Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36

VIVIAN

" I s this a bad time?"

I sat up with a start.

Then I remembered I was naked in a freaking hospital bed… with an even more naked Var lying next to me.

Technically, he was the same level of naked as me, but with him it just felt more naked.

It was probably the height and the insane muscles and tattoos. Who was I kidding? It was the freaking beast of a cock swinging between his arrogant thighs. I'm not sure how thighs could be arrogant, but trust me, his were!

It was official. I was losing my damn mind. This man was messing with my brain.

"Crap!"

I clutched the blanket to my chest as I nudged Var. "I… um… hello, Doctor."

The doctor consulted her iPad, seemingly unfazed by the strange sight of one of her patients naked in bed with someone. "I have your test results."

Var rolled out of the bed and stood with his hands on his hips.

"Var!"

I lunged to block the doctor's view of his morning wood.

Var put his hands on my shoulders. His hard cock pushed against my back. "What are the results?"

The doctor focused on the duck pond landscape print as she cleared her throat. "Test results are clear. I've authorized your discharge."

Adjusting the blanket higher, I asked, "Are you absolutely certain, Doctor? Maybe there are more tests you should run?"

The doctor checked her notes. "No. You're fine. Take it easy for the next twenty-four hours and call your primary care physician if you experience any dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, or nausea. And just be more careful in the future. Always check the ventilation when working with toxic chemicals." In haste, she turned to leave.

"But, Doctor…"

Var pressed his fingers into my shoulders. Using his best American husband from the 1950s voice, he said, "Now, darling, I'm sure the doctor is very busy and needs to get back to her other patients."

Last night I would have given anything to get out of this hospital.

Now I would toss myself out of this bed face first and risk a broken nose just to stay.

The hospital room door closed behind the doctor.

There was an odd, muted silence in the room. As if the tension between us had even blocked out the usual sound of shuffling feet, machines beeping, and intercom announcements from the hall.

Var kissed the top of my head as he leaned over me. "Time to get you out of here, baby."

I remained curled up in bed, holding the blanket around me like a very flimsy shield as I listened to the swish and whoosh sounds of him pulling on his jeans and tossing his shirt on.

As he sat to put his boots back on, he looked me over. "Vivian?"

I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, um. You can go. I'll be fine."

He raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "Nice try. Get out of that bed."

My fingers dug into the soft weave of the blanket. "They had to cut off my clothes when I came into the ER. So I'll just get ahold of Michelle and ask her to grab some from my apartment. It will probably take a while, so?—"

"Yeah, I feel your pain. I was heartbroken when I heard they had to trash your ex-boyfriend's shirt."

Had he encouraged the doctors to trash my clothes because the shirt belonged to my ex-asshole?

An image of Var standing over my gurney as he growled at the doctors to use their scalpels to shred my shirt flashed across my mind. No, that was bonkers. Even for Var. Still, I wouldn't exactly put it past the man.

Var then pulled a plastic bag out from under the chair he was sitting on. Crossing to the bed, he tossed it on my lap. "Already handled."

Inside was a gray I heart Chicago hoodie with matching sweatpants and a pair of black flip-flops with a puff of rainbow dyed feathers.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about the shoes. It was the best thing I saw last night."

I frowned. "Last night? The gift shop was open that late?"

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Who said anything about it being open?"

My mouth dropped. "You broke into a hospital gift shop."

He shrugged. "I knew I wanted to get you out of here the moment those test results came in, and you'd need clothes, and unfortunately your favorite, Bloomingdale's, was not an option at that hour."

At the mention of Bloomingdale's, my cheeks heated. There was little chance he'd missed the two massive and, strictly speaking, stolen Louis Vuitton trunks in my apartment hallway. "About Bloomingdale's... and your luggage…"

Var placed his hand under my chin and lifted my gaze to his. "Baby, I could give two fucks if you treat that place like your own personal goddamn church and worship there every day. If that is what makes you happy, then have at it. It's only money."

Only men with insane amounts of money say things like ‘it's only money.'

"Getting carte blanche to an expense account at Bloomie's is not a freaking reason to marry someone," I fired back with narrowed eyes.

I mean, it was a damn good reason to seriously consider a marriage proposal. The struggle was real with my designer purse and shoe addiction… so maybe… no, it definitely was not a reason.

Or at the very least, shouldn't be one.

As if he'd read my mind, he winked, "We both know that's not entirely true."

Still clinging to the hope I could stall him, I said, "You can't expect me to actually wear these things in public?"

He pulled the plastic bag filled with gray fabric out of my grasp. "Absolutely not."

The flood of relief that washed over me was short lived… very short lived.

"You can just leave naked, but either way, your pretty ass is in my car in the next fifteen minutes."

With a cry, I snatched the bag back and ran into the bathroom, dragging the blanket behind me.

As I pulled the oversized hoodie over my head, I called through the door, "We're not getting out of here in fifteen minutes. There is probably a ton of paperwork I need to fill out. Plus, I need to give them my health insurance information, which is in my wallet, in my purse at home, so really, it's going to be a whole thing. You should just leave, and I'll call you later."

The door swung open.

With a cry, I hopped on one foot and shifted my hips so he wouldn't have a full view of my ass with me bent over.

"What the hell!" I yelled as I pulled the sweatpants over my hips. "Knock much?"

He gestured with his head. "Stop trying to stall. Let's go."

Slipping my feet into the outrageous flip-flops, I shuffled after him. "I'm not stalling. These common man issues might not touch you Russian Mafia gods, but it's not like the hospital is going to let me waltz out the front door without any kind of insurance or payment."

I shuddered to think what the bill was going to be.

My health insurance wasn't so much a protective umbrella in a storm as it was a garbage bag I'd found in the gutter and stretched out over my head.

I would have no choice but to risk it and take on a few of the iffier forgery jobs to pay the bill, no doubt.

He placed his coat over my shoulders as he led me to the hospital door. "It's paid. Let's go."

I pulled against his arm as he opened the door. "What do you mean, it's paid?"

With a sigh, he swept me into his arms and walked over the threshold and down the busy hospital corridor, completely ignoring the startled looks. "Just what I said, it's paid."

"Who paid for it? You?"

His lips thinned as he stared down at me. "No, Bob."

My brow furrowed. "Bob? Who the hell is?—"

Dammit.

I pursed my lips as I pointed my finger at him. "Stop going through my phone. Where is it?"

"What?"

"My phone."

"At your apartment."

"So you stopped to snoop through my text messages while I was lying on the floor dying?"

"Not exactly. I cloned your phone."

"You what?" I said louder than I intended as it drew more curious looks from the surrounding strangers.

Var carried me into the elevator. "Push the button for the garage, third level."

I leaned down and pushed the button without thinking. I was quite literally assisting him with my own kidnapping. "Answer my question."

"Who's Bob?"

"What do you mean, you cloned my phone?"

"Answer my question first."

I folded my arms over my chest. "You answer mine."

He raised an eyebrow. "I have other methods of learning all I need to know about Bob."

He kept saying Bob like the word was mud in his mouth. I cringed to think what his methods would be. "Fine. He's just some guy I met the other night."

"How does he have your number? Did you give it to him?"

Not fooled for a second by Var's calm and even tone or the casual way he asked, I knew I was in dangerous territory. Still, my pride would not let me completely fold under his pressure. "Not that it's any of your business… but Michelle took my phone and exchanged my number with Bob."

He nodded as his expression remained tense. "The answer is yes, I cloned your phone."

My eyes widened as I gasped. "Holy shit, Var! That is not fucking okay!"

He set me down on my feet on the passenger side of his car as he pressed the key fob to open the door. I crossed my arms and refused to get in after he opened it.

He gestured with his head. "Get in, Viv."

"Not until you tell me what the fuck you were thinking by cloning my phone."

He leaned his forearm against the roof edge of the car as he gripped the top of the passenger door, caging me in. Then, leaning down, he put his face close to mine. "I was thinking you're mine now, and I want to know where you are and who you're talking to every minute of every fucking day."

I blinked as I pushed back against the hard, warm metal of the car. "Do you have even the slightest idea how terrifyingly psychopathic that sounds?"

"Yes. Which is why you shouldn't piss me off any further and get into the fucking car."

So much for hoping last night was just a fever dream.

I'd hoped that in the morning things would be more rational and clearer between us. At night, things can get twisted, especially after a traumatic event. Countless relationships and friendships have been ruined simply because a conversation was had when everyone was just a little too tired, a little too stressed, and a little too over it.

It was like the moon turned us into werewolves, intent on tearing apart our own lives. Only for us to wake up naked in the woods with blood on our chin, praying to God we hadn't completely killed everything we loved and held dear in the night.

I stared at Var's feral expression as his dark eyes glinted with anger and intent.

My hand went to my throat as if I could feel the press of his sharp canine teeth against my flesh.

Apparently, not all werewolves disappear in the sunlight.

"I'm getting a new phone."

"Get in the car, baby."

My head turned to stare at the shadowed interior of the car. "Are you taking me home?"

"Yes."

I knew better. "My home?"

"What do you think?"

"But…"

"I'm counting to three, Vivian. If you are not in that seat by the time I'm finished, I'm taking my belt off and bending you over the hood."

"You wouldn't dare?—"

"One."