“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” I tell him. I’m not in too much pain, though I am worried about looking in the mirror. I know my face is bruised but I don’t know how bad it is.
“You understand you won’t be able to go anywhere alone now?” He says softly.
I nod. Figured as much and I didn’t much mind having company if it meant never experiencing what I did today again. I’ve never felt so helpless, not even when my ex blindsided me with that damn video.
“I’ll assign a bodyguard once we get home,” He tells me, “He will be with you whenever I am not. Even at work and with Willow. He’ll be trained.”
“Trained like you?” I hedge.
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“When you’re ready,” He continues, “I will train you in self-defense and how to use various weapons. I won’t have you at risk.”
“I hope I never have to use it.” I confess.
“If I have anything to do with it,” He leans in, “You’ll never have to.”
Chapter Forty-eight
I take her home late the following day. Willow had come by earlier this morning and dropped off some clothes for her to change into, and now she’s sitting in the now clean passenger seat of the Maserati, watching the city pass outside the window.
She’s gone quiet on me, reflective but she accepts my hand when I reach across to take hers within mine, her thumb brushing up and down my finger.
“What’s going on inside that pretty head of yours, kitten?” I ask when the landscape around us changes from grey buildings to lush greenery, the scenery like something from a painting, covered in white snow with only small peeks of green breaking it up.
“Do you think it could have been Regina?” She asks, turning to me.
“What about her?” My hand turns hard on the wheel.
“Well, we had that altercation,” She watches me intently, “Do you think she could have hired someone?”
“Regina isn’t brave enough,” I answer honestly, “She’s all bark.”
I see her purse her lips out of the corner of my eye, “I’m not sure.”
“I will find out,” I assure her, “I’ll find whoever was behind it. You have my word.”
“I believe you,” She answers, “I just never expected anything like this to happen to me.”
My stomach twists. Of course, this never would have happened if it wasn’t for me. If she didn’t have my last name, wasn’t tied to me with that wedding band on her dainty finger, this never would have happened.
But I never thought about this when I decided to take her as mine, it didn’t cross my mind when I kissed her at the altar or forced her to share my bed. But back then, I didn’t realize how quickly I’d become enamored by her, how much I would crave her.
I haven’t had the chance yet to interrogate the second man since I’ve spent the last several hours at the hospital, but I plan on doing it the moment Olivia is settled in back at the estate.
The cells are in the basement of the house, deep beneath my home and are made up of several rooms. They’ve been used for various reasons over the years, but it’s mostly been for traitors.
I have a feeling I’d be using them a lot over the coming weeks.
I am ready to tear my council apart, weed out the ratsand snakes with these changes coming. Olivia thinks Regina had something to do with it, but I know different. I know one of the members of the council is involved in this. But who, I didn’t know.
Iwan and Hank are prime suspects but without sure evidence, I could lose any remaining members on my side if I outright accuse them. I couldn’t risk taking revenge on them without knowing exactly what it is they are doing.
The council needed me more than I needed them,butthey are still required. I just needed to change how it runs and how decisions, votes and changes are made.
