Kim
STARS FLICKERED BEHIND my eyes. I tried to open them, but pain forced to flee back into the darkness.
"Kimmie?" Knight’s deep voice called.
"I—" I groaned. Everything hurt.
"Sugar, you okay?"
He touched my arm and searing pain shot from my shoulder to my wrist. I cried out, "Stop!"
"Can you open your eyes, sweetheart?"
His voice sounded muddled to ... like he was speaking in slow motion.
"Talk to . What do you feel? What can I do to help you?" he asked.
"I don’t..." I couldn’t finish my thought because I couldn’t rember what he said. "What are you asking?"
"Sugar, open your eyes for ."
Heavy footsteps broke through my fuzziness and I shrank back in terror.
"Stop," Knight ordered in a whisper.
"Sorry, man," Flea said. "She okay?"
Despite whatever was covering , I couldn’t seem to stop shaking.
"I have a sleeping bag in my office," Knight said. "Get it for ."
"No problem."
The retreating sound of footsteps made relax again, but I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I’d never been this foggy.
"Kimmie, honey, I really need you to look at ."
Knight’s voice was urgent, so I tried to do as he asked... what did he ask?
"Baby, look at ."
I forced my eyes open and Knight’s concerned, but fuzzy, face ca into view.
He smiled. "Well, hey there, beautiful."
I was... what was the word? Freezing. Yes, freezing. "I’m so cold."
"I know, sugar. I’m gonna fix that in a second, but first I need to look you over."
I hissed in pain as he lifted sothing off my body. "Everything hurts."
"Can you be a bit more specific?"
"Pesific?" I slurred.
"Yeah, honey, what specifically hurts?"
"My arm, my chest, my head... everything."
He chuckled. "Okay, sugar. Everything. Got it. Now, don’t move."
Knight’s gentle hands ran over my body and I forced myself not to shrink from his touch. I closed my eyes, wanting to escape, but the pain was too much. I tried to swallow and gasped. "Throat."
"We’ll get you so water," he promised. "I don’t feel anything broken, so I’m going to help you up, okay?"
I gripped his arm. "No."
He leaned closer to . "We’re alone, honey."
"Mack’s going to kill ."
"Well, he’s not gonna do it right now. I made sure."
"I’m naked."
"I know, honey, you won’t be for long."
"Got the sleeping bag, Knight. She okay?"
I peered around Knight to see Flea, eyes down, holding a sleeping bag. I grimaced at the expression on his face... freaked was the only way to explain it. His cheeks were ruddy, he kept glancing at and then looking away just as quickly as though he couldn’t bear the sight of . I hid behind Knight again, unable to process Flea’s sudden disgust of . Knight reached out his hand and Flea chucked the fabric at him, obviously attempting to keep his distance.
"I’m gonna wrap this around you," Knight said.
"Okay."
Once I was swaddled in the sleeping bag, Knight lifted and I groaned as my chest settled against him. My breast stung at the contact. "Ow."
"I got you."
I settled my head on his shoulder and whispered, "Please don’t call Dani."
"I won’t, honey."
"Why are you calling ’honey’?"
He gave a sexy smile. "Trying to calm the feral beast?"
I tried to stifle a chortle, but his humor helped to calm in a weird way. One of the things I loved the most about Knight was that he’d always called "sugar." He might call other won "babe," or variations of it, but he saved sugar for and I loved it. What I wasn’t prepared for was "honey." In that mont I couldn’t quite decide which I loved more.
"I’m sorry," I whispered.
"Fuck, Kim, you got nothin’ to apologize for."
I closed my eyes. "Mack’s going to kill ."
Knight let out a low growl, but didn’t say anything further as he carried into the club and back to his office. Setting gently on his sofa, he pulled the blanket further around and stroked my cheek. "You’ve got a nasty cut on your chest, sugar. I’m gonna get sothing to clean and bandage it. Don’t move."
I nodded and lay down, my head pounding.
"Move the hell out of the way, Knight," Mack snapped a few minutes later.
I groaned, hearing the angry voice of my friend outside the door.
"You fuckin’ upset her, and we’re gonna have a problem," Knight warned.
I watched as Mack pushed through the door and knelt beside . "Hey."
"Hi," I whispered.
"You okay?"
"Yes." I forced myself not to sob, but I felt tears slip down my cheeks. "I was leaving, Mack. I swear. I was going to grab a cab when the guy attacked . I’m sorry. I should have waited for Pug. Are you mad at ?"
He stroked my hair. "No, babe."
I pressed my lips together. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, Kimmie, I’m sure." He gave a worried smile. "We’re dealing with the asshole, Dogs style. He won’t hurt you ever again."
My brain raced, reliving the attack. I lost my composure and burst into tears. I wanted to find out why he’d attacked and where he was, but I was too overwheld (and foggy), to think straight, much less talk. I just wanted my friend to hold and make everything better.
"Move away, Mack," Knight said.
"Knight, I swear to Christ, you need to fuck off." Mack pulled closer, cradling gently.
Knight swore and stord out of the office, returning quickly with a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. "Get dressed, Kim. I’m gonna take care of that cut and then Katie’s going to take so blood."
Katie Jason was Flea’s sister and a registered nurse. She occasionally helped out at the club for extra money and it was just my luck she was there tonight... said never.
"Why?" I challenged.
"To make sure you’re okay. After that, I’m gonna take you ho."
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