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“You can spout all the rules you want. I don’t have to follow them.”
A stillness comes over Valentino’s body that doesn’t bode well for me. He rises, and I swear he’s never been this tall, his presence this overwhelming. He approaches me, each step thundering in my ears. His barely caged rage lashes at me, harder and harder the closer he gets. By the time he towers over me, my defiance is reduced to a puppy whining in the corner, afraid to face the furious dragon in front of me.
Where the hell did my bravado go?
“Little girl, if you continue to test me, you won’t like the lengths I will go.” He grips my nape, forcing me to look into his eyes. The blue I’ve obsessed over for years has turned nearly black, reflecting the darkness inside him that has always drawn me to him.
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll follow your rules. I promise.” I add the vow because his body language screams that he won’t budge until I do. He knows me too well. Only a promise will keep me down.
He continues to stare at me for long moments before his muscles loosen and he steps away. “By the way, I noticed you have new hardware. Where’d you have the work done?”
The abrupt subject change throws me for a loop, but I answer him honestly. “I got it done last year to celebrate an assignment in Portland at The Body Artiste.”
He nods and turns to leave. It’s then that my body flushes in embarrassment. For Valentino to ask, that means…
“How did you ‘notice’ my new piercing?”
He faces me, a challenging arch to his brow.
“You would’ve had to have seen me naked to know.”
After an awkward silence descends, he says, “Do an inventory of your injuries. Did you really think Tácito could have put you together on his own?” Valentino shakes his head and leaves me alone.
I cradle my face in my hands. I was hoping to ignore the possibility that Tácito found my Princess Diana piercing, but having Valentino confirm that not only has Tácito seen the body work, but he has too, will take a long time to get over.
The door opens while I wallow in misery. A woman in scrubs enters. Her appearance causes me to laugh at Valentino’s nerve. She wears hospital scrubs, but her wardrobe isn’t the reason for my humor. She has a bodybuilder’s build and a no-nonsense frown that does nothing to diminish her beauty.
How could Valentino think I’d be able to manipulate this woman?
“I see you haven’t left the bed yet. Good thing I’m here.”
“Who are you, exactly?”
“I’m Hilde Lannister, your nurse. Dr. Sandoval and Mayor DeLuca hired me to make sure you heal with as little complications as possible.” She rolls a wheeled IV pole beside my bed. “First things first, let’s check how soon we can get you ambulatory. Start off by dangling your legs.”
She begins the laborious process of helping me sit up and slide to the side of the hospital bed. The pain is a low throbbing that tells me that someone gave me another dose of pain meds while I slept.
“Any dizziness?” Hilde asks.
I shake my head. I feel pretty good, all things considered.
“Ok, try to stand. I’m right beside you and will catch you, so don’t be afraid.”
I look at the floor to hide my smirk. She has no idea the person she’s dealing with. Me? Afraid? I silently scoff at the idea. Few things scare me. And the ones that top my list shouldn’t be on my list.
Hilde takes me through the motions, testing my ability to stand, then how far I can walk without adverse side effects. When I tap out after a laughably short interval, she resettles me on the bed.
“You’re doing well. We’ll do this a few times a day.”
With sweat dotting my forehead and my breathing not as strong as it should be, I gasp, “Why?”
“Walking improves blood flow, reduces your chances of stroke-causing blood clots, aids in your wounds healing faster, and will make going to the bathroom a lot easier.”
“That’s good to know, but that’s not what I meant. Honestly, I was feeling sorry for myself. Why can’t I have super powers to heal faster? I need to get the hell out of here sooner rather than later.”
A knock on the door swings our attention to the new occupant. “Sucks for you.” Tácito’s interruption proves he’s read our lips and eavesdropped on my conversation with Hilde.
“If you did have superpowers, there’s no way Valentino and I would have been left out when they were handing them out, and you would be in the same position as you are right now. Deal with it.” He rests another visitor on my lap.
