“They won’t let me kill him.”
For a second, I think he means Sergio and I feel a shot of relief. Then I understand he’s talking about Andrej. “Does that mean his extended family are off the table, too?”
Baxter’s throat works but he doesn’t have a response to my attempt at flippancy.
“I don’t have to warn you again about not killing his pets, do I?”
He shakes his head, expression still downcast. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the tracking device.”
After everything that happened tonight, that’s so far from my list of concerns that I chuckle. “I’m more upset that even with all your foresight, you didn’t think to install a second one in a place where it couldn’t be so easily removed.”
I straddle Baxter, staring into his face before leaning forward until our foreheads touch. Every part of my body hurts. My face from being beaten, my feet from walking in appallingly high heels, my ankle from doing anything at all, my shoulder from where my tracker was cut free.
Tomorrow there’ll probably be worse in store. Flashbacks. Self-condemnation. Regrets.
Plus round two of everything aches with a tag-team partner of morning stiffness.
But here, enclosed within the back seat of his car, Baxter holds all that at bay. Even if he feels like he’s helpless, just his solid presence helps me.
He clears his throat. “I’m also sorry that Sophia told you about my plans before I got around to asking.”
Now this topic is far better. My heart fills with warmth at the thought of his daughter scuppering his plans. Mr Non-Spontaneous has had a rough couple of days. “Well… lucky for you, I’m prepared to forget all about that awkward exchange, and you may ask me again at your leisure.”
“I’m entitled to, am I?”
“So long as you remember to bring along the appropriate jewellery, you are. None of this thinking that diamond necklaces are a perfectly good substitute. Alice might have had low standards—”
“Hey!”
“—but I’ll have you know, I’m an old-fashioned girl. Nothing but a squillion dollars’ worth of engagement ring for me, thank you very much.”
Baxter tilts his head back to stare into my eyes. “Any other demands? Considering that I spent half the night thinking I’d lost you, I’m particularly amenable to suggestions right now.”
“I don’t want any engagement party photos while my face looks like David Tua used it as a testing ground for his left hook.”
“Got it. Our engagement is officially delayed. One day, far in the future, I’ll pop the question again properly when you’re looking appropriately radiant.”
“I also promise never to complain about Yuri trailing me again.”
“I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic at the news. He only turns up to work to court your high opinion.”
My voice softens. “And I don’t want to know anything about what you do to Sergio. Now or ever.”
His face is sombre as he nods.
“Now.” I slap him on the shoulder. “Don’t you have a motorcycle gang to wrangle?”
Baxter’s lips curl into a smile. “A wise man once schooled me on how I should leave the grunt work to my men, so I can save myself for the more important things. Like making sure the woman I love is home, safe and sound, with her injuries tended to.”
I close my good eye, the other already swollen shut. “Sounds suspiciously like you’re about to unleash a doctor on me again.”
“Sure am. And at least an hour in a hot bath with me soaping you from head to toe.”
The latter promise sounds like heaven right now. My fingers coil into the soft hairs at the base of his head, tugging gently as I consider the other words he slipped in there. Said in his matter-of-fact voice without fanfare.
The woman I love.
The past six days have been a roller-coaster for my worldview, my physical well-being, and my emotions.
