Be With Me(3)

She grimaced. No, she wouldn’t be back tomorrow, but if she had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t be laid up for very long. She glanced up at Jeremy and his wife. He looked haggard, and he probably had better things to do than sit here and babysit her ass.

“I’m fine now, so you two should go home. I appreciate you coming, though,” Regina said.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Michel e asked.

“You two go on,” Birdie interjected. “I’l be staying with her no matter how much she fusses about it.” Jeremy nodded then stared hard at Regina. “We’l get him.”

Regina nodded and regretted moving her head when the room swam in her vision. A few moments later, she heard the door shut, and she slowly turned her head so that Birdie was in her sight.

“How bad is it?” she asked.

Birdie let out a soft hmmpph. “It’s not good, but you’l live. Half the department has been by to see you. The other half has phoned. I final y had to turn the ringer off so it wouldn’t disturb you.”

“What happened? I don’t remember much.” Birdie sighed. “I think your department is hoping you can fil them in on what happened. Jeremy said he responded to your request for backup and found you inside the house with a man’s fingers wrapped around your throat.”

Regina raised her hand to her neck and rubbed lightly as she remembered the hand that had squeezed.

“Do you hurt?” Birdie asked. Her face softened in sympathy. “I can cal the nurse and get you something for pain. The doctor said you’re pretty banged up.” Regina looked down and, for the first time, registered that she had a brace on her left wrist. She grimaced as she raised it to view the damage. “Is it broken?” she asked, hoping to hel it wasn’t.

Birdie shook her head. “The ligaments in your wrist are strained, and the doctor wants you to nurse it properly until it heals. They were concerned you’d broken some ribs so they took X-rays.”

“So when can I get out?”

“You’l stay put, young lady. Don’t get any ideas about moving too quick.”

Regina sagged onto her pil ow. Another day or so in bed sounded pretty good, not that she’d admit that to Birdie. A sudden thought occurred to her, and she turned her head to look at Birdie. “You didn’t cal my parents, did you?”

Birdie sighed. “No, of course not. I know you wouldn’t want that.”

She didn’t quite meet Regina’s gaze, though, and that worried Regina. She eyed Birdie suspiciously, and then her face tightened in alarm. “Birdie, you didn’t.”

Birdie frowned. “I didn’t what?”

“You didn’t cal them. You wouldn’t.” Birdie sighed in exasperation. “What are you talking about, Regina?”

Regina groaned. “You did, didn’t you? You cal ed them.”

Birdie pursed her lips and leaned forward in her chair. “When are you going to stop running from them, Regina? From yourself?”

“That’s a damn good question, Birdie.” The low drawl sent a flutter of excitement through Regina’s stomach. She ventured a look at the doorway to see Cam, Hutch and Sawyer standing there in various poses. Cam had his arms crossed over his chest, Hutch had his hands shoved into his jeans pocket and Sawyer leaned indolently against the door, watching her.

Hutch was the first to move. He strol ed over to the bed, raised one brow when he looked her over, then dragged a chair to the bedside and slouched down.

“You look like hel .”

Regina laughed and promptly regretted it as pain wracked her body. God, she’d missed him. She’d never admit it in a mil ion years, but she was glad to see them al . Too glad.

Cam moved closer to the bed, his dark eyes glittering with anger and concern. He put a hand on Birdie’s shoulder then leaned down to kiss her.

“You should go home now, Birdie. Get some rest.

We’l take care of her from here.”

Birdie flashed a guilty look in Regina’s direction then smiled and patted Cam’s cheek. “Someone has to take care of this one. She won’t do it herself.” Regina growled under her breath.

Sawyer chuckled and elbowed his way by Cam.

Regina turned her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her, but he nudged her chin with his fingers and kissed her lingeringly on the lips. His goatee tickled her skin and sent a shiver down her body. He slid his palm down her jaw to the bruises around her neck.

“I’m going to kil him,” he muttered.

Regina shoved at him in irritation then fixed her glare on al three of them. “See, this is why I didn’t want Birdie to cal you. I knew you’d come barging in, swimming in testosterone, beating your chests and muttering threats against humanity.”

Sawyer laughed. “You wouldn’t exaggerate, now would you, Reggie?”

She shot him a quel ing look, but he only grinned in response.

Cam sat down on the edge of the bed and laid a hand over her leg. “Whether you wanted us here or not, we’re here. We’ve been here al night, and I have to say, you’re a lot easier to get along with when you’re sleeping.”

Damn it, she would not smile.

“Furthermore, you’re coming home with us when you’re released.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Sawyer touched her arm, Hutch put a hand on her shoulder, and Cam’s grip tightened on her leg, and she forgot al about saying anything. How did they do that?