Billionaire Untamed ~ Tate (Billionaire’s Obsession #7)(24)
Author: J.S. Scott

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.

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.”

Lara gave Tate a warning look, and changed the subject. “Some of the agents brought Tate’s truck here to the hospital. I can take him home when he’s finished here. I know this has been a stressful day. Maybe you should all go get some rest.”

“I’d like to see Marcus.” Aileen finally spoke in a tremulous voice.

“He’s already being transported back to the FBI headquarters in DC. He’s a bit of a special case, and the Denver agents said they got orders from higher up the ladder to get him to Washington as soon as possible. I’m sorry, Mrs. Colter. He’ll get a trial, and you’ll be able to see him eventually.” The pain in the older woman’s eyes made Lara want to weep. Marcus’s crimes had literally destroyed this whole family. They were all broken apart. The Colters were a respected family, an admired family, and they would all end up being hurt by what Marcus had done.

“I have to get to Washington, too,” Blake said in a quiet, grave tone. “They want me for questioning. I wouldn’t be surprised if we all end up needing to testify eventually.”

“Are you under suspicion?” Tate asked angrily. “Guilty by association. Shit. This will kill your career once it gets out, Blake, even if you’re not guilty of a damn thing.”

Blake shook his head slowly. “The last thing I care about is my political career right now,” he answered, his eyes full of sadness and concern. “I know you saw it with your own eyes, Tate, but I guess I still want to be in denial that Marcus is guilty.”

“Me too,” Aileen whispered in a tearful voice.

“And me,” Chloe added.

Blake put an arm around his sister and mother, his expression bleak.

“I wish I could say the same,” Tate uttered regretfully. “But I did see the whole thing, and he isn’t the brother I’ve always known. I don’t know what happened to him.”

Lara reached out and clasped Tate’s hand, feeling his emotional pain. Dear God, no matter how quickly he’d capitulated to her in exchange for sensual pleasure, Tate had to resent her somewhere deep inside him for tearing his family apart.

Chloe and Aileen moved to the other side of the bed and gave Tate a gentle embrace as Blake announced that he wanted to get his mom back home. Gabe offered to drive Chloe.

“Somebody needs to watch over Tate,” Chloe said adamantly. “He might act like a hotshot, but he’s going to need some help. I’ll stay with him.”

“Lara will stay.” Tate kissed his sister on the forehead before she straightened. “Could you have some of the staff gather her belongings from the resort and send them to my place?”