I raise my hands. “You can check on him if you have to,” I say. “But I’m going to be right there, making sure the prick doesn’t try anything.”
Kneeling next to Rico, I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze just enough for him to feel how powerless he is. Even with both hands cuffed behind his back and to the bedframe, I’m not taking any risks.
“I don’t want to die here,” Rico moans, voice breaking.
“It’s an act, Celine,” I say, as she rubs at his head with antiseptic wipes.
She ignores me, focusing on her work.
“Don’t let him hurt me,” Rico whimpers.
“Are you forgetting you had a hard-on in that alleyway?” I snarl, raising my fist, ready to give him a wake-up call.
“Don’t,” Celine hisses, looking at me sternly. “Just… don’t do that.”
I grind my teeth.
“I don’t think you need stitches,” Celine says. “But you’ve got some bruising.”
“What about my brain?” he whines pathetically. “What if my brain’s swelling or something? I need a hospital.”
“He should be X-rayed,” Celine mutters.
I shake my head. “Out of the question.”
She shoots me a look. “I’m saying, in an ideal world, heshouldbe X-rayed. I’m not saying that you should let him go or anything like that. I’m not a little kid, Damian?—”
“I never said you we?—”
“You don’t need to talk to me like I’m some naïve little idiot,” she cuts in. “Like I haven’t got aclue, okay? I get it. If you let him go, he goes running to the mob. If he goes running to the mob, it means bad things for you. Right?”
“Or for the men who come after me,” I snarl. “I just don’t want you to fall for this bastard's performance.”
“Please,” he groans.
“He wasn’t bluffing when he cornered you,” I say, ignoring him. “Everyone knows what this scumbag does when he thinks he can get away with it. He’s done it before, and he’ll do it again. The only reason I haven’t taken him out sooner is that he stayed too close to the Family. They signed his death warrant when they sent him after you.”
Celine flinches, then stands. “Without taking you to a hospital, I’ve done what I can.”
She turns toward the door.
“Please!” Rico erupts, the handcuffs rattling against the bedframe. “If you leave me here, he’s going to hurt me. He’s lying. I wasn’t going to do anything. I got… carried away. I won’t lie about that. But I wasn’t going toactually?—”
“How stupid do you think I am?” Celine hisses, glaring down at him. “I’ve kept my head in the sand for too long. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you trick me. You’re not family. You don’t know how to play on my emotions.”
“I should’ve raped you in that fucking alley!”
I headbutt him so hard a jolt goes through his body. I stand and get ready to aim the mother of all knees at his face. Celine screams and jumps at me, her hand on my arm, stopping me.
“You heard him,” I growl. “You think I’m going to let him get away with that?”
“Just… don’t,” she whispers, her hand warm on my arm. “It’s all too much, Damian.”
She’s overwhelmed. Can’t blame her. She’s been through more than she ever should have.
Rico slumps against the bed, wheezing, blood dripping from his shattered nose.
“You’re lucky she’s here,” I growl, standing. “All of you scumbags who take whatever they can get from innocent people, every damn one of you… you act so tough. So big. So fucking scary. But when it’s time to show what you’re really made of, to show your true metal, you fail. Every time.”
