“I’m sorry, Zane. I let you down. All over again, you saved me, and I let you down.” I tell him as I softly cry, the tears cling to my eyelashes, making it hard for me to see.
Out of nowhere, a hand cups me gently by the cheek, and Zane’s dark gaze bleeds into mine. “You didn’t let me down, birdy. I’d endure any pain and go through any beating just to make sure you don’t have to. It would kill me to see you broken and hurt. I know you wanted to protect me tonight, but you don’t have to. It’s my job to protect you, not the other way around.” And that’s when it hits me. The only way we’re going to make it out of this safe and sound is if I save us. Zane might hate what’s to come, but I’ll do anything I have to in order to protect him, the same way he’s protected me.
“Maybe I don’t want to be saved anymore. Maybe I need to be the one to do the saving,” I reply hoarsely.
There is something so pure, so heartwarming about the way he looks at me then. Like I’m his entire world, and he is the moon forever circling around me.
“That will never happen with me by your side. I was put on this earth to protect you, and I will do so until the moment I take my last breath.”
It’s then that I realize Zane’s love for me would always overshadow his choices. At any and all cost, he would choose to protect me. But I was done being the princess who needed protection. After watching him take a beating for me tonight, I will no longer play such a role. The future is mine, and I am going to be my own knight in shining armor.
34
Every muscle in my body aches, my back feels like it’s been run through a shredder, but I refuse to show the amount of pain I’m in. I refuse to let Matteo or Dove see me this way. It’s a weakness I cannot afford right now.
I did the right thing, taking the fallout for our failed attempt at escaping. I was stupid, careless in my planning, and I could’ve gotten Dove hurt in a way that I’d never be able to forgive myself for doing. Every strike of the cane, every burst of pain, was well deserved. Plus, if I had seen Dove take even one strike, it would have hurt me so much more. Maybe not physically, but mentally it would have been excruciating.
Stepping out of the shower, I dry off carefully. It’s been three days, and the skin on my back is starting to scab over. Not only does it still hurt, it fucking itches now too.
The bathroom door opens slightly, and Dove’s appears, looking inside like she is wondering what I’m doing in here, unsure if she is allowed to look. Instantly, my mood lightens.
“Let me help you,” she whispers, stepping into the room. She takes the towel from my hand and starts carefully dabbing at my back.
I’m so enthralled by the simple gesture—by her wanting to take care of me—that the pain just falls away as if it wasn’t there in the first place.
“Come, let me put some ointment on your back,” Dove says, tugging me to the bedroom.
I get on the bed and lie down on my stomach. Dove gets a first aid kit from the bathroom and sits down next to me on the bed. Turning toward her, I watch with fascination as she gets out a small tube from the bag. She puts some on a piece of gauze and starts to gently cover my injured skin with a thin layer. Dove isn’t even comparable to others. She’s unique, in scent, style, and just overall being the woman that I love.
“That feels nice,” I murmur.
“Is it not hurting still?”
“No, not right now. Your hands on me will always feel good, no matter why or how they are touching me.”
“So, you do like me taking care of you?” She raises an eyebrow, challenging me.
“I do… but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop taking care of you first. You’ll always be first. You deserve that,” I tell her honestly.
“And what do you deserve?”
“Nothing. Not even you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give you up. I will still have you. Whether I deserve you or not.”
She leans down and places a soft kiss on my shoulder. “Good, because I don’t want you to give me up. In return, I’ll never give up on you.”
I smile back at her, ready to pull her into my arms and peel every piece of clothing off her body when an annoyingly loud knocking interrupts our little bubble of momentary happiness.
“What?” I’m still completely naked, but I really don’t give a shit when the door opens. I sit up and find Alberto stepping into the room.
“Fucking Christ, put some pants on,” he growls, his eyes bulging out of his face before he shields his eyes with his hand.
“What do you want?” I ask, not making a move to cover up. Luckily for him, Dove is completely dressed, or I’d be gouging his eyes out right now.
“Matteo has a job for you. Get ready. And by ready, I mean fucking dressed.”
“Get the fuck out!” I yell, just as he grabs the door handle and slams it shut. Turning back to face Dove, I don’t miss the frown on her delicate face. She should never be sad. I want to see her smiling, always smiling.
“Don’t fret, baby. I’ll be back in bed with you tonight.”
“I know. I just don’t want anything to happen to you and…” She trails off, her cheeks tinting a soft pink.
“You what?”
“I wish I hadn’t fought you so hard when we were back in the bunker at the farmhouse.” Her admission warms me from the inside out. It’s because of her that I haven’t completely gone off the rails, why I’m taking orders from this wannabe mob boss, and why the prick is still alive. Everything I do is for her, and always will be.
“We have forever, Dove, we just have to get through this place first.”
I’m covered from head to toe in blood. I’m not sure which is mine and which is my enemy’s. All I know is that every one of those bastards is dead, the life drained right out of their bodies. Sighing, I squeeze the steering wheel a little harder. Tonight was a bloodbath, and all I want to do is get back to the house, clean myself up, and see Dove.
I can still feel her soft kisses on my skin from hours earlier. I try not to think about the fact that Matteo set me up. The fucker sent me into a fight that most men never would’ve gotten out of alive. Thank fuck, I’m not most men. I had years of experience, killing and shutting myself down to use nothing more than my basic instincts. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle, tonight though, that was a trap.
A dirty fucking trap, and I was going to confront Matteo the second I saw him. Pulling the SUV into the driveway, I drive to the garage, put the thing in park, and kill the engine. Giving myself a moment to cool down a little before I get out, I focus on my breathing.
Sucking air deeply into my lungs, I let it settle before blowing it out. I do this a couple more times and then finally get out. There are a few of Matteo’s men posted outside. Since our attempt at escaping, he’s upped security a crazy amount. Not that any of his men could take me on by themselves and survive.
“Holy shit!” one of the men says under his breath as I pass him, entering through the side door of the house. I don’t respond and continue walking. Exiting the garage, I enter the house and hear voices. My bloodied boots squeak against the pure white marble floor with each step I take.