SAX
The bed creaked as I shifted, and I couldn’t find a comfortable position for the life of me. It sucked being sidelined, and I was already over it. Loren was acting like the bullet and stab wounds were grave injuries. I hadn’t needed surgery, so in my book, I was fine.
“Spitfire, if I don’t get out of this bed, I’m liable to kill someone,” I grumbled. Loren rolled her eyes as she fluffed the blankets around me. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her down to me in a swift move, making her land with an oomph.
“I’m fine. I appreciate your concern, but it’s not needed. I promise.” I kissed her lips and felt her relax into me. She laid her head on my chest, a sigh escaping her.
“I was just so worried. I’m glad you’re not more injured. I really am tired of people getting hurt.”
“You’re included in that, Spitfire. And I get it.” I blew out a breath, knowing how I’d felt when she’d been hurt. “You weren’t injured that long ago, and I wanted to burn the world down. So, I thank you for your love and concern, but this isn’t me. Unless it's naked time with you, I’m not a lay-in-bed type of guy. I need to be up, doing things.”
Her hand moved back and forth on my chest, and I imagined we were different people for a moment. Maybe I was an accountant instead of a mobster, and we lived in the middle of suburbia. We had a few kids running around and soccer practice to attend. It sounded nice for about two seconds, but then I was bored.
For one, we were better as a group, and two, well, I happened to like bashing people’s skulls in every now and then. I didn’t think smashing keys on a calculator would give me the same satisfaction.
“Fine, you’re right,” she mumbled. “It’s just that you’re the easiest one to hover over at the moment. Jude’s already tired of my shit.” Loren laughed, looking up at me. “What do you need to do?” She asked, settling her chin on her hands.
An idea popped into my head, a slow smile creeping across my face. “I know the perfect task for us. But to do it, we need to get out of bed.”
“Fine. Though, I never thought I’d hear you wanting me out of bed.”
“Oh, Spitfire. You know I prefer walls and other surfaces.” I smacked her ass as she rolled over, climbing out, and her little yip had me grinning as I followed her. I moved slightly slower, the stitches pulling as my body adjusted to the new position.
Taking her hand, I pulled her down the hall toward the elevator. “It’s time I show you a new level.”
“Oh?” She looked at me, but I only smirked, not giving anything away. I hit the button for B and watched in the reflection as Loren’s face opened in shock. “You have a basement? Why haven’t I ever noticed?” she mumbled, looking at me. I didn’t say anything, finding delight in her curiosity.
When the elevator chimed, I smiled as Loren stepped off, her head whipping around so fast I thought it might fall off.
“What? Huh? What?”
Chuckling, I steered her where I wanted her to go. Loren went along, too flabbergasted to protest. Topher nodded when we neared. He and another guard appeared to be on duty.
“Sir, Ma’am,” he said, nodding in reverence to Loren.
“Hey, Topher.” Loren smiled at him, looking at the other guy. “Hi, sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.” She reached her hand out, offering it to him. “I’m Loren.”
I felt sorry for the guy as he fumbled over himself, wondering why the Queen would be addressing him. Loren had no clue the power she held now, which made her a great Mafia Queen.
“Matt,” the man finally managed to say, shaking her hand briefly. He didn’t want to be rude, but hadn’t missed my possessive grip on her either.
“We’d like to see the prisoner.”
Topher nodded, used to Loren’s presence, and stepped aside so we could enter. While we kept most of the prisoners at the warehouse, Atticus had opted to keep this particular one closer.
Plus, with Dayton returning, it was the one section he had no control or knowledge of, and we wanted to keep it that way.
When we walked in, the man in question didn’t look up, and I felt Loren bristle a little next to me. Hardening my exterior, I looked at the man on the floor, feeling nothing but anger toward him. He was a piece of shit, and it was time we disposed of him.
“This is what you need to do?” she whispered.
“Yep. He no longer holds value, so it’s time to take out the trash. If you don’t want to be part of it,” I said, turning to look at her, “I can do it alone. I thought you might want to, but now I wonder if that was a mistake. You fit so seamlessly in our lives that I sometimes forget you weren’t brought up this way.”
She looked at me, her hands clutching my forearms. “What are you going to do?” She swallowed, her body shaking a little.
Brian hadn’t stirred, his spirit too broken. I knew I should feel bad about that fact, but I didn’t. I was delighted about it. This man had hurt her, repeatedly made her doubt herself, and in the end, had committed the most grievous act against her by stealing her eggs. He didn’t deserve to continue in this life. There was no world where I’d let him survive. He posed too much of a threat, and I wouldn’t let him be able to hurt her anymore if I could help it.
“You know the answer, Loren. He doesn’t get to walk away from everything he’s done. Jail is too easy for him. He needs to die.”