“It shocked me too. I didn’t know that’s what I was until I was with her.”

“As long as we’re sitting here, killing time, tell me how that works.”

So much for his “it’s none of my damn business” comment. “She belongs to me as much as I belong to her. It’s the most powerfully intimate thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Does she make you wear a bow tie and a Speedo when you’re alone? Oh, wow. Does she make you hand-feed her grapes and fan her with palm fronds too?”

His head whipped up, and he saw the humor dancing in Deacon’s eyes. “Fuck you.”

Deacon bumped him with his shoulder. “I couldn’t resist.”

They didn’t say anything for a while. But neither of them were watching people either.

“Excuse me . . . Knox?”

He looked up and saw Tom the driver standing there. His face had bumps, bruises, and cuts. His arm was in a sling. His clothes looked like he’d rolled in the dirt. He was walking hunched over. “Jesus, Tom. Are you okay?”

Deacon pulled a chair over for him.

“Thanks. I’m . . . still a little in shock, to tell you the truth. Any word on Ms. Hirano?”

“Not yet.”

Tom sighed and slumped back in the chair with a wince. “Before you ask, I didn’t see her at all after the accident. I got knocked out because the air bag didn’t deploy.”

Knox saw Deacon clenching and unclenching his fists. He swore he could hear the man grinding his teeth. He returned his attention to Tom. “Do you remember how the accident happened?”

“We were in a construction zone, so I wasn’t driving more than forty-five. The truck was coming down the ramp and he swerved to avoid something. He overcorrected and the truck skidded off the ramp into traffic. We were the unlucky car in its direct path.”

He couldn’t suppress a shudder.

“The truck T-boned us, but the other cars around us managed to avoid hitting us. Or so I’ve heard.” He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, “Thank god for that damn stain.”

“Excuse me?”

Tom looked at Knox with anguished eyes. “When I picked Ms. Hirano up this morning, she noticed a stain on the right rear passenger seat—where she prefers to sit. Rather than having another car sent, she sat on the opposite side. If she’d been sitting there . . . that entire side of the car was caved in and demolished. She would’ve been crushed.”

All the breath left his lungs. His heart dropped into his stomach, and every hair in his body stood on end.

Deacon abruptly got up.

“So that stain I was so pissed about probably saved her life,” Tom said.

This was a brutal reminder that everything could be gone in the blink of an eye. Shiori had to be okay. Had to. He had this miracle, this chance to tell her how he felt about her.

“I’ve been discharged even though I’ve got a screaming headache. My boyfriend is on his way from Colorado Springs to take me home,” Tom said.

Knox glanced up and frowned at the other man. Tom was gay? Not that it mattered. But that disclosure did indicate that Shiori had been right about how quickly Knox overreacted to any man’s attention to her. “Headache? Did they diagnose you with a concussion?”

“No. The EMTs were concerned about my dislocated shoulder and whether the impact with the steering wheel broke any ribs. They gave me some painkillers, but I haven’t taken any yet.”

“Then you should go home. Be on the lookout for late-appearing concussion symptoms. They’re nothing to mess around with.”

“Thanks, Doc.” He slowly stood.

Knox snorted. “I’ve spent my adult life in martial arts, and head injuries are our number-one concern. Get yourself checked out again next week, just to be safe.”

“My number is on here”—he passed Shiori’s phone over—“so if you’d leave a message letting me know how she’s doing, I’d appreciate it.”

“Will do.”

Tom shuffled away.

Deacon hadn’t returned. Knox saw him standing by the windows. More tension vibrated off him than he usually saw before Deacon stepped into the ring. He moved to stand beside him, wishing the man would ramble about some random shit to take Knox’s mind off this gut-wrenching waiting.

After several long moments Deacon said, “I fucking hate hospitals.” Then he released a sharp bark of laughter. “Stupid statement. I highly doubt anyone loves them.”

The doctors and nurses here saved lives. Knox was damn glad someone was saving Shiori.