responded to a few of her sister's texts, just to let her family know that she was still breathing, but she had warned them to stay away. She couldn't deal with seeing them right now.
Her cell buzzed again. Another text message from Jenna.
Get up. Shower and get dressed.
I'm coming over.
This time you better answer,
or I'll break the door down!
P.S. I'm not kidding!
Lora moaned and threw herself backwards on the bed. Shit, the last thing she needed was Jenna getting involved. The whole family knew that Chase had fired her, but no one, not even Jenna, knew why.
Grumbling, she stood, and lightheaded made her way to the bathroom. She turned the shower on and winced as the hot water hit her bandaged arm. Pulling the gauze back, she sucked in her breath at the angry, red, puss-filled wound.
“Shit.” Her arm should have healed by now. It was her own fault for not taking care of it. She hadn't changed the bandage and now it was infected.
Blinking back fresh tears, she discarded her pajamas and immersed herself under the steaming water.
She would
not
call Chase, but how else was she supposed to get the proper antibiotics?
It wasn't as if she was a freaking normal person and could go to a public hospital.
Shit, shit, shit.
She could call Turner. He had access to the agency's medical supplies. She shook her head. He was in enough trouble with the agency. She didn't want him getting caught stealing antibiotics.
She felt her forehead. A bit warm, maybe a low-grade fever, but nothing to worry about. She would take better care of the wound. If it didn't heal in a few days she would call Jacob.
She pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans, towel dried her hair, cleaned the bite marks with rubbing alcohol and wrapped her arm with fresh gauze.
A knock at her door made her jump. Jenna hadn't wasted any time. Lora glanced in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were still noticeable, and her face was paler than normal. But it was a huge improvement from her earlier zombie-like appearance.
“I'm coming,” she yelled, at a second knock. She opened the door and paused. “Austin.”
“Hey.” He leaned against the door. Dark eyes roamed over her in appraisal.
Her cheeks warmed under his gaze. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to see if you were okay. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” She opened the door wider and let him in. It wasn't like she could pretend not to be home. “Why not.”
He scratched the dark scruff on his chin and raised his eyebrows as he scanned the room, glancing at the empty bottle of wine, ice cream container and pizza box that lay discarded across the floor.
He stepped towards her and she stepped back. “So, are you?”
“What?”
He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “All right?”
Wrapping her arms around her chest, she rolled her eyes and snorted. “I just lost my job. So, no, I'd say at the moment I'm not all right.”
She knew she sounded bitchy, but she hadn't asked for his concern.
His smile dimmed. “Give him a couple of weeks to cool off. You'll get your job back.”
She shrugged dismissively, knowing he was wrong.
“What are you doing tonight?
“Ice cream, pizza, reruns,” she said, spreading her arms and motioning to the cluttered room and small flat screen TV.
“It's Saturday night.” His grin returned, as he took another step towards her. He leaned so close that he was almost touching her. “You deserve to have a bit of fun after the week you had. Let me take you out. I've got tickets for a charity auction. Come with me.”
The way he was looking at her sent crazy tingles shooting through her body. She would have sold her soul for Chase to look at her like that—just once.
She pushed Chase out of her mind. “I don't think so.”
He leaned closer and she put her hands up. They encountered a solid wall of muscle. The man was built, and she could sense his animal stirring, almost vibrating underneath her palms. And for a moment she let herself wonder if the
Her cell buzzed again. Another text message from Jenna.
Get up. Shower and get dressed.
I'm coming over.
This time you better answer,
or I'll break the door down!
P.S. I'm not kidding!
Lora moaned and threw herself backwards on the bed. Shit, the last thing she needed was Jenna getting involved. The whole family knew that Chase had fired her, but no one, not even Jenna, knew why.
Grumbling, she stood, and lightheaded made her way to the bathroom. She turned the shower on and winced as the hot water hit her bandaged arm. Pulling the gauze back, she sucked in her breath at the angry, red, puss-filled wound.
“Shit.” Her arm should have healed by now. It was her own fault for not taking care of it. She hadn't changed the bandage and now it was infected.
Blinking back fresh tears, she discarded her pajamas and immersed herself under the steaming water.
She would
not
call Chase, but how else was she supposed to get the proper antibiotics?
It wasn't as if she was a freaking normal person and could go to a public hospital.
Shit, shit, shit.
She could call Turner. He had access to the agency's medical supplies. She shook her head. He was in enough trouble with the agency. She didn't want him getting caught stealing antibiotics.
She felt her forehead. A bit warm, maybe a low-grade fever, but nothing to worry about. She would take better care of the wound. If it didn't heal in a few days she would call Jacob.
She pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans, towel dried her hair, cleaned the bite marks with rubbing alcohol and wrapped her arm with fresh gauze.
A knock at her door made her jump. Jenna hadn't wasted any time. Lora glanced in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were still noticeable, and her face was paler than normal. But it was a huge improvement from her earlier zombie-like appearance.
“I'm coming,” she yelled, at a second knock. She opened the door and paused. “Austin.”
“Hey.” He leaned against the door. Dark eyes roamed over her in appraisal.
Her cheeks warmed under his gaze. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to see if you were okay. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” She opened the door wider and let him in. It wasn't like she could pretend not to be home. “Why not.”
He scratched the dark scruff on his chin and raised his eyebrows as he scanned the room, glancing at the empty bottle of wine, ice cream container and pizza box that lay discarded across the floor.
He stepped towards her and she stepped back. “So, are you?”
“What?”
He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “All right?”
Wrapping her arms around her chest, she rolled her eyes and snorted. “I just lost my job. So, no, I'd say at the moment I'm not all right.”
She knew she sounded bitchy, but she hadn't asked for his concern.
His smile dimmed. “Give him a couple of weeks to cool off. You'll get your job back.”
She shrugged dismissively, knowing he was wrong.
“What are you doing tonight?
“Ice cream, pizza, reruns,” she said, spreading her arms and motioning to the cluttered room and small flat screen TV.
“It's Saturday night.” His grin returned, as he took another step towards her. He leaned so close that he was almost touching her. “You deserve to have a bit of fun after the week you had. Let me take you out. I've got tickets for a charity auction. Come with me.”
The way he was looking at her sent crazy tingles shooting through her body. She would have sold her soul for Chase to look at her like that—just once.
She pushed Chase out of her mind. “I don't think so.”
He leaned closer and she put her hands up. They encountered a solid wall of muscle. The man was built, and she could sense his animal stirring, almost vibrating underneath her palms. And for a moment she let herself wonder if the
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