Hired to Protect (Book 2 of The Hired Series)

2. Penelope

By the time Clara, the omega at the café, had helped her limp to the AutoCab, Penny had to admit that her ankle was going to have to be looked at. She could barely put any pressure on it, and it was definitely swollen.

Typing in the address to her doctor, she leaned back in the seat and propped her foot up on the cushion next to her. Heaving a sigh as she looked out the window, she tried to figure out what to do. She had already reported Adrian to the Force when they first separated and he threatened her, but apparently, he didn't take the warning to heart. She would file a report on him while she was at the doctor, but she doubted it would do any good.

Shaking her head, Penny pulled herself out of her thoughts as the AutoCab slowed to a stop outside of the office building. Using the doorframe to pull herself up, she looked at how far it was to the entrance, trying to figure out how she was going to make it that far without completely embarrassing herself.

Beginning to feel a bit desperate as the cab pulled away, Penny leaned towards the pillar holding up the awning that covered the sidewalk and used it to hop out of the street. She was about to pull off her heels and attempt hopping to the door when she noticed a car pulling up behind her and a nurse pushing someone out in a wheelchair.

Heart soaring in relief, she attempted to look casual as she waited for the nurse to help the man in the wheelchair into the car. Once the car pulled away the nurse turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you..."

"Oh yes! Please! I twisted my ankle and it hurts to walk," Penny gushed as the nurse moved closer to her. "Thank you so much, I wasn't sure what I was going to do to get inside."

"You should have called ahead so we could send someone out for you," the nurse chided gently as Penny settled into the seat of the wheelchair.

Feeling heat creep up her cheeks, Penny ducked her head and mumbled, "Sorry." That would have been the logical thing to do, but her mind just didn't seem to be able to come up with something that simple as the answer right now.

Remaining silent as the nurse pushed her inside, she thanked the woman once she dropped her off in front of the receptionist. Explaining what happened to the woman at the desk in as few words as possible, another person came out and pushed her back to a room to wait on the doctor. Keeping her mind as blank as possible, Penny simply stared at the wall as she waited.

The soft knock on the door warned her it was about to open, and she pasted the best smile she could muster onto her face as her elderly doctor stepped into the room.

"So, what happened to your ankle?" she asked as she sat on a stool and slid closer to her.

Reaching down, the doctor gently gripped her calf and raised Penny's foot until she could rest the heel on the stool between her legs.

"I twisted it running a little while ago. Haven't been able to put weight on it since without pain shooting up to my knee."

Humming, the doctor poked and prodded, turning her foot as Penny hissed and whimpered.

"We'll need to get some imaging, but I think it's just a strained ligament. I hope you weren't running in these?" the doctor said, looking at her over the top of the glasses perched on her nose.

"I didn't really have a choice," Penny mumbled, ducking her head.

She must not have ducked her head fast enough because the doctor reached out and took her chin, tipping it up as the other pressed on her neck.

"You may have convinced me the scrapes you have were from the fall, but this definitely is not. Have you filed a report yet?"

Unable to meet the doctor's eyes as she continued to hold Penny's chin up and examine her throat, she admitted, "Not yet."

Tsking, the doctor released her but left her foot on the stool as she carefully stood.

"I'll send an officer as well then. Keep the foot up, the nurse will be in to do the images in a moment."

One of the things she loved about her doctor was that she didn't pry, but she was still a very no-nonsense person and would make a report herself if Penny didn't. Sighing, she didn't get to brood for long before another tap came on the door as it opened to let in a small man followed by a much larger one dressed in dark grey.

The smaller of the two gave her a smile, shuffling over with a large black box in his arms as the larger one stopped just inside the door.

"Let me get this set up really quick and I'll step out so you can chat with this gentleman," the nurse said.

When he leaned over her leg, she realized the box was just a frame as he sat it on the stool, covering her foot and ankle. Pressing a few buttons on the top, he stepped back with another quick smile.

"It's all set. Please keep your leg still until it beeps. I'll be just outside."

With that, he slipped past the officer, closing the door gently behind him.

"I was told you needed to file a report for assault. Was this a random person or someone you knew?"

Penny described what had happened as she had been heading to the shop earlier. How her ex had grabbed her, attempting to pull her into a car before she managed to slip out of his grip and run. Giving his name and last known address, she asked what would happen now.

"We will issue a temporary restraining order and have him served so that if he approaches you again, we can arrest him. That will remain in place until you go to court and a judge decides what more should happen."

"Court? I'll have to face him again?" Penny asked, sinking into herself. "What do I do if he doesn't stop following me around?"

"If you see him again and he doesn't leave immediately, call the Force."

Snorting, Penny looked back up at the officer.

"That's kind of hard to do if a hand is wrapped around your throat."

The officer looked a bit startled and at a loss for words, so she waved her hand in the air, thanking him for his time as the machine on her leg beeped. He left as the nurse entered to free her leg. Telling her the doctor would be back in just a moment, Penny was left alone with her thoughts again.