I was frozen in place as I didn't recognize the stranger in front of me. I couldn't; his dark clothing and hood did a good job in covering half of his face. He was holding a paragon knife in his hand and the moment he snapped the blade open, I was terrified.

I reached inside my pocket, trying to open my phone with my fingerprint, but I failed. That damn thing never worked when I needed it the most.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said pointing to my hand. 

I retrieved my hand to my side and just stared, wishing that Brandon would hear this. His door was still open, after all. 

"I have some business with Mr. King. Behave and no harm will come to you. Unless you wanna play sweet pea."

Sweet pea? I inwardly cringed at his words. Disgusting pig!

"Sir, I'm kindly asking you to leave the premises of the hospital. Visiting hours don't start 'til after 10 am. Besides, I won't allow you to harm my patient. That would mean I suck at my job and I definitely don't." I was trembling inside, but my voice was loud and clear.

I didn't know what I was thinking. It was not like Brandon could save me from this situation; he was still wounded and on bed rest.

His chuckle sounded menacing and I shivered. He barged towards me, yanking my hair roughly as he brought his face closer to mine. My precious cup of tea plummeted on the floor with a thud, spilling my beverage on the floor and my scrubs. 

That was his first mistake.

He pressed the knife on my neck, and I was frozen in place. Never in my life have I encountered such fear. His eyes held an emptiness I've never seen before, as he brought me close to his face. He could snatch my last breath if he wanted to, if I made one wrong move. Guttural grunts of pain left my mouth as he shook my body, his fingers still interlocked in my hair, pulling at my scalp.

"I'm here to deal with King and that's that. But if you want to play, then that could be arranged as well." He raised his tone, talking louder.

That was his second mistake.

I tried to free myself from his hold, pulling at the hand that was relentlessly pulling at my hair. He tugged one more time making me hiss soundly, as he pressed the knife firmly on my throat. It didn't pierce my skin, but it was a warning. I remained still. 

I blinked once and next thing I knew, my tormentor was on the floor, clutching his nose. I turned around and came face to face with Brandon's naked torso; he was in the same dark sweatpants I've seen the day before. 

He hated the hospital gown.

In that moment I felt relief surging through my veins. Still, I was cautious of the situations and scurried away from the stranger on the floor. Brandon's strong arm pulled me behind him, but I could still see the man in front of us. He was still holding onto his knife with one hand, while the other clutched at his nose. Blood covered his lips and nose, as grunts of pain left his mouth.

Knowing I had to notify security, I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my scrubs, but Brandon stopped me. Glancing back at him, I saw the angry look on Brandon's face; his jaw was clenched as he kept deadly staring down at the stranger. His right hand met my trembling one and he interlocked our fingers together. The motif of our knuckles was ridiculous, as his showcased an angry purple color, a stark contrast to my pale skin.

"Why are you here?" His voice was gruff, as he warned the stranger still on the floor that he was not in the mood for games.

"It's been a long time, King. We missed you, old pal." He spit blood on the white tiles making me inwardly cringe. "You know, 'Big Jim' won't appreciate this." He pointed towards me with his knife. "You were always so focused, never had distractions."

Brandon released my hand to retrieve the gun he was hiding up until now behind his back. My eyes widened, as he pointed the gun in the man's face making me gulp. 

"Get inside." He's angry tone sent chills down my spine, almost scaring me. He didn't turn around to look at me. His eyes were fixated on the guy that was coughing blood on the floor.

"What-" I tried to question his actions, but Brandon's focus was on him.

"Tell James you actually failed. Again! And tell him my next move is to finish his game!" Brandon's voice was laced with authority, making the man gulp as he was the one frozen in place. 

I should fear him, but I couldn't. My brain couldn't register Brandon King as a threat. Not yet.

The menacing laughter of the stranger on the floor stopped my train of thought. He was trying to taunt Brandon, but his stance didn't quiver in the slightest. Instead, he disabled the safety of his gun, causing the stranger's laughter to cease.

"Get out!" His stern voice was the last push the man needed, as he bolted away from Brandon's sight.

I sighed, somehow relieved that this was over. I knew the emotional turmoil inside me would come at me full force by the end of the night, but for now I was safe. We both were. 

Glad that Brandon didn't hurt the man, I began questioning the facts in front of me. It was obvious that something similar happened a few days ago. On the other hand, the hooded man was a pawn in someone else's schemes and I soon realized that Brandon was also part of it at some point of his life.

He moved past me as I stood by the door, staring at his back. He secured the gun back in its holster, before hiding the deadly object with his leather jacket. Placing his body weight back on the bed, he released a groan of pain once his left shoulder touched the pillow, revealing the last remnants of adrenaline were now leaving his body. He turned his gaze towards me, making me gulp. His orbs stared heatedly back at me, but I refused to move an inch. Once again, I had no idea who he really was.

"Come here, Angel!" His husky voice made me shiver and before I knew it, I was on the right side of his bed.

He pulled me on the hard mattress with ease and without uttering a word, I laid my head on his naked chest. My brain couldn't stop working, as I tried to find the answers to all my unspoken questions, when I felt his hand caressing my body over my scrubs. I didn't know if minutes or hours went by, but slowly I found myself doing the same. I was caressing the warm skin of his abdomen with my fingertips, a smile on my face as I marveled the goosebumps that appeared on his inked skin. 

I was tracing the wolf on his side, in awe with the detailed design and the geometrical patterns covering the right half of his body. It was truly mesmerizing how the wolf's eyes were somehow staring back at me. The dark lines drawn on the curves and creases of his abdominal muscles were a piece of art and I couldn't stop myself. I was still shocked, but having him this close eased my mind. His embrace was warm and even though I should be terrified, in that moment I felt safe.

The bruises on his abdomen were discolored and less prominent today than on his first day at the hospital. I had a strong urge to confirm he was well, and I pulled away from his arms for a quick inspection. He was still wearing the sling around his left arm, keeping his shoulder in place. Although the events of the night were unfortunate, his recovery wasn't messed up. The pain would be immense, and the muscle tear could worsen. I sighed, feeling relieved. 

I couldn't help it. The doctor inside me was always worried.

"I'm fine, Angel. Just lay here... please." The huskiness in his voice sent chills down my spine as he pulled me closer to him. 

He saw right through me. Somehow, he knew what was on my mind. 

I allowed myself to enjoy this for a awhile, before the weight of the world came tumbling down and all the questions burning inside my mind were once again released from their prison.

"I don't know what I would do to that scum if he hurt you." He said, moving his body on his right side so he could look at me.

He locked eyes with me, and I lost myself in his heated gaze. I could see the fear in his green orbs, and I wondered if he could see the same in my own. I felt safe in his arms, but I couldn't help the shivers when I thought of the knife held against my neck. 

"I had a feeling you would come save me." I smiled, hoping he would relax a bit.

His smile lasted for a second, before his face fell again. Every part of his cheerful and provoking personality was now replaced with a colder version of him. 

"The pain in your face from him pulling your hair..." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "and the knife on your neck-" He paused. 

His eyes were wide like an owl's, while he frantically checked my neck for wounds and cuts. He found none and calmed down, as he pulled me in his arms. I should be terrified, but wrapped like this in his arms made all the frightening thoughts subside.

"I was afraid of losing you!" His words caught me by surprise.

I balanced my body on my elbow, my head now higher than his as I stared at him. The look on his face seemed genuine. Was he telling the truth? His green eyes were darker; they were dilated and looked tired.

"Well you didn't." I paused, thinking about the words about to escape my mouth. "I wouldn't like losing you either."

He pulled my head towards him and he placed his warm lips on my forehead for a second. His lips lingered on that same spot while we took deep breaths. Before, he was teasing me and I felt hot. Now he was gentle, worried, showing me a completely different side of him. A side that felt too close to home.

Still... I had to know. I wanted to ask. James... Big Jim. This person was behind everything. He must have orchestrated not only tonight's attack but was responsible for Brandon's accident. I was almost certain about this. I just hoped he would trust me enough and tell me the truth.

"Brandon...?"

"Yes angel?" The huskiness of his voice caused tingles to spread to my whole body as he held me close, the warmth of his body seeping through me.

"Why did that guy want to hurt you?" My voice was small; I was afraid of starting this conversation.

"He didn't want to hurt me, Angel. He wanted to kill me." I gulped, my heart rate picking up at his words. 

Why was he so unfazed by this? If he knew, why didn't he do anything to stop him? Why didn't he contact the authorities? Why didn't I contact the authorities? He stopped me from doing so, but why? The questions were almost drowning me; I had to know. I deserved to know.

"Y-Yes, but why? Y-You brought a g-gun in the hospital. How? Where did you get that? And who's James? A- And what game is he playing? Does that have anything t-to do with the shoulder accident you had? Are they responsi-" 

I was heaving, breathing uncontrollably fast as I couldn't cease my anxious thoughts. Watching me like this alarmed him and he turned towards me, crushing me in his strong embrace to help regulate my rapid breaths.

"Wow, Angel relax. I'm fine. We're fine. Breath! Please, baby, just take deep breaths for me..." 

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to obey his words. His voice was soothing, and I soon started breathing in a normal tempo. He held me close, rubbing my back, while I tried to control my mind and body.  

"You don't have to worry about anything. It's just stuff I need to handle."

I was frightened and I was angry. He was shutting me out again, answering none of my questions. In that moment, a strength I was not familiar with 'til now, urged me to push him away and stand my ground. The adrenaline feeding the anger I was feeling, made me sound confident as I demanded, this time, answers.

"Brandon, look at me! The whole situation scares me to death. I need to know. I need to understand you and all this better." He didn't say anything, just kept thinking about what happened. It truly frustrated me. I deserved answers. "I deserve to know, Brandon, so just tell me! Please..."

"No, Erika!" His tone was harsh and I pulled myself away from him, regretting the loss of his arms around me instantly. 

Looking at his stoic face I knew. He had made a decision. Maybe the same decision I had made hours prior. He was colder now, pushing me away. We were on the same page on one thing; whatever this attraction between us was, we were only strangers. We've built the walls around us, making them so high, we trapped ourselves inside in the process. 

Trying to balance myself on my own two feet, I straightened my scrubs and headed towards the door. I turned around once more to look into his eyes. I was almost pleading with him, to not let me go, to explain everything to me.

No words were spoken.

Looking at me, he didn't say anything. He simply nodded his head in understanding, facing his hands that laid on his lap.

"Goodnight, Mr. King." My voice was cold.

"Goodnight, Dr. Ricci." His voice was colder.

And that's how this adventure ended!

With my volatile position in the hospital, I was afraid of bending the rules and Brandon was unwilling to release parts of himself. He wouldn't and I couldn't. Maybe the chemistry was there, but the situation at hand wasn't ideal.

This wasn't our time.

Not now. Not yet. Not at all.

"Bambina?" My mom's soothing voice said through the phone, the moment I entered my on-call room.

I fixed myself another cup of tea and got under the covers, getting ready to rest for the night. She sounded happy to hear me. I sighed. At least I didn't wake her.

"Ciao, mama." I tried to control my emotions. I didn't want to worry her, just wanted to hear her voice. "Come va?"

"Sto bene... Are you okay baby? You sound sad."

"It's nothing... I just missed you so much." My voice broke towards the end.

"Oh, Erika... I miss you too, baby. Your dad also misses you very much. Both of you. We were thinking of making a trip to the US this Christmas. How does that sound?" I calculated the months in my head; another six months. I could do that!

"That'd be wonderful mama. I hope it won't be difficult, with your jobs and all." I said, thinking about my mom's job at our trattoria and my dad's courses at the university. Taking days off was always difficult for them.

"Nonsense. It's Christmas! Besides... I've missed my babies so much."

We've talked some more, until I couldn't hold my eyes open anymore. I made sure my pager was loud enough, before I closed my eyes, drifting away from everything that was bothering me. I let my mom's voice lull me to sleep, dreaming of a different wonderland.

_______________

The wait is over!! 

Well she just couldn't stay away from him, now, could she? I can't stop thinking about the two of them. Was this the whole story between them? It didn't even start yet.

Brandon's secrets are making even me crazy. I love his character so much though. It just goes without saying, that he went through a lot. 

The black hooded guy and the 'JAMES' Brandon mentioned is just one (two) of the characters Brandon (maybe even Erika) will have to deal with.

I just wonder....

Once more, thank you for reading my story. I hope you liked this chapter. It was extra long just for you! Lot's of kisses to all of you.

xo J