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“Yes. It was the only thing we could think of in a limited amount of time. If we didn’t hurry, Carson would’ve shown up and taken me away.” I didn’t mention what Carson or the doctor’s plans were if Sean hadn’t shown up when he did. I didn’t want to upset Viktor any more.
Jo plopped down beside me, shaking her head. “You know, I always say you gotta go through something crazy to end up with guys like ours. I didn’t realize just how right I was. Your story kind of takes the cake, though. Living on the streets, pissing off rival arms dealers, being forcibly committed and having to hurt yourself to escape? I feel like you should be recovering on a tropical island somewhere, not hiding in my guest room.”
* * *
Sean came back a little while later. His face was bruising and his lip was split, but his smile was kind and he didn’t look like he blamed me for what happened. He set me up with an IV, praising Jo’s choice to have someone bring me soup when she noticed I was hungry. Though hungry was an understatement. I was starving. The past few days in the psych hospital, they withheld a lot of meals.
Viktor never hung up, asking Sean questions on my condition while he worked. Sean was more patient than Jo, answering each question with a calm smile. Once I was set up for the night and fed, Jo set up the laptop on the nightstand so that Viktor could watch over me. Sean gave me more pain meds and I let my body relax, knowing that I had friends close by.
I didn’t stay asleep all night, but that wasn’t really surprising. Viktor seemed to be waiting for it, because his coaxing voice drew me from the nightmare I’d been having, bringing me back around.
“You are alright, ?????. You are safe.”
Turning over, I ignored the pain in my side so that I could look at him better. “I wish… I wish you were here.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his face, and he nodded in agreement. “So do I. Tomorrow, ?????. I will have someone bring me in their trunk if I have to.”
The thought of a huge guy like him fitting himself into someone’s trunk was funny, and when I snickered, he grinned at me. My stomach tightened as his stoic mask fell.
“I–” My cheeks burned, and I clutched tighter to the blankets. “I missed you.”
There was more I wanted to say, but I was too embarrassed. I’d never felt the way I felt about Viktor with anyone else before. I lived for his smile and yearned for his arms around me. Just being close to him made me feel warm and safe. And the three weeks without him had been almost too much to bear.
His face softened. “I missed you too, ?????. More than I believed possible.”
My brows furrowed. “Why’s that?”
He sighed, rolling over so that he was lying on his back. His free hand scrubbed his face before running through his short hair.
“I had no intention of having a relationship. My life is not safe, and I did not want to draw anyone into it. When you arrived, I felt drawn to you in a way I hadn’t experienced in the past. I was determined to keep my distance while ensuring your safety.” He dropped his hand and looked at me again. “But your sweet demeanor drew me in despite my efforts, and when you were taken from me…” A flash of fury crossed his face. “I knew I would stop at nothing to get you back. Gabi said you left willingly, but I knew better. You were terrified when you showed up here. You would not have left without force.”
I nodded. “There were men with guns down the street. And Carson said Dmitriy was a criminal, and he’d have him arrested if I didn’t make it look like I wanted to go.”
Viktor scowled. “He has no proof of that. Even if it was true–”
He didn’t know I knew about what he did, and he was still trying to protect me. If we were in the same room, I’d hug him for being so sweet.
“Viktor. I know he wasn’t lying. Jo told me.”
He went quiet, shifting his gaze back to me. “Does that bother you?”
I shook my head slowly. “No. Like I told Jo, your job doesn’t define who you are. You’ve been taking care of me since you showed up in my life. You’ve saved me more than once. Carson may have a legitimate job, but he’s the real monster. Not you.”
Viktor’s face warmed as he listened to me. When I finished, he sighed heavily. “It is killing me to be so far from you, ?????.”
Stifling a yawn, I bobbed my head in agreement. “Me too.”
He smiled. “Get some rest. I will be right here beside you.”
Snuggling into the blankets, I watched him get more comfortable. I never thought I’d ever trust a man again, after everything I’d been through. But Viktor was more than just a man. He was a protector, a caretaker, and a sweetheart. I never stood a chance against his brand of affection. I’d follow him anywhere. Maybe that made me an idiot, and maybe I was setting myself up to get hurt again. But I doubted it. I’d seen the way the men on this side of the law treated their spouses. There wasn’t a monster among them. Sure, they were criminals in a legal sense, but they were good people. And I’d rather go to my grave keeping their secrets than end up with someone like Carson.
ChapterTwenty-Four
When I woke up,Viktor was already awake, talking quietly with Sean. I hadn’t even heard him come in, which was a testament to how exhausted I was. He was taking out my IV, his movements slow and deliberate, like he didn’t want to scare me if he accidentally woke me.
“Lucky for us, we got her scans done before her ex-husband showed up. There’s definite bruising, but it didn’t look like she re-broke anything. I want her to rest for a while, just in case, but I’m optimistic.”
“Can she be moved?” Liam asked. I hadn’t noticed him before, but he was leaning against the doorframe, a deep frown on his face.
