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Her throat constricted, and she sed against the nausea accohtened, but he only nodded and examined the bruises on her back and hips and shoulders "How did you get these?"

"Falls" She found a s box Knocked onto a dock" She touched the abrasion on her forehead "This was the dock too"

He traced around the ugly bruise on her right side, and she winced He frowned "Are your ribs cracked or broken?"

"Bruised" She sighed when he lifted his eyebrows "Only a crack or two froain, I did kick him in the balls"

A dimple appeared beside his mouth when he smiled "Good for you, Darlin’" With fir her cheek, he exa her jawline "Fro care of him for me" His words were mild, but she saw the fury in his eyes and the tension in his er on her behalf drained soainst his pal’s ribs were definitely broken"

"Knowing every breath he takes will hurt for a long time does help" He tipped her chin up and scrutinized her face "He put his hands on you… How badly is that still bothering you? I would think it ly memories"

"A few" She closed her eyes, unable to tolerate the piercing gaze "I was…scared" Trapped, hurt, no way out She shivered

He sat down beside her and enclosed her hands in his war "I’ve had a few panic attacks It’s getting better, ht back a little this ti didn’t happen out of the blue, for no reason I’ainst the lump in her throat "My friend K-Kim There’s not much hope now"

"Ah, Darlin’, I’m sorry," he said softly "Come here now" His hard arainst his chest Her eyes pooled with tears because she had someone to lean on, even if for only a short time The comfort… No one had held her since the hospital, and God, she’d needed that As if he could tell, he sihtly His chin rested on the top of her head, and she felt enclosed in warmth and safety

"You know, you scared me spitless, Li’ll subbie First when I heard you’d been kidnapped, and then…even worse, seeing your box tip toward the water"

She sainst his shirt Other people besides her could be frightened "Thank you for not lettingme back onto the dock" She pulled back and touched the bruised, abraded spot on the edge of his forehead, half covered by hair He had a bruise on his jaw too He’d taken a fist in the face "Thank you for rescuing auze bandage on his left shoulder see, round bruise blooave hiaze he’d used on her

"Took a punch"

God, look at hi her She’d alotten him killed Her eyes filled with tears

"Now don’t you start watering up over a few et worse in karate classes"

"You alainst his arotten past ht, ?Fucking cunt? Her body no longer her own Freezing Marcus’s yell, ?Gabi, down!? The crack of the pistol "If I’d dropped like you ordered, you…" The sound he made, the blood, so horribly red "I’up, and still I didn’t uilty ever since" He actually chuckled, and she looked up to see the a would fix you all up? A problem like yours doesn’t disappear so easily, Gabi, and if you were thinking straight, you’d know it, Miz Counselor"

She stared at hi you have no control over? Hardly And if you’ll trouble yourself to re shot That bullet probably would have killed me We’re even, Darlin’" He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thu a bullet in a successful FBI operation has made e, strange creatures

"Anything else we need to discuss about the fight?"

She shook her head So that’s why he’d wanted her naked--to check her injuries All her worries about having to tactfully refuse him were silly Relieved…and disappointed, she reached down and picked up her jeans and thong

"Nope" He pulled therip and pointed to the center of the bed "Put yourself there"