Page 132 of Taint My Soul

I nod and settle down in the chair. “I don’t want to go back there.” His jaw locks. “Saint, I have… I’m…”

“Hey, you don’t have to worry. I’ve got you, baby. I have always got you.” I grin, tears forming in my eyes. Days ago, I was too fucking terrified I wouldn’t see him again. I was holding him in my arms while he was slipping away. All my life, I have never felt as hopeless as I did when I found him lying there. But with him awake now, alive and in recovery, the heavy weight on my chest lifts slowly.

In this moment, the only thing that matters to me is his health. Not what he had done or who he was. But him. Only him. I don’t care if I’m breaking the family rules. I’m not losing the man my heart and soul beat and burn for.

No one will ever get close enough to hurt him again.

Sometime later, the door squeaks, and the doctor steps into the space in a white jacket. He looks over at the file in his hands before his gaze flickers up to me. “He’s awake.”

“Yeah, about thirty minutes ago.”

“You should have called me.” He reprimanded.

“He wanted to be left alone.”

The doctor bites his lower lip in frustration and turns his attention to Mason. “Do you feel pain anywhere?”

“Yeah, my stomach and my back.”

“You’ll be fine, okay?” He leans in and touches him with a smile. “Is there anything you’d like?” He asks.

“No, thank you.” The doctor straightens up and scribbles something on his clipboard. “He’ll need to stay for a few more days. We have to monitor his health and progress.”

“Alright.” I nod. He exits afterward.

Silence settles between us, but all I can think of is how relieved I am that he survived. He pushed through everything, and he came back to me.

“Can you come up here?” His voice cracks through.

“Yeah.” I get up and slide into the bed, wrapping my hand around his body. His head rests on my chest, and I press a kiss on his shoulder. “I’m always here, baby.” I promise.

He doesn’t utter a word. He doesn’t have to. All he needs is rest, and when it’s time to face everything that happened, I’ll be there for him.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

MASON

“You recovered really quickly. As long as you take your medications and follow the dietary instructions, you’ll be back on your feet before you know it.” The doctor says, looking up from his clipboard.

“Alright, sir.”

I’ve had to stay in the hospital for almost a week. I put on Saint’s leather jacket. He’d been at my bedside since I woke up, comforting me.

“Rapid recovery, Mason.” The doctor nods and leaves the ward. A soft grunt escapes my lips when I get to my feet. Behind me, Saint closes the distance between us protectively.

“Come here.” He says, sliding his arms around my waist and lifting me up. I put my arms around his shoulder and place my head on his chest. “Feel better?”

“Yeah.”

We haven’t talked about what happened at the house. We’ve only lain together in silence. And the silence was peaceful. Because I’m not ready to face what I’d done. I wish I could completely erase the dirty and uncomfortable feeling lodged in my every nerve in my body.

“Are we forgetting something?” Saint asks and looks around.

“No. I don’t think so.” He nods and walks out of the ward. Outside, Bernard sits on the green hospital bench against the gray walls. He springs to his feet, hands in pockets, as he leads the way to the elevator.

The entire drive home, my thoughts race with questions. Questions my mind can’t answer. He’s been here for me without question. He stayed close every single day. Even when he knows what I’ve done. Not just to my uncle, but to him as well.

The city around me feels bland. Too foreign. There isn’t any pressure to stay true to Vincent’s instructions, or the terror of losing my life at any moment.