13. Haylee

Her body trembled at the thought of having to undress and show all her bruises. Kane had seen a few, and each time he saw them, his expression turned dark and scary. She didn't know what he would do when he saw all of them at once. But she wanted him there with her. She needed him there with her. He was like a security blanket that for some reason made her feel safe and secure. Logan was nice and ridiculously hot, and she trusted him too, but she still wanted Kane there. Although it would have been nice if he hadn't called her out for lying to the doctor.

Big meanie.

She had been surprised when Kane pulled her close to him when Logan made the comment about being the better-looking one. It appeared as though he was making a statement to Logan, without actually making a statement. Not that she minded. She loved having Kane's arm around her possessively. She found it strange how bossy Kane, Luke, and Logan all seemed to be, but they weren't bossy in a bad way. It was like they were looking out for her. She'd never met a man that was dominant and overprotective like the three of them.

When Kane held out his hand for her, she took it and followed him up the stairs to his room. She looked around the massive bedroom and noted how clean it was and how it smelled just like Kane. The earth tones made it feel comfortable and inviting. The large four-poster bed was perfectly made and looked plush and cozy.

"You are doing wonderful, baby girl. You are almost done, and then you can lay down for a nap."

Kane walked to what looked like a walk-in closet and pulled out a navy blue terry cloth robe. He brought it over to her and held it out. When she reached for it, he noticed her hands shaking and frowned.

"Hey, what's going on, baby?" he asked softly.

Tears pricked her eyes, spilling over down her cheeks. Kane dropped the robe and reached out, wrapping her up in his arms.

"I-I'm j-just s-scared and over-overwhelmed, and I-I hate a-all of t-this," she sobbed.

How had her neat little life in Pinebrook turned into this disaster? How had she let this happen to herself?

"Sweet girl, look at me."

She pulled back from him and looked up to meet his gaze. His fingers gently stroked her cheek, wiping the tears away.

"You are not doing this alone. I am here, and I am not going anywhere. I will help you fight through this. I know it's scary, but I am scarier than any of the things that scare you, so let me slay those fears, okay? And we will figure out something to help you feel less overwhelmed. You are so strong, and you are doing so good."

His words felt so good to hear, and she actually believed him. He wasn't the type of man who just talked to hear his own voice. When he spoke, he spoke the truth and said what he meant. She laid her head against his chest again, feeling her body sag in his arms. She was exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

"Thank you. I'm just so tired," she whispered.

Kane kissed the top of her head, and she nearly melted. When was the last time a man had done such a sweet and innocent gesture toward her?

Uh, never, that's when.

"I know you are, sweetheart. Do you want me to help you change?" he asked.

She nodded, not wanting him to leave her alone to do it. Kane lifted her and set her on the edge of his bed. He picked up the robe and laid it next to her.

"Arms up, baby."

She lifted her arms, even though it felt like they were being weighed down by fifty-pound weights. Kane lifted her sweater up over her head, and she felt her nipples tighten when one of his hands brushed against the tight bud. She was thankful that the bra that Ally picked out for her had slight padding to them so he couldn't see her reaction. She didn't miss the growl that escaped him when his eyes looked over her body, the murderous expression back on his face.

"I'm sorry. I know this upsets you. I can do it," she said, trying to cover herself with her arms.

Kane shook his head. "Let me take care of you, Haylee. I am not upset with you. Not at all. I just hate seeing you hurt."

Kane wrapped the robe around her, cinching the belt securely. Not that it helped—the robe seemed to have been made for Paul Bunyan. Lifting her to her feet, he knelt in front of her.

"Put your hands on my shoulders for balance."

She obeyed, feeling the thick muscles of his shoulders flex as he reached under the robe and tugged her leggings down to the ground. She stepped out of them but didn't let go of him. Instead, her hands tightened and then moved up until they were on either side of the base of his neck, touching his bare skin. He looked up at her, his eyes clouded over and the look of death gone from his face, replaced with a look of lust and desire.

"You haven't had enough physical contact lately. I can tell. But that will change, Haylee. You deserve to be touched and hugged as much as you want and need. Remember what I said about giving me a hug anytime you need it?"

"Yes. I remember."

"Good girl. I expect lots of hugs going forward. Gives me an excuse to have contact with you."

Right. Like he needed an excuse. He could touch her anytime he wanted as far as she was concerned. His touch melted her, reassured her, made her feel safe and secure in a way that she hadn't had since before her dad left when she was in high school.

"Come on, baby alligator. Let's go finish up with Logan so you can relax and take a nap."

A nap sounded heavenly, and so did finishing up with Logan. She nodded and followed him down the stairs, his robe dragging on the floor as she walked. She missed the comfort of his bedroom as soon as they walked out.

"Sorry we took so long. Needed a minute to breathe," Kane said, nodding at Logan.

Logan nodded as though he understood. "No worries. We are almost done, Haylee."

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

Logan gave her a cup and told her to go into the bathroom and pee in it. She flushed with embarrassment when she returned with the cup in hand. Logan took it and wrote something on the lid before sealing it into a ziplock bag.

When he took a blood sample, she thought she was going to faint, but Kane sat beside her, rubbing his hand up and down her back, and began telling her a fairy-tale story to distract her. She had no idea what story he was telling her or if it was actually a fairy tale or if he was just making it up as he went along. Either way, it helped, and before he even finished, Logan had pulled the needle out of her arm and placed a rainbow Band-Aid where he had poked.

"I'm going to examine all your bruising and open wounds. I just need you to stand there, and we will take a look at your upper body first and then your lower body. That way, you are able to stay partially covered. Can you pull your robe down off your shoulders and just hold it around your waist?"

Shit. She would rather eat sardines with frosting than do that. Kane kept his distance so Logan could work, but she knew he was keeping his eye on her closely. Probably making sure she didn't lie about something again.

Meanie.

She pulled the robe down as he instructed, standing in the middle of the living room in half a robe and a light pink bra. Logan held up his phone and reminded her that he would be taking pictures. She just nodded, feeling as though she was having an out-of-body experience but not the kind that she'd like. Her eyes met Kane's, and he smiled at her reassuringly, keeping his eyes locked with hers as Logan walked around her taking photos and examining her bruises. The distraction of his gaze gave her something to focus on and ease her anxiety.

"Good girl. Okay, you can go ahead and put the robe back on your shoulders, and then I am just going to open the bottom and take a look at the front of your legs, and then I will lift the back of the robe to look at the back of your legs and your bottom."

She liked being called a good girl, though she liked it more when it came from Kane. Either way, it felt good to feel as though she was doing something right for once.

She pulled the robe up and pulled it as tight as she could around her. Logan knelt in front of her and opened the front of the robe, taking pictures again and looking for whatever he was looking for. She hoped he wouldn't notice the dampness of her light pink panties that had happened when Kane helped her get undressed. If he did, he didn't say anything. She probably would have died if he had.

Looking up at Kane, she saw that his gaze was on her face again, keeping his eyes locked with hers. She had a feeling he was doing that on purpose as his way of letting her know that she was safe and that he had her. He stayed that way until Logan finished his exam and jotted down notes.

"Have a seat, Haylee. You did wonderful. Why don't you pick two… no, three stickers while I finish up some notes, and then we will chat."

Logan handed her a stack of stickers as she sat down, Kane appearing right beside her on the couch, pulling her onto his lap before she even realized he'd lifted her. Not that she minded. His lap was comfortable, and she felt the most relaxed there. She looked through all the stickers, unable to decide. There were so many cute and sparkly ones to choose from. When she finally made her choice and looked up, both men were staring at her with smiles on their faces.

"Oh… sorry. It's so hard to choose. There are so many cute ones. But I found the ones I want."

"They look like really good ones," Kane said.

Logan nodded. "Very good ones. Can't go wrong with any sticker."

She smiled, even though she was pretty sure the men were just humoring her, but she didn't care. She loved stickers, and she probably wouldn't be able to get her sticker collection back from Tim, so she had to start fresh.

"I don't suspect there are any broken bones or internal bleeding. I do think her right-side ribs are bruised pretty badly, but the only thing that will heal them is time and rest. Haylee is underweight, which you know. She needs to start eating more nutritious meals. I would recommend five small meals throughout the day and at least one protein shake per day. Two would be better. You know the kind I recommend," Logan said, talking directly to Kane.

Kane nodded. "Yep, we will make sure she is eating plenty."

"Her open wounds should heal by themselves. She doesn't need stitches. However, to ensure she doesn't get any kind of infection from them, they need to be cleaned twice a day and have antibiotic ointment applied. She also needs to have her temperature taken twice a day just to make sure there isn't an internal infection developing. An elevated temperature would be the first sign of that. Do you have a thermometer?"

Kane smirked and nodded. Logan looked at him incredulously and shook his head.

"A forehead or ear thermometer?"

Kane frowned. "Oh… then no, I don't. But I will get one."

She looked back and forth at the men. What other kind of thermometer was there? And why were they talking about her like she was a child who couldn't answer for herself? Logan continued before she could say anything.

"Baths with Epsom salts will help with soreness and can help the bruises fade quicker. A bath before bedtime might help her sleep better as well. I would like to follow up with her in a couple of weeks just to ensure the bruises are fading and that her ribs are healing. I will get these photos sent to Luke right away. Do you have any questions?"

She raised her hand, and both men looked at her. Shit. She was such a juvenile sometimes.

"I need to start work right away. Do I need to wrap up my ribs or anything for that?"

A growl from Kane made her squirm. When she looked at him, he was scowling.

"You are not going to work right away. I will not allow it. You need to heal," he said firmly.

She hated that tone. The tone that told her it was probably a bad idea to argue. Too bad she didn't listen to her inner warnings very well sometimes.

"I need to start working. I need to make some money so I can pay you…"

"Haylee Ann, you better not finish that sentence, considering we already had that discussion. You are not paying me back, you do not need to go to work, and if you need money, I will give you money. You are not starting work yet, and if I hear another word about it, you will be in trouble, little girl," he said steadily.

Her mouth hung open. Trouble? What kind of trouble? She knew he wouldn't harm her, but threats of trouble? And why did that not terrify the shit out of her? Why did it make her pussy tingle at the thought of being in trouble with Kane? And how dare he threaten her in front of Logan. She glanced over at Logan, who didn't seem the least bit fazed as he jotted down notes.

Logan looked up, catching her gaze. He just smiled and nodded.

"Kane is right. You should not be returning to work anytime soon. You need to take at least four weeks to rest and heal. Doing too much will make the healing process take longer. You will also get tired much quicker because of your wounds. I would recommend napping daily and early bedtimes. When I come back to reexamine you, we will visit the topic of work again. Deal?"

She glared at Logan. So, he was a big meanie too. Hmph.

"Sounds good, Doc," Kane said, smiling over at Logan.

Haylee moved her glare from Logan to Kane and back again.

Logan smiled at her. "Kane is in charge. He knows what he's doing and how to take care of you, so I would suggest listening to him. Can you do that?"

She looked at Kane and knew that he would take care of her, whether she liked it or not. She nodded. She didn't know exactly what she was agreeing to, but she was sure she would find out quickly. Besides, being taken care of sounded nice for a change.