Billionaire Untamed - Tate(33)

Once settled, he started the truck up and started the short drive to the hospital. He took the icy roads as fast as he dared, which was pretty damn far over the speed limit.

“I don’t know what to think. I don’t know how to believe this,” Chloe murmured quietly.

“Everything will be okay, Chloe. We’ll get it all figured out as soon as we get to the hospital. Tate will be all right. You know he’s too dang ornery to be down for long.” Gabe hoped to hell he was right.

“I’m worried about Mom. She isn’t going to take this very well. Even if Tate is okay, Marcus being charged with something that ludicrous is going to hurt her.”

“We don’t know what happened. Let’s find out the facts first. Maybe it’s all a misunderstanding. Blake said the agent who called wasn’t very forthcoming.”

She let out a deep, breathy sigh, as if she was trying to calm herself down. Gabe could see her hand tremble as she rested her arm on the console between them. He didn’t stop to think. Reaching out, he clasped her shaky hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “Breathe, Chloe.”

She took another deep breath. Gabe was surprised when she didn’t pull away. She entwined their fingers together and clung to his hand, trusting him as she nodded.

His heart banged against his chest wall, and he stroked her hand with his thumb. It was as if Chloe had given him the world when she’d clasped his hand. And maybe she had…because she was comforted by his touch, and she was giving him her trust.

Just this…only this brief moment in time meant everything to him.

Holding her hand is better than the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.

As Gabe pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, he hoped to hell things weren’t as bad as they seemed right now. But if they were…he would somehow, someway, make everything right for Chloe again.#p#分页标题#e#

He hated to break their fragile connection as he parked the truck, but they both hopped out, eager to get inside.

He held his hand out as she stepped over a parking block; Chloe reached out and clasped it again. Gabe entwined their fingers as they jogged toward the entrance, glad that he was here to support Chloe, but wondered why she hadn’t bothered to call her fiancé.



“I want to get the hell out of here…now,” Tate grumbled as he tried to sit up on the gurney in the emergency room of the Rocky Springs Medical Center.

Blake, Chloe, Tate’s mother, and Gabe Walker all hovered at the end of the single bed in the room.

Lara was right beside Tate, and she pushed him gently but firmly back down to the pillow. “You’re not leaving right now. You need to finish the IV they’re giving you. You lost too much fluid.”

Thankfully, nothing important had been damaged, and Tate had needed nothing except fluid replacement, meds, and a whole lot of sutures to close his wound.

“I’m outta here,” Tate informed her testily. “Hell, I’ve lost more blood when I donate a pint.”

Lara could debate what Tate was saying, but she didn’t bother. She leaned in close to him and put her mouth against his ear to whisper sensually, “If you behave, I promise I’ll give you a blowjob later that will make your head want to explode.”

Okay…she wasn’t exactly an expert at oral sex, but Tate didn’t need to know that. She pulled back from him, her face right in front of his and deliberately licked her lips.

Tate caved immediately and lay back down against the pillow. “I’m staying until the IV is done,” he agreed hastily.

Lara smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Sit down,” he demanded. “You look like you need to be in this bed worse than I do. The son of a bitch did a number on your face.”

Lara had seen her reflection, and it wasn’t pretty. Nothing was broken, but her jaw and cheek were swelled and had started to bruise. They’d cleaned up the small cut on her cheek and it was barely noticeable. “I’ve survived a hell of a lot worse.” She mimicked his earlier words, but she pulled up the chair beside the bed and sat down near his head.

“Do I even want to know what you just said to make him stay?” Blake drawled warily from the end of the bed.

Lara turned her head to look at Tate’s family. Blake and Chloe still looked as though they were in shock over the entire situation, Gabe’s expression was grim, and Tate’s mother cried silently. Tears poured down Aileen’s face, but she kept her mouth firmly closed.

“I told him that you and Gabe would physically restrain him.” Lara lied her ass off.

Tate snorted. “If that was what you’d really said, I’d be hightailing it out of here by now. Those two wouldn’t stop me.”