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“The Reapers. What else?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing myself a few moments of composure.
“Why do you ask about her?” His voice was tinged with caution.
I hesitated, then went for it. No need to lie now. “I was thatlife.”
The brief stillness that settled over us as he stared at me squeezed the air from my chest.
He cursed in what sounded like Spanish, and I waited, not sure what to expect.
“I should have realized.” He moved to fill my glass, then watched me gulp it down. Instead of refilling, he placed the whole bottle in front of me. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It makes you family. YouandKaylie.” He gestured to the liquor. “Knock yourself out.”
I shot him a glare but grabbed the bottle as Dominic’s lips twitched into a sardonic grin. “After this day, we fucking earned it.”
He was right.
*
We spent the next six weeks locked up in Dominic’sfortress, and despite everything, I felt less like a prisoner than I thought I would. When he said we were family, I thought he was bullshitting. A result of too much pain and alcohol. The man was fucking shot. Yet here we are. Me, free from the goddamn sling and able to move my arm without the risk of blacking out.
Izzy’s prediction was correct, and as much as it made me want to kill someone really slowly from the frustration, I had to accept it. I would never be back to normal. The stiffness was there as a reminder of the crushed bones never putting themselves back together. And the pain as I pushed those limits was merciless. So were the goddamn nerves shooting pain down my arm at any wrong move. It was as unpredictable as it was unbearable. But it was better than immobility.
Physical therapy was a bitch. And so was Izzy as she pushed me miles past my comfort zone. Sweat coated my skin, and my breaths were quick as I tried to stay ahead of the pain.
“What kind of doctor are you?” I rasped, pushing the fucking rod one more notch, and screamed from the tension.
“You want your strength back or not?” she asked, gesturing to the machine I was sweating under. “One more lift.”
“Fuck you,” I gritted out, but did as she said. It left me panting as my left arm cramped with tension.
Collapsing onto my back, I lay there for a few moments of well-needed rest, looking at a thread of spider’s web attached to the stone ceiling. Of course, they had a gym in their basement. They even had their own medical room—a fucking mini-hospital right at their hands. How they stocked up on supplies was one more thing I didn’t want to know.
Located under the infirmary, connected with a flight of uneven stone steps, was a gym equipped with everything a man could need to stay fit. And judging by Dominic’s appearance, he used it well. So did Izzy. And now me.
I spent hours here, under Izzy’s strict instructions and Kaylie’s concerned gaze.
“Kaylie, come here,” Izzy said.
I sat, wiping sweat off my forehead while watching Kaylie practice punching a sandbag and wincing at the impact.
“Someone needs to teach me how to fight.” She rubbed her hand as she joined us. “I want to be able to defend myself.”
A sudden strong urge to wrap her up and shield her from this shitty life surged through me. I gritted my teeth, keeping the words to myself. She shouldn’t have todefendherself. She shouldn’t be involved inthis.
“Kaylie.”
She shushed me with a kiss, and the irritation vanished at the feel of her soft lips against mine.
Izzy cleared her throat, and Kaylie jumped away.
“I’ll teach you.” Izzy grinned. “Right after I teach you—this.” She stepped behind me, putting her hands on my shoulders, making me tense from the unexpected move. “Relax,” she huffed. “What’s wrong with you?”
I shot Kaylie a look, catching her stare at Izzy as well.
“Jesus!” Izzy clamped her hands down harder, squeezing my sore muscles until I cursed under my breath. “Kaylie, he’s yours.” She stepped away, and Kaylie’s hands replace hers. She taught her how to loosen the stiffness from my muscles, and her soft hands felt like heaven on my sore body.
