She groaned. “Part of me wants to make them suffer for a few more days, but I should let them all know they’re also forgiven. There is a grander plan in play here.” She pouted, then grinned at me. God, I’ve missed her.
She rested her head on my shoulder for a few minutes. I rubbed her back lightly, trying to avoid hurting her. She had road rash over almost her entire body from hitting the ground and rolling. She had to be in tremendous pain.
She sighed, sitting up to look at me again. “I need a shower,” she said climbing off my lap slowly. I didn’t move, as I still wasn’t sure how much she wanted me close to her. I was going to let her have privacy. She stopped at the bathroom door and turned back to look at me. “I need help.”
I jumped off the bed and was next to her immediately. She was laughing at my exuberance, but I didn’t care. I was so happy that she wanted me near her again that I would do whatever she asked me to. She asked me to help her with the bandage on her hip before she got in the shower. Since she’d been sleeping for a day, she hadn’t taken her antibiotics. I’d completely forgotten about them. The wound looked red and angry. It looked painful. She held her breath as I tried to peel the bandage off as gently as I could. A single tear ran down her cheek. I knew it hurt.
“Since you’ve been sleeping, you haven’t taken an antibiotic. You need to do that when we get done. Do you want to try a pain pill? I don’t want you to be in pain, my love.”
“I’ll take the antibiotic, but I don’t know about the pain pill. Maybe half of one? I hurt, but I also don’t want to go through what the other pain pills did to me again.”
I pulled her to me, careful of the wound on her hip, and held her close. I rested my chin on the top of her head, my eyes closed. I was relishing having her in my arms again, but I felt so guilty still. She almost died because of me. “I’m so sorry, solnishko.”
I felt her rest her hands on my chest. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m apparently difficult to ki II. I’ll heal. I can manage in the meantime.”
I laughed. She was so unpredictable. One of the many things I adored about her.
We walked slowly to the kitchen. I offered to carry her, but she said she needed to move her stiff body, or it would get worse. I couldn’t argue with her logic. So, I settled for letting her lean on my arm as she walked. She had a pronounced limp because of her hip. She had deep bruises, along with the wounds. How she didn’t break anything, I’ll never understand.
Misha was in the kitchen when we walked in. His face brightened seeing Sephie not only awake but also allowing me to help her. She stopped and opened her arms to him. He rushed to her, but I stopped him with a hand to his chest before he could grab her. “Gentle, Misha.”
He nodded and gently leaned down to hug her, like she was a live porcelain doll. “I’m so happy to see you, gazelle.”
“Ugh, worst hug ever. We need a do-over once I’m better,” she smiled at him.
His wide smile spread across his face. “Deal.”
She looked to me and cleared her throat. “Can I have a moment alone with Misha?”
I raised an eyebrow but nodded. I went to step away, but she pulled me back and kissed me gently. “I just need a minute,” she said, looking at me with that spark that only I could see.
I smiled at her, stepping out of the kitchen. The kitchen opened to a large living room area that then opened onto the back patio. The weather was pleasant, which meant that the large sliding doors could be opened, giving the house an open-air feel. Viktor and Andrei were outside on the patio. They both looked surprised to see me up, especially without Sephie.
“Everything okay, boss?” Andrei asked, concern evident on his face.
I nodded. “She’s awake. She’s inside with Misha. She asked for a moment alone with him.”
Viktor, also concerned, asked, “how…is she?”
“In pain, but she somehow found the strength to forgive me. She did say that she wished she could make you all suffer a little longer, but she’s not going to,” I said smirking at them. Both looked shocked. And relieved. But mostly shocked.
“Is she, uh, still angry?” Andrei asked, crossing his legs, probably remembering her knee in his groin.
Adrik
Misha walked outside. His face was red and his eyes were misty, but he looked better than he had since the ball. I raised my eyebrow at him. He put his hand on my shoulder, “she’s asking for you.” “You good, kid?” I asked.
“Yeah, Boss. Better than good. I don’t know how she does it, but she always knows exactly what to say.”
I put my hand on his shoulder with a knowing look. I walked inside to find her getting a glass of water in the kitchen. She drank half of it and handed the glass to me. I finished it and refilled it, handing it back to her. I went to grab her antibiotic and gave her one. She swallowed it easily. “What do you think about a pain pill? I can tell you’re hurting. Maybe half? It will at least help to take the edge off the pain, maybe?” She thought for a moment. “Do you think they have just regular ibuprofen here? I know that won’t knock me out and it’ll take the pain away. That’s all I took for my back.”
I cursed under my breath. “Really? That’s all you took?”
She nodded and shrugged her shoulders. “It worked. It should work on this too.”
I called for Misha and asked him to find Isabella to ask if they had ibuprofen. It would be time for dinner soon, so she had to be around close.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.