As Michael continued his examination, Sarah's mind drifted back to the moments before she had collapsed. She recalled the cold in the air, the way her body had trembled wildly on her way to this glass and steel fortitude. Her mind slipped in and out of awareness as the fever seized her and she was hauled up to the penthouse. Then there was Ethan, his voice a deep rumble of worry that seemed so incompatible with the harsh, merciless guy she had only days before. Ethan loomed over her.
"Why is he acting this way?" With her eyes closed as though she were terrified to face the response, Sarah's voice pierced the quiet.
Michael's brow wrinkled just slightly, not sure what to say. The reality was he too lacked a complete awareness of Ethan's driving forces. Ethan was a guy of many contradictions—ruthless yet protective, chilly but passionately loyal. And with regard to Sarah, those inconsistencies felt much more noticeable.
Michael said gently, "I think he finds something in you that he doesn't want to lose. Something he has been lacking for a protracted period.
Sarah opened her eyes and looked across Michael's face for any trace of dishonesty. "But I don't even know him," she said, her voice somewhat desperate. "He seems foreign to me."
Michael sighed quietly and reached out to gently clasp her hand. "Ethan is not an easy man to understand," he said. "He has gone through more than most people could even dream. Though he may not know exactly how, I do think he wants to guard you.
Sarah listened to him, a little knot of anxiety squeezing her chest. She still found Ethan Wright to be a mystery, a strong and lethal man hidden in shadows. But under that gloom she felt something else: a sensitivity, a loneliness that reflected her own. Even as every instinct urged her to go, it was this little, almost invisible breach in his frigid façade that made her want to know him.
Once more the door creaked open, and Chris Jensen came in carrying a tray with a small breakfast. He put it down on the little table next to the bed and nodded gently to Sarah. "Mr. Wright asked me to make sure you're comfortable," he said in a professional manner that left no space for question about his allegiance.
Still too weak to really engage, Sarah faked a little smile. "Thank you," she said, but she couldn't get rid of the sensation that she was under close observation like a delicate piece of glass that might break at any minute.
Chris and Michael looked at one other before the doctor got up. "I will be back later to see how you are doing," he stated gently. " Try to eat something and get some sleep in the meanwhile. You are safe right here, Sarah.
Safety. Though it was a promise, the word hung in the air and Sarah wasn't sure she believed. She switched her attention back to the window as the two guys departed the room, observing the city come alive below her. Though she was in a fortification surrounded by riches and authority, it felt more like a golden cage than a haven.