Page 81 of Love & Power

Boykov’s burns were healing, but that kind of skin damage didn’t heal fast, and the extent to which they covered his body meant he was pulling at raw flesh every time he turned or twisted. It took a direct order from me that he had to take some kind of painkiller to manage his recovery for him to actually take the damn pills. I understood not wanting to get hooked on something, but it hadn’t even been a week since the incident.

“I’m only taking them because you’re making me,” Ralph countered. “Lady Astin, I can still be of help to you even if I can’t be your bodyguard. Please, let me do something.”

“First of all, Wreck-It Ralph, you are still my bodyguard, but right now, you’re recovering from saving my life. There is nothing for you to prove. I’m not sure how much more anyone could ask from you,” I growled into the phone, not liking the tone of defeat in his voice. “This will all be over in a matter of days, and when the dust clears, we’re all going home. That’s where I’m going to need you watching my back because when they find out about me running the Raffa Family, shit is gonna hit the fan. So you better rest up and find your waders because I’m gonna put you to work,” I warned.

There was a pause on the other end of the line and a heavy sigh. “Understood, Lady Astin. I’ll make sure I’m ready for the return trip. I believe I even packed my poncho as you once suggested.”

Hearing him sound more like himself, I smiled. “Didn’t you tell me it would be smarter to get an umbrella since you’d need to use it more than once?” I teased.

“Yes, I believe I might have made that statement, but then I realized I’m going to need both hands free. Your delightful personality seems to bring out the crazy in people,” Ralph replied, his tone taking on that bemused lilt he used when he was humoring me.

“Well, it seems like you put some real thought into it, so I support your choices,” I said. “Now hang up and get some rest. Otherwise, I’ll tell the doctor you need a pill to make you sleep.”

Low muttered curse words in his native language were all I heard before Boykov hung up the phone, causing me to snort out a laugh. “Oh, Ralph, what would I do without you?”

I tossed the phone back to Ryker, who was the only other person in the hall besides Hound. “Thanks for making sure he knew how to get a hold of one of you. Not being here is making him want to wreck things.”

“He’s family to you, which means he’s family to us,” Ryker pointed out. “That, and if I hadn’t made sure he could contact me, I’m pretty confident he’d just show up. All in all, this was the better choice.”

Reaching out, I grabbed Ryker’s shirt and pulled him to me. “God, it’s so sexy when you do things just to make me happy.”

“Yeah?” Ryker asked, wrapping his arms around me. “Well then, you’re one lucky woman to have a man as sexy as me around because I always want to make the woman I love happy.”

“Wooow.” I gasped, trying not to laugh. “That was… awful. Stop taking tips from Hound. It barely works when he says shit like that.”

“Hey,” Hound interjected, scowling at me. “Don’t be nasty just because you’re tired. You love my cheesy lines.”

Ryker caught my chin, turning me back to him so he could kiss me. When he’d finished kissing me breathlessly, Ryker threaded our hands together and started down the hall. “Come on, let’s get you some coffee and see if that helps take the edge off your sass.”

“Doubt it,” Hound mumbled. “That was a great line, man… wish I had thought of it for you to steal.”

“Yeah, well, maybe there is a thing or two I can teach you. I have known Tin-Tin the longest,” Ryker taunted, but there was no real challenge in his words, just two cocky, stubborn men bonding over terrible pickup lines.

It was almost one by the time everyone reemerged from their bedrooms looking much more alert. Hound had passed out on the couch in the meeting space I’d been using, but Ryker was there to keep me company and talk things through. Not to mention he kept the coffee flowing and my mug full as I pieced together these last pieces of the puzzle.

“Darling, did you get any sleep last night?” Ivy asked, her brow creased with concern.

“Ah…” I answered, trying to remember if everything that had already happened was still today or yesterday. “I think so?” I offered, sounding more like a question than an answer. “Wait, yes, yes I did,” I announced. “There was sex, a bath, dinner in bed, then Braxton had me for dessert so the orgasm would knock me out. I don’t know what time that was, and we got up before two in the morning.”

“I see,” she murmured, resting her hip on the table, looking down at the three coffee mugs I’d been drinking from. “Looks like you have things well under control.”

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms and frowned. “You got something to say? Don’t spare my feelings now… that’s never been our thing.”

“Astin, you look like death warmed over,” Ivy stated bluntly. “Go upstairs and take a nap while I look over what you’ve done so far.”

“Why?” I demanded.

“Because you’re only awake right now due to copious amounts of caffeine and sugar. You just wrote down that someone needs to bring the Dalai Lama when I’m fairly certain you meant to write diorama. You know, the one we built of the inside of the event center to show all the fake staff Von and I brought in and where to block the doors. Unless you truly wanted to invite the holy man himself to witness you committing mass murder?” Ivy challenged.

My gaze dropped to the notes I was making, and sure enough, there it was just like she said. “Fuck.”

“Darling, I know how important this is to you, but it’s equally as important to me. So please, go rest and let me double-check what you’ve done so far. That way, when we meet with everyone tonight, it will be all squared away,” Ivy instructed.

Letting out a sigh, I nodded. “Fine, I really didn’t think I was this tired. Sorry to make you do double work, Ivy.”

“I know,” Ivy assured me and nodded to someone who entered the room. “I promised you we wouldn’t let you fail, but it’s him you should be thanking. He called me, knowing you wouldn’t listen to him if he told you to quit.”

Tilting up my head, I found Ryker watching me with a worried expression. “Will you let me hold you as we sleep, Tin-Tin? Just the two of us?”