Burned by Passion(30)

Her last words were lost on Blake because he was already moving fast down the stairs, out of the building and into his car. In moments he’d sped off.





***

Ten minutes was all it took to get him there. It had felt like hours. He was out of breath when he stalked into the hospital reception and he could tell he worried the nurse with his wild expression.

“Can...can I help you sir?” she asked hesitantly.

“I hope so. I was told you have a patient here, who was brought in a few days ago.” Blake hoped he was making sense because he wasn’t even hearing himself right now. His head was buzzing with fury, fear, worry and utter panic that Kira was hurt and alone.

Taking a calming breath, he added, “Her name is Kira Taylor. I need to see her.”

“And she happens to be my patient.”

The nurse turned thankfully to the white-coated doctor who’d appeared from round the corner. “Dr. Samuel, this...gentleman wants to see your patient,” she said unnecessarily.

“You’re her doctor. My name’s Blake Carter,” Blake said, also swiveling to face the man who was medium height, with blonde, receding hair and a calm handsomeness. “Where is she? I’d like to see her.”

Dr. Samuel’s eyebrows lifted at Blake’s authoritative tone, then glanced at his watch. “It’s hardly visiting hours. And she’s resting. May I ask who you are?”


“I’m a family member,” Blake lied smoothly. “She’s adopted.” He got that same look from the doctor that the neighbor at Kira’s apartment had given him. Blake swore beneath his breath. “Look, I need to know she’s okay. Please.”

When the doctor finally let Blake in to see Kira, it felt like the rug had been swept out from under him.

“She was beaten up pretty bad,” the doctor said as he watched Blake rush to the sleeping Kira’s bedside. At least Blake hoped she was sleeping. Her beautiful face was swollen with bruises and her eyes almost sealed shut by the swelling. She looked frail and paler than usual lying there in the plain blue gown with the equally plain sheets covering her up to her chest. Her arms showed signs of large purple bruises and Blake gently took her hand in his, finding it limp yet warm. He stared down at her devastated face and felt his head start to want to explode.

“But she looks far worse than she really is,” the doctor continued. “A few bruised ribs and then the swelling which will come down eventually. No real damage done to any internal organs.”

This was plenty damage, thought Blake as a black rage seemed almost to smother his senses. He could feel the doctor’s eyes on him, before the other man said, “You aren’t really her family, are you?”

“No, I’m not,” Blake admitted, tearing his eyes reluctantly from Kira. His grip on her slender fingers tightened slightly as he added, “But I swear to you on my life I’m not the one who did this.”

“For some strange reason, I believe you,” Dr. Samuel said. “She’ll be fine, given a few weeks or rest and treatment. But whoever did this to her needs to be brought to justice. She was unconscious when she was brought in and has slipped in and out for the past two days. This is a serious case for the police and we’re looking to any of her friends or family to come forward with information.”

“I’ll see that her family gets notified. I don’t think any of them know she’s here,” Blake said calmly while inside he was filled with a storm of anger huge enough to make him find who did this and...God help them, death would be a mercy for such a person.

“And I’m personally going to see to it that the man responsible pays dearly for this. Please spare no cost for her care as I’ll see to that myself as well. I want her well and out of here as soon as possible.”

The doctor nodded, hands in his coat pocket as he gave Blake another of his shrewd looks. “So if you aren’t her cousin Mr. Carter, just who are you?”

Blake sighed deeply, and then turned his gaze back to Kira as he replied, “I’m the man who loves her.” So much he could hardly breathe. And he wouldn’t rest until he had her safe and in his arms where he knew she belonged.





***

Kira awoke slowly from her sedative-induced sleep. When she saw the nurse let Blake into her room, any last traces of sleep escaped and her heart began to pound as she looked up into the face of the last man she’d expected to see.

“Blake,” she breathed, pushing herself back into her pillows as if to bury herself in them. She saw his lips go tight when he noticed her reaction. The urge to flee which she usually had around him had far from abated and she knew he could tell.

But his voice was calm as he thanked the nurse, who checked Kira’s vitals before nodding and leaving silently.

“Kira, baby,” he said, tenderness in each syllable as he came forward once they were alone.

His affection she didn’t need. Not now. “What are you doing here, Blake?” she asked angrily.

“Where else would I be?” he asked, sitting next to her bed and taking her hand in his, not letting go even as she pulled.

Sighing angrily, she stopped struggling and simply turned her face away.

“I’m sorry,” he said deeply. “If I had anything to do with this...”

“You had everything to do with it,” Kira snapped furiously, head whipping to face him again. “If you hadn’t sent that hateful gift of yours...” She shook her head, trying to ward off images of Terry’s livid face...the way it had felt when the first blow came, and then the next.