He walks back into the hospital room, holding the door open for his aunt who pushes a wheelchair in. I cringe, knowing there is no way I can get out of riding in it out to the car. She has already told me not to even bother to try; hospital policy is gospel. I put up a token argument, but I am still so sore and weak from lying in a bed for a week, that I’m more than happy to accept a ride to the parking lot.

“Ready to roll, Lia?” She smiles when she brings the chair to a stop in front of me. She and I have bonded during my stay here, and I will miss seeing her each day. She has assured me that she will visit soon. She made me feel very much like a part of their small family for which I am touched and grateful.

“God, yes,” I sigh, mostly meaning it. I’m tired of staring at the small walls of the room but am a little nervous about leaving somewhere that has felt safe to me. The hospital is so busy, but there was always someone in and out of my room. I know Lucian has to return to work. He might own the company, but eventually he’ll need to get back to his life. I am amazed that, true to his word, he never left the hospital during my stay. Other than what I suspect was his smoking time, he stayed in the room with me. Sam dropped off food for us so we weren’t completely dependent upon hospital food. I found I had very little appetite yet, so mine was mostly wasted.

“Come on, baby, let’s go home,” Lucian says as he holds my arm to help me into the wheelchair. I know he would rather just carry me to the car, but he’s playing by the rules to make his aunt happy. He drops a kiss on my forehead. “Sam’s waiting on us at the curb so we don’t have far to go.”

His aunt wheels me through the hallways, and I wave shyly to a few of my regular nurses who I have come to know. I suspect I received more visits from the nursing staff than most patients do for two reasons. One, because of Fae, and two, because of the ‘wow factor’ that is Lucian. They literally melted at his feet when he showed them any attention. I just rolled my eyes as they swooned. I secretly wondered, though, if I act in a similar fashion. He is so effortlessly sexy and charismatic that it’s almost impossible to be immune to him. I would have thought their behavior around me would have been awkward, due to the nature and cause of my injuries, but instead, after the initial shock had worn off, I was more like a visiting celebrity. I knew this was solely due to Luc’s presence and his gentle care of me.

Sam is standing on the sidewalk beaming when we come through the doorway. He walks forward, dropping on a knee to take my hands in his. “Miss Lia, I’m thrilled to be taking you home today. We’ve been so worried about you.”

I tear up at the sincerity in his voice. In such a short time, I have grown so fond of the man in front of me. “Thank you, Sam,” I whisper. “I’ve missed your smile.” Even though I argue against using Lucian’s car when he insists, I always enjoy being around Sam. Spending time with him somehow makes me feel closer to Lucian. Just knowing that he knows most everything about the man I have become so attached to is nothing short of intriguing. I try not to pick him for information, but he says things in passing about Lucian as a child or teenager and I find myself hanging on his every word.

As Lucian helps me to my feet, his aunt walks up to me, taking me into her arms. “Call me if you need anything, even just to talk,” she says low enough that only she and I hear. She hadn’t been happy with Lucian for asking me to hold off on the medication she had talked with me about. I understand that she’s trying to tell me without saying the words to let her know if I can’t cope on my own. I nod my agreement before thanking her for everything she has done.

Lucian settles me in one side of the Mercedes, closing the door carefully behind me before walking around to the other door and getting in. He surprises me by pulling me onto his lap and belting us both in together. “Okay?” he asks, looking at me searchingly.

“Yes,” I answer honestly, glad to be in his arms where the rest of the world always seems to fall away.

He releases a breath before easing me closer, until my head is tucked under his chin. “I’m so happy to be taking you home.”

I rub his arm, attempting to comfort him. “I know it was hard for you to be at the hospital for so long. Thank you for staying.”

He pulls back, taking my chin in his hand to stare into my eyes. “That’s not what I meant. I…fuck, baby, when I found you, I was afraid I’d lost you. The fact that you’re here now…” He doesn’t seem to know how to finish his sentence, but he’s said enough to give me some measure of peace. I understand what he was trying to say, because when I had been completely at the mercy of my stepfather, I had felt anguish that I’d never see Lucian again, never feel his arms around me, and never get the chance to see if someday we could have been more. I had mourned the loss of him as my body was pummeled. The fact that he now cradles me gently in his arms as if I am precious to him seems surreal.

We don’t speak for the rest of the drive, both seemingly lost in our own thoughts. One thing I both love and hate at times about him is that he never feels the need to fill the silence. I know he has a mind that is seldom at rest, and I long to hear his thoughts, but sometimes, like today, relaxing into a peaceful silence is its own kind of comfort.

Lucian insists on carrying me from the car and into his apartment. I do not bother to protest when he walks through the living area and straight to the bedroom, sitting me down on the bed; my body is still weak from both the trauma and the battering it sustained. I am more than happy to let him take off my shoes and tuck me under the covers. “This feels so good,” I murmur drowsily as I snuggle deeper into the soft bedding.

He drops a kiss on my temple before standing. “I’m going to go through some emails for a bit if you’re okay alone?”

“I’m fine,” I mumble in reply, already starting to doze.

“I’m just down the hall in my office. Call out if you need me. Lia?”

Apparently, my nod wasn’t sufficient, and he needs my verbal agreement before he will leave. “K…in your office,” I repeat to appease him. When he walks out of the room, I have to fight the sudden urge to call him back. Knowing Lucian watched over me was the only way I was able to rest easy in the hospital. I knew that, true to his word, he would kill anyone who tried to hurt me again. I’m home now, though; Lucian has become that for me. If I know nothing else, I know I’m safe within these walls with him standing guard. As I start to drift away, I wonder how I’ll ever make myself leave the security of this apartment again.