by Avery Gale
Turning, Caila intended to begin pacing again. It was easier for her to think things through if she was moving. The snap of a paddle against Kip’s palm startled her. She yelped and spun around so fast her feet became tangled in the rug she’d been standing on, sending her ass over teakettle over the sofa table. The last thing she remembered seeing was the wooden edge of the sofa heading right for her forehead. Pain exploded in her head as a loud crack filled the air, and then everything went black.
Chapter Eight
Thank God one of the club members who’d braved the slick roads to play tonight was a local physician. Neither the lovely submissive nor her Dom had complained when their scene had been interrupted. The gauzy robe the lovely doctor wore did little to conceal her naked form, and Kip had to fight his smile as he watched her Dom savoring the sight with barely disguised hunger.
Kip knew he’d never forget the sound of Caila’s head hitting the wooden frame of the sofa upstairs. What was supposed to be a harmless piece of furniture turned out to be another in a long line of hazards for Calamity. Damn if she wasn’t continuing to earn her nickname. His frantic call to Taz brought a half dozen people storming through the door within seconds, and they’d whisked Caila downstairs to the club’s small clinic.
She’d finally opened her eyes when he’d laid her gently on the cool paper covering the examination table. He felt like he’d been kicked in the gut when he saw tears swimming in her pretty blue eyes, and her whispered “I’m sorry” almost took him to his knees.
Pressing a kiss to her bloodied forehead, he shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. I wish I’d been quicker.” Damn, if he’d just been two steps closer, he could have caught her in time. Knowing he hadn’t kept her safe was like someone thrusting a sword through his heart.
The pretty physician nudged him aside with a murmured apology. “If you’ll step aside, Sir, I’ll see what I can to about getting your sweet sub stitched up.” Another man was cleaning the gaping wound in Caila’s hairline. When the doctor saw her helper set out a razor, she shook her head. “I can stitch it without shaving her hair.” Kip saw tears spill down Caila’s cheeks when she heard the doctor’s words, relief obvious in watery blue eyes. The doctor leaned over her and said, “Doctors usually do that more for their own convenience than for the health of the patient. Most of my stitches are going to be underneath, so we’ll make it work. Besides, we subs need to stick together…God knows the Doms do.”
Some of the tension appeared to drain away from Caila’s face, and she turned her head so she was able to look up at him. Kip took the warm subbie blanket Nate handed him and laid it over her. While the doctor scrubbed her hands in the nearby sink, Kip pressed a kiss to her lips. Damn, she was so pale her smooth skin was practically translucent. “I’m going to step out into the hall and give the good doctor room to work. If you need me, just call out, and I’ll be able to hear you.” He didn’t have any intention of getting farther away than her sweet voice could carry. Damn, she’d been through a lot during the past month—and the past few days had been hell.
Her eyes dilated with desire before her lashes drifted closed. The doctor watched her closely and frowned. “I’m going to have some very specific instructions for you before I leave. I don’t think her concussion is severe, but the only way to know for sure is to admit her and run a battery of tests. The local hospital is currently swamped with flu cases, so I’m hesitant to expose her to that unless I absolutely have to. Quite frankly, she doesn’t appear to have been taking very good care of herself. Hell, the flu could easily do more damage than the concussion, especially if it’s as mild as I suspect.”
Kip knew the routine, but he’d be happy to follow the doctor’s instructions. And for the first time, he wondered if her father had kept their medical insurance up to date—if not, it might be part of the reason the elderly man refused to seek medical attention. The doctor’s voice broke through his thoughts, and he was grateful he could easily answer all of the questions about previous injuries and medication allergies.
After he’d cataloged a lengthy list of incidents and subsequent injuries she’d incurred, the pretty doctor laughed. “Damn, this girl is going to keep Ryan busy.” Kip must have seemed surprised because she shrugged, and he could see the smile in her eyes despite the fact she’d pulled the surgical mask up over the lower portion of her pretty face. “Ryan and I knew each other before he became a SEAL. We would have graduated from medical school together if he hadn’t joined the Navy. I have a huge amount of respect for him—the trauma experience he gained will serve him well. Medical school doesn’t always prepare you for the injuries you see in real world…or at least not as thoroughly as combat training. Knowing how to stabilize patients for long distance transport is a huge issue here, and he’s well ahead of the rest of us. He should probably expect a lot of late night calls until all the newer physicians in the area have picked his brain clean of every last morsel of information.”
Kip’s respect for the woman just keep steamrolling upward. “I’ll pass that along. And thank you for interrupting your evening. I know that couldn’t have been easy.” What a fucking understatement. The woman had been teetering on the edge of sub-space when Nate had stepped in. Her body was probably still fighting its hunger for release.
She shrugged as she assessed the tray of instruments and supplies beside her. “Things usually happen for a reason. I’m glad we decided to come over to the club tonight.” Nodding toward the door, she added, “Now, if you’ll step outside, I’d like to get this nasty gash taken care of, and I need some room to work. This clinic is stocked better than most emergency rooms, but it’s a little on the cramped side.” He nodded and stepped outside along with several others, including her Dom.
The man smiled and extended his hand. “She’s something else, isn’t she? Damn, I’m a lucky son of a bitch.” Kip recognized the man as a United States Senator and accepted his handshake. Hearing the man considered himself lucky to have the lovely doctor as his own rather than assuming she was the lucky one spoke volumes about the man’s character.
“I understand exactly what you mean. I’m hoping to make Caila my own despite the fact I don’t actually deserve her.” If the good senator was surprised by Kip’s comment, he didn’t let on. “I don’t know why I’ve fought this for so long—hell, nothing feels better than holding Caila in my arms. There is a light inside her that beckons me. Seeing her take a header upstairs…realizing how easily that light could have been extinguished scared the hell out of me.”
“You’ve given her reason to question whether or not you in it for the long haul.” Senator Tyson hadn’t asked; he’d simply stated something he’d already figured out.
“Oh yeah, and then some.”
“Rehashing probably won’t help, so focus on being solution-based. History sometimes helps to eliminate plans you’ve already tried, but something tells me this is a new endeavor. I can tell you from experience recovery is much more challenging than starting from scratch, but it’s damned well worth it.” Kip nodded and wondered what had happened between the pretty doctor and popular senator. He didn’t remember hearing any controversy surrounding the man, so whatever had taken place must have happened out of the public eye.
“In case I don’t get a chance to speak with her, please ask your lovely wife to make sure she sends the bill for her services directly to me.” He paused for a few seconds wondering how much of Caila’s business he should reveal. Considering they were inside Mountain Mastery, the rules for confidentiality were so strict Kip forged ahead. “Caila was headed home because there are some real health concerns with her dad. Recently, he’s forgotten where he parked and what his truck looked like. A few days ago, he couldn’t remember how to get home.”
The other man raised his brow and seemed to pick up on Kip’s concern. “So you’re worried he’s let their insurance lapse?”
“Yes. And he’s already made some really significant financial errors that h
ave cost them.” Kip shook his head and glanced back into the room to see the doctor speaking softly to Caila as she tied off another stitch. “Caila hasn’t heard everything yet, and I’m hesitant to add to her burden, but this has the potential to be a huge issue for her.”
The Senator nodded and pulled a card out of his wallet. “Listen, I’ll be back in Washington in a couple of days. Let me know if I can help. If he’s let the insurance lapse because of his illness, then maybe I could help convince the insurer to reinstate it if the premiums were paid up right away. I can’t promise it’ll work, but I can be pretty persuasive.”
Kip took the man’s card and thanked him. Anyone willing to run for national office was probably more than merely persuasive, and Kip was grateful for his generous offer. Kip had heard Karl Tyson was already making a name for himself in Washington and had landed a couple of plum committee positions. Karl was only in his mid-thirties, making his accomplishments even more impressive.
Karl slapped Kip on the back and grinned. “I heard you say you needed to make a couple of calls. Take care of those, and I’ll watch after both our sweet subs. But don’t be too long; I’m anxious to play with Tally a bit more. I’m going to be in Washington for the next several weeks, so I want to spend as much time inside her as possible before I leave.” Kip winced thinking about how much the young couple was sacrificing for the State of Montana. He and Caila had never been together as a couple, but once he solidified their bond, he hoped they were rarely forced to spend a night apart.
Walking to the large window at the end of the hall, Kip felt his hands shake as he pulled his phone from his pocket. Phoenix answered on the first ring, his voice filled with concern. “What’s wrong? Is Caila alright?”
“Jesus Christ, Phoenix, when did you get to be so damned paranoid? Hell, I thought that was Brandt’s claim to fame.”
“Little brother, when is the last time you called me in the middle of the fucking night?”
Middle of the night? Shit! Kip hadn’t even thought about checking to see what time it was. No wonder his brother was in a panic. “Damn, I’m sorry, man. I should have stopped to think about what time it was. But in answer to your question, no, she isn’t. Calamity has had a little accident.”
Phoenix’s curses filled the air, and he heard a soft, feminine voice asking questions in the background. “Listen, I’m sorry I woke you. Tell Aspen I’ll make it up to her—lunch next week is on me. But, right now, I need your help.” Sage and Brandt might have the connections to get the information, but Phoenix could find out without anyone’s help. His brother would bypass the endless phone calls and waltz in the computer backdoor of whatever insurer the Cooper’s used. Explaining his concern, Kip wasn’t surprised to hear Phoenix’s curse.
“If he hasn’t kept it current, that might explain his reluctance to seek medical treatment.”
“And it also means the burden for his care is going to fall on Caila’s shoulders. And, honestly, I’m not sure she can take much more right now.” He’d never known her to shy away from a challenge, but things were piling up awfully fast. The conversation the five of them were going to have with her certainly wasn’t going to help matters, either.
“I’ve spoken with Karl Tyson. He’ll help navigate the waters with the insurance company if we need it.”
“Senator Karl Tyson?”
“Yeah, I really appreciated his offer.” Kip didn’t want to break club rules by saying their conversation had taken place at the club, and Phoenix hadn’t missed his segue.
“Damn, that man is married to a straight up fox. Smart as a whip and—uggghhh. Damn, little goddess, I was just making an observation.” Kip wanted to laugh out loud at the colorful female cursing he could hear in the background.
“Nice to know I’m not the only idiot in the family, big brother. Better go play nice with your lovely bride, and I’m going to go back and see if the good doc is finished sewing up Calamity’s forehead.” Kip laughed to himself when more creative curses filled the air just before Phoenix disconnected the call. Now all he had to do was wait, because he’d bet his interest in heaven Sage would be calling in less than a minute.
Chapter Nine
Caila was grateful to the sweet doctor who’d sewn up the cut on her forehead. Now if she would just give her something for the blazing shards of pain shooting through her brain. Tally? Is that what she said her name was? Damn, my head is going to explode. Caila could hear the doctor talking to Kip and wanted to groan when she heard the woman’s soft voice explaining the importance of waking her up every half hour. Not going to be helpful for my headache.
“Please tell your Master I’ll be calling him in a few days. He promised to help me with an insurance matter, and it turns out I’m going to need his help after all.” Insurance? Why would Kip want some guy’s help with insurance? She gave up trying to figure it out because thinking about anything made her head hurt so bad she was worried she was going to be sick.
When the world started to spin, Caila closed her eyes, willing things to stop moving around her. Cool fingers caressed the side of her face, and when she opened her eyes, the doctor was leaning over her. “Head hurting?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe. Please give me something for the headache before my skull splits open.”
“I’ve left Tylenol with Kip. He’ll give you some in just a minute. First, I want you to promise me you’ll ask him to call if you start having double vision, vomiting, or the medication doesn’t relieve your headache by the second dose.” Second dose? Holy hell, that’s like eight hours from now. I’ll throw myself off a tall building if I have to endure this headache for eight fucking hours. The doctor giggled. “No, not eight hours. He’ll give you two now and another tablet in a couple of hours if it hasn’t helped. Damn, I really hope you come back to the club again. I think you and I could be great friends.”
Caila smiled and reached for the other woman’s hand. “Thanks, Tally. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Please leave your number with Kip. and I’ll call you sometime. Maybe we could have lunch.” I have a feeling I’m going to need all the friends I can get.
Caila’s head hurt so bad she didn’t protest when Kip insisted on carrying her back to bed. The pain killers she’d taken downstairs were finally starting to kick in thanks to her empty stomach. Curling against Kip’s muscled chest, she reveled in his warmth. Despite all the promises she’d made to herself, she couldn’t help how right it felt to be cuddled in his arms. She had no idea how many times one or the other of the brothers had carried her through one of her calamities.
Years ago, one of her classmates had accused her of being intentionally careless just to gain their attention. The young woman’s words had stung, but Caila had known she was wrong…at least it wasn’t true in the way the girl had intended. Caila had wanted to gain their attention, but she’d wanted to be seen as their equal. They’d all been older and a lot bigger, but that hadn’t stopped her from trying to mimic their antics.
“Tally did a great job of washing the blood from your hair, so there’s no reason we can’t get you right to bed unless you need to use the restroom first.” She wanted to smile, because the Morgan brothers had always teased her about the fact she couldn’t take care of her business behind the barn like a boy. It had been the one hard and fast rule Patsy Morgan had held to…Caila was to return to the house for anything vaguely resembling a “bodily function.” To this day, she laughed when she heard that particular expression.
Patsy reminded her more times than she could count, “You are a young lady, and someday you’ll thank me for not letting you sacrifice your dignity to convenience.” Caila had secretly loved Patsy for her persistence…knowing someone cared enough to be focused on how something would work out for her in the future had made Caila feel special. When she felt a tear slide down her cheek, Caila understood the emotional overload and reminiscing were due to the evening’s drama, but that didn’t mean she could hold it back.
“Baby, don’t cry. Damn, you’re killing me. Talk to me, Cal.” Kip hoped like hell this was the adrenaline drop he’d been expecting, but he couldn’t be sure unless she talked to him. The dynamic between them was changing quickly. He was thrilled with the progress he’d made, but winning a battle or two didn’t mean he’d won the war. Right now, Caila was battling fatigue and pain on top of her concerns about her dad’s health. Kip didn’t want to add to her burden. It was far more important to begin rebuilding the trust he’d shown so little respect for in the past.
“I’m sorry. I hate crying. It never solves anything, and it makes me feel weak.” That small admission spoke volumes about the woman in his arms. He and his brothers might have teased her, but they all admired Caila’s never say die attitude.
He set her on the cool marble counter in the bathroom and smiled when her eyes widened in surprise. “I think your tears mean more than you’re saying. What were you thinking about when they started?” Kip suspected she’d had to be strong for so long Caila had forgotten what it felt like to have her needs met by someone else. Tonight had reminded her how it felt to be cared for…to be cherished, and it was that sense of vulnerability that triggered her tears.
“Your mom…I was thinking about how she always made sure I…well…”
Kip fought back the smile surging to the surface. When was the last time he’d seen Caila flustered? Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her blush like she was now—it was adorable. Placing a hand on each side of her, gripping the edge of the counter, he made sure his arms brushed the outside of her slender legs. She hadn’t missed the hint of bondage, and Kip wanted to jump for joy at the way her pupils dilated and her breathing hitched. “Let’s see if I can help you. You were thinking about how mom continually reminded all of us you were a lovely young lady. And it didn’t matter how much you tried to be one of the boys; you loved her for making you feel special.”
