Mikhail looks around at the men he can see. “Any casualties?”
“No. The Rossi family let their guard down. I’d say they won’t make that mistake again, but I’m pretty sure the entire family is dead,” he says with a laugh. His eyes are lit up in a way that I’ve never seen them before, and the blood splattered across his face gives me a glimpse of the Artyom who earned the nickname Death.
“I’m taking Charlie back to the house. Send the injured over so Jack can look at them,” Mikhail says, but before he can turn away, Artyom looks down at me.
“Yuri said you busted that fucker’s nose.” He laughs and turns to Mikhail. “Don’t get pissed, but I think I have a crush on your fiancée.”
Before Mikhail can say anything, Artyom gives my foot a soft squeeze. “You did damn good, Charlie.”
I look to see the men around us nodding their heads in agreement, and I feel a swell of pride fill my chest. I may look like hell and smell like piss, but I did it. I didn’t cave under Antonio’s beating. I’d stayed strong and kept my mouth shut. I’ve never been so fucking proud of myself. Had I spilled my guts in there, I don’t think I could’ve ever faced any of these men again, including Mikhail. In some small way, I feel like I’ve just paid my dues. I’ve earned my place at Mikhail’s side, and it feels damn good.
The drive back is a somber one. Mikhail didn’t want to set me down, so he got one of his men to drive us since Artyom is staying behind to help make sure any evidence of the Bratva is scrubbed from the security cameras. They speak in Russian in low voices since I’m supposed to be resting, but it’s hard to rest when every breath sends a spike of pain through me. I focus on shallow breathing, feeling my face swell a little more with each passing mile. I have a feeling I’m going to look pretty rough for the next few weeks.
Mikhail never stops caressing me, not once during the entire drive back. His thumb makes comforting circles on my thigh, every few minutes he dips his head to kiss the top of mine, and his other hand rests on my arm, giving me soft, reassuring squeezes every time he feels my body tense with pain.
“Did we get the mayor,” I whisper against his chest.
“We got him, baby. Don’t worry about any of that right now. We need to get you taken care of.”
“I’m glad we got that fucker,” I say, making Mikhail’s lips quirk up in a soft smile. “I really don’t like him.”
“Don’t worry, I scared the hell out of him tonight, and thanks to you, he’s very much in our pocket now.”
I smile and close the eye that isn’t swollen shut, breathing in the comforting scent of him, relieved and more than ready to get cleaned up and into a soft bed with him. Unfortunately, I feel too lousy to do anything except sleep, but a cuddle sure sounds nice about now.
As soon as we pull into the house, Jack runs outside, letting me know that Mikhail must’ve texted him and told him we were here.
“Damn, Charlie,” he says as soon as he sees me.
“You should see the other guy,” I say in a really lame attempt at a joke. Jack is sweet and gives me a pity laugh, but Mikhail is not even close to being able to laugh about tonight.
“I’ve got the room ready to go. Go ahead and put her on the bed, and I’ll get a few x-rays going.” He very softly runs his hands over my ribs, and when I wince, he nods like I just confirmed what he already knew. “You’ve got at least one broken rib, probably two.”
Mikhail’s jaw is clenched so tightly I can see the vein throbbing in his neck as he carries me inside and down to the surgery room that I never even knew was down here. It’s a large room and equipped with all the necessities. It’s the perfect set-up for removing bullets and sewing up stab wounds with no police reports filed, and Jack is still a practicing doctor so he can write prescriptions for antibiotics and easily get access to more supplies.
When I’m on the hospital bed, Jack shoos Mikhail out just long enough to get some x-rays, and as soon as he opens the door, Mikhail is right back at my side. He watches with a haunted look on his face when Jack has to remove the shirt to fully inspect the damage. I let out a groan at the sight of all the bruises that are already forming on my stomach and thighs. Jack is efficient and gentle while he examines me, and by the time he’s finished, Mikhail looks sick to his stomach, and I just want a powerful pain killer so I can sleep through the worst of it.
Jack gently pulls the sheet up over me to cover my naked, beaten body and looks at Mikhail. “She’s going to be fine, but two ribs are broken, and she’s going to be sore as hell for a few weeks. I don’t see any signs of internal bleeding, though.” He looks at me and adds, “You’re going to change colors a lot over the next week or two. The swelling in your face will go down, but it’s going to take a while before you’re feeling like yourself again. He did not take it easy on you.”
“He paid for it,” Mikhail mutters, “but it wasn’t enough.”
“I’m glad he did. There’s no greater coward than a man who beats on a woman.”
The way Jack says it makes me think that he’s treated one too many abused women and wishes he could get the images out of his head.
“Can I take a bath?” I ask, feeling dirtier than I’ve ever been.
“Of course, but it’s very important you don’t push yourself too hard, Charlie.”
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t,” Mikhail says, and his tone makes it painfully obvious that my ass is going to be on bed rest for the foreseeable future.
Jack grabs a bottle of pills and hands it to Mikhail. “This will help with her pain and make it easier for her to get some rest, but use them sparingly. Also, make sure she ices those broken ribs several times a day.” He turns and gives me a soft smile. “I am glad to see your sprained ankle is completely healed.”
I laugh before I can stop myself and then wince at the sharp, stabbing pain it brings. Mikhail looks like he’s just been punched. I know it kills him to see me like this. I squeeze his hand to let him know I’m okay.
“Can you help me take a bath?” I ask, knowing that he’ll feel better if I can get him a job to focus on.
“Of course, baby,” he quickly says and then reaches down to carefully pick me up, taking the sheet with us so I stay covered.