High Stakes (The Kingdom Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

to the edge of the bed and dangle my feet while I wait for the nurse. I mean, how busy do these guys get here? Should I just go on my own? I can’t wait. The more I think about it the more I need to pee. Denham could be a while after all. He said I’d been here for six hours already. Is that right? He has a business to run and he’s spent the day by my side while I was unconscious. It’s no wonder there are people calling him. He probably has endless calls to return and he wouldn’t even know if I just slipped out and slipped back in again. My feet swing faster as the thoughts run through my head and I mentally explore my options. The longer I deliberate, the closer it gets to him coming back so I slide off the side of the hospital bed very carefully, transferring the weight onto my feet gently and testing my ability to stand. There, that isn’t too bad … I just have to make it over to the other side of the room and into the bathroom and I can sit down again. God, I want to sit down again, my head is starting to pound. Maybe this was a bad idea. My legs are shaking like a newborn lamb and I’m not sure how much longer they are gonna hold out. I make it three tentative steps before the drip is tugging at my hand and I remember that I’m attached.
    I turn and make it back to the edge of the bed, resting my hands on the edge and trying to support my weight as best I can as I know I don’t have the strength to climb back in.
    It was a stupid idea to try this on my own but despite everything I still hate to be dependent on anyone, even if I know I can’t do it on my own. But this time I am defeated.
    The door clicks open and one of the male nurses comes in.
    “And where do you think you’re going?” he asks.
    “I need to pee, but I …” My voice wavers at the fact that I can’t do a simple thing such as take myself to the bathroom.
    “Don’t worry, you didn’t realize how much your body would protest, I know. Here, let me help you.”
    He comes to my side and I hold on to his hand as he supports me around the waist with his other arm. He guides me towards the chair that Denham has spent the whole time sitting beside me in, but before I can make it to sitting, my eyes start to feel fuzzy around the edges and I lose my balance. I fall into the nurse, clutching for anything in front of me that I can grab but finding nothing and relying on the nurse to catch me. Luckily, he does or I could have been sporting another lump on my head and a double concussion.
    “What the hell?” Denham’s voice reverberates around the room and he rushes to me. “Get your hands off her,” he orders sharply.
    “Mr. King, she needs to get back into the bed, now if you’ll let me do my job,” the nurse says firmly but politely.
    “No, if you think I’m going to let you touch my girl, especially when she’s wearing next to nothing, then you’ve got another thing coming. I’ll do it,” he growls. “Come here, Trouble,” he says softly to me. He shifts me out of the grip of the male nurse, who turns to leave, shaking his head as he goes and then Denham scoops me up in his arms before placing me back on the bed and covering me up to my neck with the sheet. His possessiveness makes me feel safe. Jonny was always possessive for his own personal reasoning, but Denham’s way with me is totally different. He’s actually protecting me .
    I let my head roll back onto the pillow and close my eyes to soothe the throbbing feeling pushing its way around my head. After a couple of minutes, the dizziness slows and I open my eyes a fraction.
    “I’m ‘Trouble’ now?” I ask sadly.
    Denham’s soft laugh makes me feel warm, “Yes, it seemed appropriate.” He brushes my hair from my forehead and kisses me softly.
    “You haven’t called me that for a while,” I ponder sadly. I warned him at the very beginning that I was trouble, and look what has happened “I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t be crazy, Arianna, you’re still my stunner.