Trapped (The Nine lives of Kira Harting #1)

Chapter 4

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I open my eyes. Shit! Bright! It's too bright. I blink a few times slowly getting used to the brightness. I recognize the round pendant light hanging above my head and I'm immediately grateful we made it to the clinic. The familiar beige walls and their water color floral pictures greet me. There's a window to my left and through the crack in the thick white curtains I can see its black outside. I wonder what time it is.

I hear noises from somewhere else in the room behind a curtain wrapped around my bed, more machines beeping, someone snoring, and a clock ticking. I wait quietly for a while not wanting to wake whoever is sleeping behind the curtain but nobody comes to check on me. I try to go back to sleep but my body aches and when I shut my eyes I can feel them pulsing inside my head. I resolve to go find Sasha or her grandmother, Mama.

I push the blanket off my legs wincing at the bruises and bandages covering them. I carefully and slowly slide to the edge of the bed and let my legs hang off the edge. I scoot myself down until my toes touch the hard cold tile floor. I slide more until my feet are fully touching the floor while I hold onto the bed, suddenly out of breath. I rest for a moment and then I let go of the bed. I take two steps not expecting the amount of pain I get from each step. I take a third and then the world starts to tilt on its side.

I reach my hand out to catch myself on the bed but I'm already too far away from it. I tense up my body for the fall and the pain I get is ten times worse than what I'd imagined it would be. I hear footsteps running towards me making my head throb with every noisy step. I try to prop myself up but my arms feel like jelly. The second strong hands touch my skin a jolt of electricity pumps through me. I sag down as the jolt startles me but the hands grip at me tighter before I can fall again. I look up and even through the fog in my brain I can see him, the most beautiful man I've ever seen.

He lifts me higher and I get a close up look of the most intensely beautiful eyes ever. They are light hazel with different shades of green starburst's circling them. It is the most perfect blend of two colors I've ever seen. They are set into smooth soft skin the color of warm caramel. A few days stubble along a strong jaw line and curves around lush full kissable lips. Lips... that are moving.

I try to make out what he's saying but I can't hear anything past the ringing in my ears. I stare at him willing the ringing to stop. The cold floor against my bottom helps me focus, I need to get up. I grip onto his arms and feel the zap again and my fingers flex around him making his large muscles jump in response. He seems to get the idea and helps me stand, my legs wobble beneath me and he pulls me against his chest to steady me. Pressed up close against his rock hard body stirs a strange feeling in me. I feel, I feel...safe. I think that's the right word.

I can feel my breath quicken and my heart is pounding so hard against my ribs I'm almost sure it'll fly out. Slowly he leans me back to sit on the edge of the bed, I wince at the pain but then I feel so cold and vulnerable when he removes his hands from my arms and somehow that feels worse. When he takes ahold of my hand the wonderful feeling is back. He presses his other hand to my cheek, cradling my face, his thumb is just below my eye and he watches me and after a moment the ringing disappears.

"You okay? Can you hear me? I think you hit your head pretty hard. Kira? You okay?" He says and he pulls at the skin under my eye opening it wide. Then I realize he isn't really holding my hand, rather taking my pulse and he's not cradling my face but checking my pupils.

"I'm Kira." I say now that the ringing has disappeared. God what an idiot. He just said my name. Smooth. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks and I try to take deep breaths to calm myself.