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I nod. “Yeah darlin’, but he’s still not well, so just brace yourself, okay?” I warn her.
She nods and I place a kiss on the top of her head. She chucks on some clothes before I take her hand in mine and take her to see her dad.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
BELLE
I don’t think anything could prepare me for seeing my father like that. He looks frail, smaller somehow. I sit by his side, holding his hand in mine. The machines beep around him, and tubes and cables are coming from him and all around. I wipe the tears that keep falling, feeling lost. Looking down at the tattoos on his arm—thorns and roses entwined around his forearm—and set within it, almost hidden, is a little gift box.
“Never noticed his tattoo until now,” Beast says from behind me.
I look up and smile, sniffing back my tears. “Yeah, he said he would never get our names tattooed. He didn’t want any of his enemies to know who we were. The roses are for my mom, because they were her favourite flowers, I’m the little gift, and he’s the sharp thorns winding around us to protect us from harm,” I explain.
Beast gently squeezes my neck. “What do you reckon, Doc? Do you think he will come out of this okay?” he asks the doctor who is cuffed to the heater.
He rubs his face and shrugs. “I don’t know. He could make a full recovery, he could wake up but not be able to speak or walk, or he could die. Anything can happen.”
I sob, and Beast growls. “You want to work on your fucking bedside manner before I put you in a fucking bed next to him?” he threatens.
“Bedside manner?! Bedside manner?! I’m cuffed to a damn heater for crying out loud! You thugs kidnapped me and brought me here. I am a prisoner, so I’m sorry if I’m not more tactile in giving honest medical information!” he snaps.
“Technically, you’re a hostage,” Rage states from the doorway.
The doctor shakes his head. “What?” he snaps.
Rage walks further into the room. “I said technically, you’re our hostage, as we have you against your will and forcing you to do something for us. A prisoner is someone held as security or a deterrent against war crimes,” he states, standing over the doctor.
The doctor swallows nervously. “Er, yes, I think you might be right there.”
I smirk. “What do you need Rage?” Beast asks.
“I just came to take the doctor on a toilet break,” he states.
The doctor shakes his head nervously. “No, no, I’m okay. Thank you. I can just go here in a bucket.” He’s so nervous, it’s giving him the sweats.
I smile. Rage doesn’t have to do anything to give off his crazy fucker vibe. “That would be unhygienic. Now come on,” Rage demands before he unlocks the handcuff and then attaches the other cuff to his wrist.
“You are going to be handcuffed to me while I use the bathroom?” the doctor asks, looking down at their now joined hands.
“Yeah, I’ve seen dicks before. I’ve seen Beast’s over there more times than my own I reckon. It’s just a dick.” Rage shrugs.
“Right, okay then,” the doctor stutters as Rage leads him out of the room.
I let out a laugh. “I didn’t think anything could cheer me up,” I state.
Beast smiles down at me. “Yeah, Rage has a way of doing that,” he says. “You sure you’re going to be okay?” he asks, concern pouring from his eyes.
I nod. “Yeah, Dad isn’t giving up anytime soon. He won’t, not at least until he knows that Charlie is dealt with,” I state firmly. “Never leave things unsettled, because you never know when it may come back and slit your throat,” I say, repeating my father’s words.
“Jesus, I hope he didn’t give you that advice as a kid,” Beast jokes.
I smile, shaking my head. “No, he shielded me from it for a long time, but I wasn’t stupid. I would creep outside his office and press my ear up against the door listening. I always wanted to be like him, to be the boss, but then we lost Mom, and I struggled with the hurt. I wanted something that was mine, that was away from him. I think deep inside I always questioned her crash, but then he never said any different, nor was I able to prove otherwise. So, I went on with my life, chose a safe career, away from him and that life,” I confess. “Do you know, I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone about this before?” I admit, looking up at him.
He bends down and places a soft kiss to my lips, his large hands cupping my face. “I think you would have made a fucking hot bad ass mob boss,” he says in between kisses. He stops kissing me and crouches down between my legs, resting his hands on my thighs. His thumb lazily strokes back and forth. “You know that this life comes with risks of its own, don’t you?” he asks. I nod yes, and he continues to talk before I can say anything. “What I’m saying is darlin’, this shit can get rocky. You became a teacher to essentially escape that kind of life, your own personal freedom from your father, and now, now you’re with me. Your father may live a different life to us, but darlin’, we live in the same world. It’s dark, messy, and it’s never easy,” he declares, like it’s something I didn’t already know.
I smile. “I already know that. We are here, aren’t we?” I ask, gesturing to our surroundings. “I don’t feel afraid, and I don’t feel scared. I feel, I feel alive.” I pause, leaning forward to cup his face. “I feel loved, I feel desired, and extremely satisfied.” I wink.
He smiles, his hands gliding around my hips, gripping my behind and yanking me forward. “Damn right you are,” he growls before crashing his mouth to mine.
