Read Online In The Still of the Night [The Protectors 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Marla Monroe - Free Book Online

tried looking up at him but groaned when she moved her head.
    “Too bad. You don’t get a say in it. You need stitches in your head and God knows what else. You’ve probably got a concussion, and I’m betting that when I take that blanket off you there will be bruises on your ribs from the way you’re hunched over.”
    “I’ll be with you, and you know Tina isn’t going to leave you.” Riley took the bloody cloth from her hands and rinsed it out in the sink before handing it back to her.
    “You need ice for your face,” Riley said. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
    He slipped out the door and closed it behind him. He didn’t want her to overhear him talking to Tina.
    “She needs ice. I’m taking her to the hospital provided she’s stable enough to go by car. I’ll need your car.” Riley followed Tina to the kitchen where she found a Ziploc plastic bag and filled it with ice from the freezer.
    “I’m going with you,” Tina said.
    “Where’s Logan?” Riley asked.
    “He’s at the base. He had to review his training manual with them.”
    “You didn’t call him, did you?”
    “No, I figured it would take him an hour or so to get here provided he didn’t kill himself trying. I knew you were closer.” Tina handed the bag of ice wrapped in a dish towel to him. “I’m so glad you answered your cell phone. I don’t know what I would have done. She refused to go to the hospital.”
    Riley walked back into the bedroom and noticed for the first time the state of the room. The floor was littered with everything from her dresser and the top of her chest of drawers. Her bedside table was overturned, and the lamp lay broken on the floor. A thin trail of blood marred the wall next to the bed. Blood stained the pillow lying at the foot of the bed. He ground his teeth and drew in a deep breath. He turned to Tina.
    “Get her something easy for her to put on. I’ll clean her up and help her dress.”
    Tina stopped him from opening the bathroom door with a hand on his arm.
    “Riley, maybe you should let me help her. She’s already so nervous around you.”
    “She’s going to have to get un-nervous because as long as her ex-husband is around, I’m sticking to her.” Riley opened the door and slipped back inside.
    Jenna looked back down when he walked in. He could tell she had been crying again. It tore him up to see her like this. She acted not just beaten but defeated, as well. He wanted to snap the bastard’s neck for that alone. He moved slowly so as not to alarm her. He handed her the ice pack.
    “Put this on your face. I’m going to help you clean up. Tina is getting you something to put on.”
    “I can do it myself. Please leave me alone, Riley. I don’t need your help.” She continued to stare down at her lap.
    “No, I’m going to make sure you don’t have anything broken. I don’t want to risk making it worse if I drive you to the hospital myself.” He squatted down in front of her. “I’ll call an ambulance if you’d rather not go in the car.”
    “No!” She jerked her head up then winced, and a tear fell from one eye.
    “Careful,” he admonished. “Don’t make it any worse than it already is, baby.”
    He stood back up and ran warm water in the sink. Then he pulled down a towel and several bath cloths which he soaked in the warm water.
    “I’m going to check you over, so be still.”
    With one of the warm, wet bath cloths, Riley began carefully cleaning the right side of her face. He kept rinsing the cloth and finally had that side of her face and neck clear of blood. He started in on the left side, cleaning around the ice bag. More blood caked her on this side because of the head wound. He didn’t bother trying to get the blood out of her hair. That would come later.
    He uncurled her hand from around the blanket and cleaned the blood from between her fingers as well. Then he slowly lowered the blanket until her chest was bare. He squeezed out the water from another