and settled her on the couch.

“I’ll go find a blanket or something to put over your feet. That is if Logan even has anything like that around here.” Riley left her sitting on the couch and disappeared into the kitchen.

Tina walked into the room and with a squeal, sat in a chair across from her.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. I’m not hurting as much now.”

“I’m surprised Riley let you out of bed,” Tina said.

“I thought I was going to have to beg him, but he relented,” Jenna admitted.

“How about something to eat?” she asked.

“That would be wonderful. I’m actually hungry.” Jenna’s stomach growled, and both women dissolved into laughter.

Jenna had to hold her hand across her ribs to keep from crying.

“What’s wrong?” Riley rushed over to the couch with a towel in his hands.

“Nothing. I was laughing, and it hurt.”

“Well, don’t laugh anymore. There’s nothing funny to laugh at right now anyway.” He settled the towel over her feet.

Tina looked at her, and she looked back. They both started laughing again at the sight of the towel around her feet. She had to give it to him. He’d found something to use.

“I’m going to fix her something to eat. Logan was talking to Morgan a minute ago on the phone. Why don’t you see what’s going on? I’ll see about Jenna.” Tina pushed at the big man to leave the room.

“If she needs me, you call.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll call you.” Tina rolled her lips inside her mouth and bit them.

Jenna fought to keep from smiling at the sight. She knew her friend had just gotten rid of him so he wouldn’t hover. He cared. She didn’t doubt that now, but she wished it went deeper than just caring.

“So, what would you like to eat?” Tina asked.

“Something easy. Maybe scrambled eggs since I wouldn’t have to chew a lot for that.”

“Oh, honey. I know it hurts. I’ll scramble them soft for you.” She walked out to the kitchen.

Jenna found herself nodding with her head back against the couch when Tina brought in a plate full of delicious-looking scrambled eggs.

“I put cheese in them, too,” she said. “I know how you like cheese and crackers. I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect.” Jenna took the plate and balanced it on her lap.

“Oh, and here is your antibiotic. Take two now, and then you’ll take one every eight hours.” Tina dropped two pills in her hand and sat a glass of OJ on the table next to her.

“Thanks. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here.” She swallowed the pills with the OJ and then took a bite of the eggs.

“No problem. I would have stayed with you, and that means Logan would have stayed and then Riley. Your place isn’t big enough for all of us. Now with Morgan and Tyler coming—”

Jenna cut her off. “What?”

“Morgan is bringing Tyler, another of their friends, to help with catching Gregg,” Tina explained.

“You’re kidding. He’s called for help? I need to leave, Tina. He is worried something is going to happen to you because of me.” Jenna sat the plate of eggs on the couch next to her and tried to get up.

“No you don’t. He’s bringing in help to keep you safe, you idiot. Riley insisted on it,” she explained. “If you don’t sit back down, I’m going to call for Riley, too.”

Jenna dropped back on the couch with a grunt. “I can’t believe this. I’m causing so much trouble.”

“No you’re not. Gregg is the problem. Let them catch him so he’ll never be a problem again. If they put him away this time, surely he’ll be gone a long time.”

“I don’t know what to believe about the law anymore. They weren’t a lot of help when he was out of prison before.” Jenna picked the plate back up and began eating again.

“I know. This time, though, you’ve got friends to help. Riley will make sure no one hurts you again,” Tina said.

Jenna only nodded and finished her eggs. She didn’t know what Riley could do about Gregg. Once he had his mind set on something, he didn’t give up. She held little doubt that Riley was the same way. He would die before he let anything happen to her again. She believed that in her heart.

Tina took her empty plate back to the kitchen, and she settled back against the couch to rest. Her aches and pains were annoying now. She couldn’t get comfortable anyway she moved. About the time she finally settled on the best of the worst positions, the door bell rang. Both Logan and Riley barreled out of the office toward the front door, cutting Tina off.

“I told you not to answer the damn door, Tina.” Logan growled.

“I was going to ask who it was first.”

“As long as Gregg is out there, you don’t answer the door. End of discussion.”

Riley made it to the door before Logan. Logan drew aside the curtain on the window next to the door and growled. “It’s the cops.”

Riley opened the door. The two officers who had been at the hospital earlier stood on the other side of the threshold.

“Officers.” Riley greeted them.