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“Of course.” Shit, so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours since he saw his daughter. “I’ll do whatever you think is the right way to approach it. Regardless of everything else that’s gone on between us, I believe you were and are a good mother.”
“I appreciate you saying that. I’ve tried to give her the love that neither you nor I ever received.” She played with the bed sheets. “I want you to know it wasn’t my choice to involve you in all this.” She waved her hand over her busted face. “Izzy freaked when she found me. She didn’t know who else to call and when she couldn’t reach you she called Samson.”
Nick flexed his fists. “When I get my hands on that bastard?—”
“Forget about that for now.”
“Forget about it? No fuckin’ way.” He leaned in and pushed a stray hair away from her face. “You’ll never have to worry about him again.”
“Please don’t do anything to put you or your club in jeopardy.”
“Don’t worry, the only one in jeopardy will be that fucker, Russo.” Nick already had a few lethal fantasies floating around in his brain. None of which he’d share with Cheryl. “For now, you just worry about resting and getting better.”
“I’ve already had Izzy contact the Bellagio and they were more than happy to accommodate us.”
“Forget that. You ain’t goin’ there. You’re staying right here.”
“Ohhh, no, that’s not possible.”
“It is, and you are.” There was no way he was letting her or Portia leave.
“Before all this you told me we were over. That the only dealings you wanted with me was about getting to know Portia. I don’t blame you for how you felt, but I also don’t wantyou obligated to me, or thinking I’m using this situation for sympathy.”
“Sympathy?” Nick spun away from her, shook his head, then turned back to the bed. “That bastard is twice your size, he could’ve fuckin’ killed you. You said Izzy found you unconscious which means tomorrow you’re getting a CAT scan and an MRI.”
“Fine, but that has nothing to do with you.”
“The fuck it doesn’t. That piece of shit did this to you because of me.”
“No, he did it because he doesn’t want to lose his status or his standing with my father. The main reason he went crazy is more about damaged pride, ego, and money—the money he fears will be cut off if he’s not married to the mobster’s daughter. That’s why I don’t want you going after him and putting yourself or your club at risk. This is my fight, not yours.”
“Right up until the time he had some gangbangers trash the stock at Wicked.”
“You know this for a fact?”
He jerked his head in a nod. “And there’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting that stand.” Nick rubbed a knot at the back of his neck suddenly exhausted from the day.
Cheryl shifted on the bed. “I had no idea.”
“The fuckin’ guy is out of control and it’s not safe for you or Portia to be alone. That’s why you’re staying here till I get this shit fixed.” He motioned to the bedside table. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m fine.”
“Try to rest, I’ll check on you later.”
Cheryl reapplied the ice pack which did relieve some of the throbbing in her cheekbone. Sadly, she’d been hit by men before and it amazed her how their blows always landed right on the most sensitive spot of the face. Surprisingly, she didn’t have a headache, but the tender skin on the side of her face had its own pulse.
She wanted to close her eyes and take Nick’s advice of resting, but her mind wouldn’t let her. Her brain skittered with problems and solutions but none of them seemed doable. One thing was certain, tomorrow she’d get the hospital tests done, then her, Portia, and Izzy would move into the suite at the Bellagio as she originally planned.
She refused to let this roadblock stand in the way of her freedom, or let her heart believe Nick’s actions were anything more than panicked concern and guilt. Twenty-four hours ago, he clearly told her they didn’t and would never have a chance together and she wouldn’t be naive to think he’d changed his feelings. He’d have a relationship with Portia, and of course she wanted that for her daughter too, but she wouldn’t be fooled by any other show of affection toward her.
When she pushed away her emotions and childish wishes she knew they could never work. All the baggage from their time in Brooklyn, the knowledge of her being Frank’s daughter, and keeping Portia a secret would be too much for him to forgive or forget. Nick was right the other day, some life decisions couldn’t be fixed or resolved, because some cuts were just way too deep.
21
Samson’s head popped up the minute Nick entered the living room. “How is she?”
“I think she’ll be all right, but that’s not even the point anymore. The bullshit at the club and now this—that bastard has to be stopped.”
