Alexander's POV

Even in my dreams I could see those beautiful brown eyes stare back at me. I was going insane waiting for them to make their appearance again.

The feeling of tender hands running through my hair was so comforting. I needed a haircut and a shave especially, I look like a caveman at this point.

Rachel would be horrified if she awoke and saw me like this. Even though she lay motionless on the bed, she was still as breath taking as ever. So gorgeous, so sexy, so perfect, so pretty, so angelic. My neck was sore from the very stifling position I was sleeping in for the umpteenth time this week. If I keep this up, I'd be paying a visit to the physiotherapist soon.

Hands running through my hair?

I jolted up in shock from my barely awake state to finally see those brown eyes. Finally. Finally seeing her awake and looking at me.

"You're awake," I said softly in complete shock.

She smiled at me and I could cry again. "I'm awake," she nodded.

I was overcome with relief. "You're awake," I said again mindlessly still trying to process it.

"I think we've established that already, Alexander," my beautiful Rachel said and giggled at me.

I snapped out of my dazed and sharply stood up. "I'll go get the doctor."

I made a move to bolt out of the room but she held my hand before I could go.

"He already came in while you were asleep. I told him not to wake you while he examined me. I'm fine... well for the most of it," she said rather unsurely and lowered her gaze.

I took a seat back on the stool I was previously on. "How are you feeling?"

She licked her dry lips in thought and I made a mental note to message Lev to get some lip balm from the pharmacy for her.

Rachel looked up at me with big eyes that held a lot of emotion. It was as if her feelings were swirling around creating a confused integrated mess that held no boundary.

"I've obviously had better days. My abdomen is sore and my body is so stiff. The doctor told me that I'd have to attend a few physical therapy sessions one the bullet wound is healed. Thanks for the socks, they're so cute," she said adoringly and wiggled her toes around.

"They're from Liam and Isabella. It was your birthday yesterday, princess. Happy belated birthday," I picked up her hand and kissed it.

Rachel's face prominently fell and she looked quite sad. "I missed my first birthday with you?"

"It's alright," I quickly pacified. "We can still make it special. Doesn't matter if it's late."

Rachel pulled down her hospital gown that had ridden up on her side. "I don't even want to look at the scar. It must be so ugly," she said dejectedly and shook her head in embarrassment.

I placed my hand on her exposed thigh and rubbed gently while shaking my head assuring her that's not the case. "Hey, don't say that. You're a fighter, Rachel. Nothing about you could ever be ugly. A scar will never retract from your beauty. You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen to grace this universe," I said sincerely. I meant every single word that came out of my mouth.

A few moments of silence passed where I shamelessly stared at Rachel like a lovesick puppy all ready to bark at her beck and call.

"Do you need anything, princess? Water? Another pillow? Are you hungry? Shit you must be starving obviously. I'll be right back," I stood up and walked to the door almost fully exiting when she yelled out for me.

"Alexander! Alexander!"

I turned around a little confused at her outburst but recomposed myself when I saw that she began to get anxious and the heart monitor started going significantly faster. Her breathing hitched and I rushed back to her.

"Calm down, princess. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here, Nothing is going to happen to you," I cooed as I bent over and placed my hand on her cheek.

"Don't leave me," she said strained out with panic thick in her voice.

"I'm not. I won't go anywhere. I'm never leaving you alone."

She took a few minutes to calm herself and I glanced at the heart monitor to make sure that it was going steady again.

"I'm scared," she said so softly, barely audible.

I nodded and sat on the bed extremely close to her, making sure that she was okay and comfortable. "Nothing is going to happen to you again. You're completely safe. You're with me now."

"No. No I'm not. He's going to come for me, Alexander. William is going to come for me if you leave me alone."

I looked at her with that same everlasting pain present in my chest. Rachel was so torn. Even when she is supposed to be recovering, she is scared as a mouse.

I clenched my teeth tightly thinking about that bastard. "He won't come for you. He won't ever come for you. He'll never lay his filthy hands on you again, Rachel. I'm here now. I'll protect you with every fiber of my being."

She grabbed my hand tightly with both of hers not letting go. Frantically she shook her head, "You don't know that, he'll come for me... and... and he'll t-touch me again..."

Hearing her words made me simmer with anger. The thought of him touching her made me want to revive his beaten, burnt up body and torture him some more. I should have gauged his eyeballs out for looking at her.

"Princess, you're safe. William is... taken care of," I said cryptically not wanting to scare her even more. The look on her face when I pulled the trigger on Therese and Jocelyn was one that I hoped to never see again. Shock, fear and disappointment swarmed in her eyes at that moment – all directed at me.

She looked up at me in shock. "You killed him?"

Well I technically did more that just kill him and torture was an understatement for what I had put him through but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"He took you for money, Rachel. For a company that he didn't deserve. I found out that I inherited Ashford and Co. a few weeks ago. Grandpa gave it to me. William deserved to die, princess. He deserved everything I did to him. He killed my parents and then tried to take you away from me. He touched what is mine."

Rachel was so disappointed with me. I could see it all over her face. They all deserved to die though. It would have happened one way or another so why was she looking at me like that.

I stood from the bed and turned my back to her. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't look at me like that."

"Alexander come back here."

I understood that she needed to rest some more since she looked so pale and frail. I prayed for her to get that warm glow on her cheeks again. Thinking back, I'm such an idiot for having an intense conversation like this as soon as she woke up.

I walked over to the mini fridge and rummaged through for a bottle of electrolytes.

"Here, have this." I handed the bottle to her after opening it and she gulped the whole 500ml down in one go before choking a little at the end.

She sighed satisfied and wiped her mouth. "Thank you. I needed that. The IV isn't enough to satisfy me." I looked over to her arm where the needle was attached and then back up at the IV bag to see that it was only ¼ full.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Alexander. I just... you know." She said and played around with her words. "I just don't like that you have blood on your hands. Especially because of me."

"It's not because of you, princess. They had it coming for a long time. They touched you, Rachel. They laid their filthy hands on you." William nearly raped you!

She took a few seconds to come to terms with what horrible people they were and I kept on reassuring her that she wasn't to blame. By the end of it, I could see that her energy was close to gone when she yawned so big before covering her mouth quickly.

"Sorry..." she let out timidly.

"You need to rest some more. I promise I'll still be here even when you're asleep." I started to pull up the light blanket over her gently, ensuring that her wound remained untouched and pain free but she shoved the blanket away.

"Can you help me shower and brush my teeth first please? I'm sure I stink like sewer," she said and scrunched up her face.

No she didn't stink, not at all. "I'll ring the nurse to direct me in helping you. You wound is still delicate."

I helped Rachel to shower and brush her teeth and I smiled in relief when I saw that she felt so much better about herself. However a simple shower depleted her energy levels and she was close to collapsing on the vanity.

I gave her some more water and tucked her into bed after changing her into a loose nightgown, not the hospital one that she detested. Food would have to wait. She wasn't clear to eat solids yet.

I sat down back on my trusty stool and watched her drift off slowly back into slumber, but this time with the reassurance that I knew she'd awake.

"Rachel?"

"Hmm?" she hummed with her eyes closed.

I fidgeted with my hands for a bit quite nervous. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Thank you for... taking a bullet for me."

Her eyes fluttered opened at looked straight at me. "Anything for the person I love," she whispered and closed her eyes letting sleep engulf her.