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“It’s okay.”
I pull a pair of dirty white mittens out of my pocket and hand them to her. “And we’ll get these cleaned.”
She lifts her hands to take them, and I’m not sure if she even realized she dropped them.
When I found her mittens on the gravel, my first instinct was to burn the whole market to the ground. But then I spotted her, the white of her hat calling to me.
It’s my fault.
This is all my fault.
I didn’t realize I’d kept her phone until it was too late.
I didn’t put together the dates of her story on my own. I should have. Her nineteenth birthday. Waiting to visit until classes were done. I should’ve figured it out. And I should’ve known her bitch of a mother would choose fucking Christmas Day.
I should have done better.
I owe Valentine better.
Val tries to sit up, but I keep her secured to me.
“I really am okay.” She gently puts her mitten-covered hand against my chest. “It was just a stupid panic attack.”
“There’s nothing stupid about it.” I kiss the top of her head. “I’ll do better.”
“No, Dom, this isn’t something you did.”
“I’ll do better,” I tell her again. “And we’ll make our own traditions.”
I feel her exhale. “Okay.”
“Uh, Boss.” A male voice cuts into our space.
I lift my head to find Ben standing a few feet away from us. “What?”
His eyes don’t drop below mine, making sure he doesn’t look at my wife.Good man.“We have a location.”
I sit up straighter. “Local?”
He nods. “Rob is getting the cars ready. Told me to come get you.”
Val presses against my chest to sit up, and I finally let her.
“I’ll be right there,” I tell Ben, dismissing him.
Her eyes are full of worry as she blinks up at me. “The bad guys?”
Jesus, this woman.
The edge of my mouth quirks. “Yeah, Shorty. I gotta go get the bad guys.” She said it as though I’m not also a bad guy. But I’m not an idiot, so I’m not going to remind her that I’m one, too. “I’ll have a group of my men bring you home. Same rules as always.” I know she doesn’t need the reminder, but I want to say it anyway.
“Okay,” Val agrees, and when I loosen my arms, she climbs off my lap.
I carefully take her hand in mine, and we walk around the edge of the market toward my row of waiting vehicles.
Guiding her to the middle of three SUVs, I turn her to face me. “An older man and his wife will be waiting in the hallway outside the apartment for you. He’s my doctor, and he’s going to look at your hands and your knee and whatever other part of you is hurt.” She opens her mouth, but I shake my head. “This is happening. And I trust him, but his wife will be in the room with you, too. Don’t ever be alone with any man that isn’t me.” I gently grip her face in my hands. “They won’t survive my jealousy.”
“I won’t.” She glances past my shoulder to the dozens of men gathering around us. “You’ll come home?”
