Klein’s voice was low and husky, his breath warm against her skin. “Just hold on a little longer. It’ll cool down soon. Come on, be good. Once we reach the hospital, you won’t feel that burning anymore.”
With great effort, Whitney tried to sit up, her pale face drawing so close to Klein’s that it felt as if they were sharing a secret space, one where only a sheet of paper could fit between them.
“Mr. Harris?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Klein swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Just call me Klein.”
“Oh, but I don’t want to,” she pouted, her eyes narrowing playfully.
Klein steadied her shoulders, preventing her from swaying. “Why not, Whit? What’s stopping you from using my name?”
Her eyes, clouded with confusion, focused on him as she poked his nose with her finger. “Because of you…” she replied, her voice trailing off.
“Your nephew and niece… I hate them…” Whitney added, her expression a mix of frustration and childish pout.
Klein was momentarily taken aback, rendered speechless by her disjointed logic, aware that her mind was clouded by something beyond her control.
He cleared his throat, choosing not to engage in an argument that wouldn’t lead anywhere. “Alright, maybe now isn’t the best time for this,” he said gently.
Whitney squirmed unsteadily, but Klein’s arm remained a steady anchor around her, holding her close.
Then, without warning, she pouted, and the dam she had built around her emotions broke. Tears streamed down her cheeks, spilling over as if they had been waiting for the right moment to escape.
“I’m sorry, Grandma. I couldn’t get the bracelet,” she choked out, her voice thick with emotion, barely coherent. “Grandma, you won’t blame me, right?”
Klein’s heart ached at her distress, and he tenderly brushed his palm over her soft, fair cheek. Before she could process what was happening, he produced a sparkling bracelet from his pocket and slipped it onto her wrist with a gentle motion.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I won this for you at the auction,” he murmured, his tone soothing.
Dazed, Whitney lifted her wrist, her eyes blankly staring at the bracelet as if it were a distant star in the night sky.
“Where did you even get this? You know this counts as theft, right? People get hit with charges for this. Best case, it’s a fine, and worst case, it’s probation or a record that never goes away,” she blurted out, flustered and panicked.
Her fingers fumbled as she attempted to pull the bracelet off. “I don’t want it. Take it back. I’m not getting dragged into this. You stole it, so you deal with it.”
Klein thought to himself, *If only people knew she was drugged, they’d understand. Otherwise, they’d just assume she was drunk out of her mind.*
“I didn’t steal it. I bought it,” he asserted, a rush of heat igniting in his gut as he managed a wry smile.
He warned her sharply, “Keep it up, and you’ll regret it.”
Whitney abruptly sat up straight, her head drooping as if the weight of the world was upon her. That obedient, vulnerable look made Klein’s heart flutter with a longing he struggled to suppress.
Taking a deep breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, battling the thoughts that were not meant to surface.
Finally, Marco pulled the car up to the hospital, the tires screeching slightly as they came to a halt.
*****
Dustin was just settling into his office after a long day filled with patients when the door swung open with a loud bang.
‘Seriously, who the hell is it now?’ Dustin grumbled under his breath, irritation etched across his face.
When he looked up, his irritation morphed into disbelief. “Klein, seriously? What are you doing here?”
‘Oh, look at that. He’s got a girl in his arms,’ Dustin thought, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
As he glanced down, realization struck him. ‘Wait a sec. Isn’t this the Moore girl?’
“Cut the crap. She’s been dosed. Get a female doctor over here, now,” Klein snapped, his voice laced with urgency.
Dustin stood there, momentarily at a loss for words.
“You know exactly what to do, don’t you? So why’d you drag her here?” he asked, his tone dripping with disdain.
Klein’s eyes flashed with a cold intensity. “Do you think I’m some kind of beast?”
Normally, they would exchange light-hearted banter with Klein, but everyone understood that crossing him was a dangerous game.
Dustin rubbed his nose, attempting to regain his composure. “Hey, I was just joking.”
“If I’m not laughing, it’s not a joke,” Klein shot back, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Realizing he had crossed a line, Dustin hurried off to find a female doctor from the ER to attend to Whitney.
As soon as the female doctor arrived, she glanced at Whitney lying on the bed, her expression turning serious as she assessed the situation. “This drug is really strong. She’s bitten her tongue in several places,” the doctor remarked, frowning with concern.
She examined Whitney more carefully. “Her thighs, too. She’s pinched herself so hard.”
Behind the curtain, Klein’s face darkened, his chiseled features becoming even more intense and sharp.
Dustin felt the icy aura radiating from Klein and instinctively stepped aside. In this moment, Klein was definitely not someone anyone wanted to provoke.
“I’ll start her on an IV. Are you her family? Here’s the bill,” the doctor said, handing over the slip with a clinical detachment.
Dustin was about to insist that it was fine, that they should just focus on treating her first.
But before he could voice his thoughts, Klein’s long, pale fingers reached for the bill. “Yeah, I’m her family. Thanks, doctor,” he said, his voice steady.
Dustin was rendered speechless, caught off guard by Klein’s sudden claim.
*****
“Hey, Aunt Laura, she got away,” Travis reported, his voice tinged with panic.
Laura gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What? How did she get away? How could she just vanish like that?”
“I found her in the bathroom, but then someone came out of nowhere and kicked me down. I got knocked out for a second, and when I looked up, she was gone,” he explained, frustration evident in his tone.
‘Someone actually came and saved her?’ Laura thought, her anger boiling beneath the surface.
“Was it a guy? Did you see his face at all?” Laura pressed, her voice sharp.
Travis shook his head, looking defeated. “No, Aunt Laura.”
Laura rolled her eyes inwardly, *Ugh, what a moron.*
“Alright, just go home,” she snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Tina, noticing her mother’s serious expression, leaned in to ask, “Mom, what’s wrong? Did Whitney get away?”
“Yeah,” Laura replied tersely.
*Damn, it’ll be way harder to pull something on her next time,* Laura thought, frustration gnawing at her.
*****
An hour later, Whitney finally regained consciousness, feeling weak and disoriented. She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of her stupor.
Then, her gaze locked onto a pair of deep, familiar eyes.
“Klein?” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Klein gave a slight nod, his expression softening. “Yeah, it’s me.”
In that moment, memories flooded back to Whitney-how Laura had drugged her, how she had fled to the bathroom to hide, and how Klein Harris had come to her rescue.
“Thank you,” she said softly, her heart swelling with gratitude.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.