Her face felt stiff and throbbed with every beat of her heart. Her ribs hurt. Her back and one side all the way down to her knee felt like agony. She was lying on her right side, only a sheet covered her, and it was her left side that felt as if someone had poured gasoline on it and started a fire.

“She’s been moaning,” a voice said—a male voice, one of hard authority—and he sounded pissed. “She’s in pain. Give her something.”

Her breath left her lungs in a long rush. She knew that voice. She prayed it was a dream only that Elijah Lospostos had been holding her, whispering to her to hang on, but there was no mistaking that voice of absolute authority. The worst I ever had. She squeezed her eyes tightly closed.

She couldn’t face him. Not ever again. Certainly not like this. She hadn’t glanced under the sheet, but she knew what she would see if she did. She looked like Frankenstein’s monster, sewn back together in patches. She pushed her fist into her mouth to keep from weeping. She wouldn’t do that in front of him.

A woman bustled around by the machine and stuck a needle into the line going into her arm. “You’re awake,” she said brightly. “This should take care of the pain. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.”

Siena didn’t respond. She bit down harder on her fist, wanting to scream at Elijah to leave. What was he doing there? Had he been there the entire time? The woman left the room, and she felt his hand on her hair—hair that was braided. She nearly groaned aloud, remembering the feel of hands in her hair, a brush. That low male murmuring as he braided her hair to keep it out of her face and make her more comfortable when she’d been so hot.

“Go away, Elijah,” she ordered flatly.

“You know I’m not going to do that, baby,” he said softly.

She opened her eyes and there he was. Close. Too close. His hand stroked a caress through her hair and tears burned behind her eyes. She didn’t want his pity. “I can’t face you right now. Please just go.”

“We’ll get through this. You’re on the road to recovery finally. The fever has subsided, and it looks like the antibiotics have finally kicked in.”