Page 13 of Ravaged From Fate

I leave, feeling her eyes on my back every step of the way out of the medical clinic’s doors.

5

ELSA

I watch Caspian Pierce walks out.

“What a night,” I say to myself, my head shaking in disbelief.

What a strange dark man to have turned up in East Springs of all places. So brooding of a character. So little to say. Every word he spoke to me seemed to be a struggle to get out of his mouth, a struggle beyond the physical. He made me – a professional nurse who’s dealt with hundreds of different patients – actually nervous to be around him, and that’s saying something. That’s why I spoke so much. And his eyes, so full of intense emotions. He just lay there on the examination bed and listened to me like I was the only person in the world.

And it frightened the hell out of me.

Who is this man?

He seemed so confident in himself, even while hurt with his body broken and in a foreign environment. There are secrets behind his stone wall face, I can tell. A darkness and a danger in his brown eyes. No one does what he was able to do in the bar without a past.

He’s definitely running from something, despite what he said.

Is he a criminal? Should I be as frightened as I am? More frightened than I am of the gang members he made short work of?

Could he even be some kind of serial killer? Maybe I’m just overimagining things.

I noticed his tattoos; how could I not? He’s covered from the neck down, his muscles filled with ink. A lion. A quote. Names. A compass. Symbols. And a giant lightning bolt R over his heart. He really must be a dangerous man.

Look at me, turning into one of the old gossiping mothers of the town. How pitiful. I promised myself I wouldn’t be like this, but here I am. Like all the other patients that come through these doors on a daily basis, I shouldn’t pay two cents into the personal background of this stranger. I don’t need to know a thing about him, only about what I can do to help him.

It was noble of him to stand up to those goons in the bar. Very brave, but also incredibly foolish. Look how hurt he got. It seemed like he’s a man familiar with violence. He was not shaken by what he did or what was done to him. That’s the kind of man you shouldn’t want in your life, or at least run away from.

But then…

The way he grabbed my hands and thanked me. The surprisingly gentle touch of his. Hard as it is to admit it, something definitely happened between us there. A little bit of magic.

But maybe I’m imagining things. Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve been touched by another human being that had nothing to do with work.

He’s handsome though. A real hunk, as Piper would say.

Holy crap, my thoughts are scrambled tonight.

I tidy the bed and make sure the medical clinic is securely locked up before I step outside. Tonight has certainly changed from Piper trying to get me drunk to me having to take care of a man who sustained pretty painful injuries because of me.

Yeah. What a night.

One thing is for sure, though. Caspian is going to be eaten alive in this small town with all the gossiping ladies. He might be able to fend off five men in a bar, but he stands no chance against the women of East Springs and their communicative abilities.

Whatever happens from tonight, I know this isn’t going to be the last time I have a run-in with Caspian Pierce.

6

CASPIAN

I walk through the doorway of my new home in East Springs trying to forget about what happened tonight. I put my wallet and keys in a bowl I keep by the front door and immediately head over to the kitchen to collect a beer from the fridge.

I’m in pain, but I’m pushing through. I was a fool to let those assholes land as many blows on me as they did. I’m going to be acutely feeling that mistake for the next few days, I’m sure of it.

At least I can rest here, in my new place. I’m actually settling in this house alright. Sure, it’s not a flashy pad in Los Angeles, but it’s somewhere I can call home. Like I’ve said, I’ve always lived very sparsely and minimalistic, even as a rockstar, but this place really takes the cake in that regard. I’ve purposely rented a house that doesn’t stand out at all. I paid the landlord a year upfront with cash, grateful that he didn’t want my legal name on any document. Sure, I can’t exactly trust a landlord, but a year’s worth of rent to tempt him to cut corners is nothing to what’s sitting in my bank account. I’ve got enough dough to buy this place outright, but I’m giving the town a chance before I commit.

Hopefully, I don’t run into any more gang members.