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“They mean nothing without you.” Austin leans close, chasing me backward until I’m fully reclined against the bed. “I know you love me, Doctor, so the only question you need to ask yourself is whether you want us to spend the rest of our lives making love in the Caribbean or by the Atlantic.”
Austin
Marisol’s swallow is audible. I get that I’m pushing it with her, but she can’t deny she’s in love with me. I have her confession in writing on my kitchen island, maybe not in those exact three words, but in her actions. Marisol belongs to me as much as I belong to her.
“Take me home, Mr. Madden,” she orders.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Piper watches over Marisol, stretched out on the bed beside her. Dealing with the four men in her life wore her out quickly, and she fell asleep soon after deciding to return to Virginia.
I lie awake on the guest sofa, unable to find sleep. Between watching Marisol bleed out on the floor, Piper unmoving beneath her, and watching the ceremony that wed Marisol to another man, I’ve got enough shit in my head to keep me up for the next year. I want off this island. I don’t think I’ll take an easy breath until I’m back in Virginia.
The sun rises after a restless night that left me bleary-eyed. I probably only managed three hours of sleep. As promised, the doctor rolls around after eight, releasing Marisol and her father. Ruiz shows up to escort the Borreros home, Knot having returned stateside at noon yesterday.
I help Marisol inside while Ruiz settles Cirilo in his study. Upon reaching her room, I ask, “Do you want me to help you pack?”
“Oh. I can’t leave right away. Not until I know my father will be alright.”
She cringes as if fearing my response. “No problem. I’ll just need to go out and get some things for Piper and me.”
“Don’t you need to get back to work? I don’t want you to get into trouble with Mr. Knot. I’ll fly out as soon as Apá can move around better.”
I drop our bags and wrap her up in a gentle embrace. “Not a chance. You’re not leaving my sight. And you don’t have to worry about my job. Your sneaky father contracted with my boss to provide twenty-four-hour security until you’re safely back in Virginia. Like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”
The worry in her eyes recedes, and a teasing grin paints her lips. “Well, bodyguard, will you be protecting me in the shower? Because I need a bath.”
I somehow keep a straight face to answer her. “Someone needs to help you with your bandages, and I’m certainly not going to let Ruiz do it.”
I let Piper out onto the balcony overlooking the teal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, then join Marisol in her bathroom. Despite her flirty and playful comments, the woman has a long way to go to regain her strength. Sex is not on the menu for a while.
Marisol leans over the sink, holding onto the counter when I enter the bathroom. After turning on the shower, I slowly get her out of the borrowed scrubs and peel off the bandages from her belly and back. I strip down to my boxer briefs and help her inside.
She sits on the shower bench, tired from the trip home and walking upstairs. While Marisol rests, I carefully shampoo her hair and wash her body. She’s nearly falling asleep before I’m finished.
I barely get her dried off before carrying my sleeping beauty to her bed. She’s going to have to sleep naked because I refuse to wake her up to put on her PJs.
Thankfully, I still have one clean uniform in my bag. I return to the bathroom to wash myself, and after dressing, I call Piper to come with me. We leave Marisol to sleep and go downstairs to put in a request with Ruiz.
I find him sitting near Cirilo on an expensive-looking leather sofa in the Capo’s office. “How is my daughter?” Cirilo asks.
“She’s clean and now asleep.”
The man notices my damp hair but says nothing about the implications. “What can I do for you, Mr. Madden?”
“Marisol wants to stay in San Juan until you’re on your feet again. I’ll need some clothes and supplies for Piper and me.”
Cirilo’s eyes go to my dog. “She’s a beautiful lady.”
“So is your daughter.”
The man’s eyes turn fatherly, reminding me of the girlfriend’s-dad lecture Birdie warned me about. “Ruiz can get whatever you need, but I won’t let Marisol fuss over me for longer than one day. She has a new life to begin.”
“Don’t push her,” I say. “She’s had a hell of a scare, and you’re the only family she’s got left.”
“Now, you both know that isn’t true.” The three of us turn toward the door and the unexpected visitor walking through it. Otero continues, “Marisol has quite the family, yourself and your sidekick included.”
The man saunters toward us, dropping into a rich, black wingback chair. “I hear my granddaughter is returning with you to the mainland.”
