I knew what he was asking. They weren’t operating alone, and it was only a matter of time before the East Coast got completely out of line if we didn’t put them in their place now. “We start there and call a meeting for the rest.”
And then Mia started to shake, the adrenaline leaving her body as shock took over.
Damn it. My darling was too sweet for the world I lived in. I shouldn’t have tainted her by exposing her to it, but there was no way to extract her from it now. She was embedded in my soul, and I wanted to hold her at least until she was calm enough to yell at me rather than look at me with tears in her eyes.
“Not good enough. I want them all dead.”
I pulled her into my lap and held her close. She twisted her head into my chest and clutched at my jacket. I didn’t give a fuck what I lost with this war—someone was going to pay for making her cry.
The rest of the car ride was quiet, Hades texting off demands I knew would take effect sooner rather than later.
Once the SUV pulled up to my estate, I carried her to her room but didn’t set her down on her bed. Instead, I went to her bathroom and set her down to carefully strip her of her clothes.
“I’m okay, Jameson. I really am. I can take my own shower.” Her tone was quiet as if to soothe the tension she must have felt vibrating off me, and then she reached for my hand to look at the bloodied knuckles. “You got hurt more than I did. I can help you clean this up or—”
“You want to tend to me?” Her fingers brushed over the scratches on my hand, and even that touch had me wanting to pull her closer.
She met my gaze and nodded. “I don’t want you hurt, Jameson.”
She said it like it was normal, like she just wanted to take care of me after a shootout in the club. I growled at the thought, at how my dick liked the idea way too much. I spun her so I could unzip her dress. I let it fall before I slid her undergarments off too.
When I glanced up, I saw her reflection in the mirror, me standing behind her, her tiny body perfect in the way it was so small in front of mine. She bit her pink bottom lip, and I couldn’t stop myself from letting my hand slide across her smooth, soft skin at her stomach. As I did, her nipples puckered and I saw how she gulped. I pulled her back to me and let a rumble leave my chest.
Then I moved my hand up so that I could brush my knuckles over her cheek as I told her, “You’re so fucking precious, you know that?”
Her honey eyes met mine in the mirror. “Am I?”
“You’re worried about a damn scratch instead of being pissed I let this happen to you.”
“Jameson, I wanted to go out. If anything, this is my fault.” She turned to look up at me directly. “I don’t want anyone hurt because of me.”
“Mia …” Jesus Christ, I was killing those men, and she wasn’t going to stop me.
“If it’s just about what happened tonight, I don’t care.”
“Then care that they put Rosy, Pink, and Olive in jeopardy too.” I pushed her like I needed her to understand. I don’t know why. I’d never had to justify my actions before.
“Fine.” She breathed in deep before she sighed and walked over to the shower to test the water and get in.
I should have left her then, but her small voice stopped me when she asked, “Is it terrible that I agree with you? That I want someone to pay not for endangering my life but especially for endangering my friends’?”
I didn’t answer her as I undressed, but when I stepped in there with her and pulled her naked body against mine gently, I told her, “Nothing about you is terrible, darling Mia. Not a damn thing.”
We both watched the water droplets against the clear glass of her shower.
We got out, and she let me dress her in pink pajamas that had roses on them. I could see how spent she was, like the night had drained her of everything, and I picked her up to set her on bed before she murmured, “Ms. Prim and Mr. Bos have to be watered.”
“Who?”
“My cape primrose there, and the azalea bonsai over there.” She pointed at them.
“You named them, Mia?” It was ridiculous but a smile slipped from my lips.
“They started growing better when I did,” she defended herself.
Her and these damn plants. I remembered how adamant she’d been about bringing them. I’d been perturbed before, but now I was intrigued. “Which is Ms. Prim, and which is Mr. Bos? I’ll do it for you.”
She leaned back on one of the plush pillows with heavy-lidded eyes and tried to cover a yawn as she nodded and pointed to a white pitcher of water she had beside the dresser. “Only use the water in there. It’s filtered and at room temperature. I don’t want to shock them right now because they’re fragile after the move.”
