Chapter Sixteen
Mitch
The last five days had been a smorgasbord of pain and pleasant hallucinations.
But now the morphine had gone, as had all my drips and drains, and the physiotherapist—who I privately referred to as The Torture Queen—had me sitting out of bed and walking to the bathroom on my own.
At least I’d managed a shower two days in a row which had been pretty damn awesome, even if I had slept for three hours after it each time.
“Looking good today.” Amy walked into the room wearing a pretty pink dress and her hair up in high ponytail with matching pink bow.
“You’re looking good,” I said from my chair by the window. “Come here.”
She set a bag down on the bed and then came to me.
I caught her hands and drew her in for a kiss.
As our tongues connected and I tasted her sweetness, a familiar stirring rumbled in my groin.
Thank fuck for that! It still worked despite me taking a bullet.
I pulled back and grinned. “They said I can go home tomorrow.”
“That’s great news.” She kissed me again. “I can’t believe how quickly you’ve recovered.”
“Caveat. They said going home isn’t the same as being better, I’ll still need to rest up for a bit.”
“Yes, about that.” She straightened and folded her arms. A line plowed over her brow.
It was the sternest I’d ever seen her.
“Mmm?”
“You’ll have to come to mine,” she said. “You need someone with you, and the twins…I don’t know, I…”
She hadn’t been to Rose Cottage. It was too complicated to explain…yet. But she was right, I would need some help for the first few days at least. “Okay.”
“And there’s no way you can make yourself the healthy meals you’re going to need and—”
“I said okay.”
“And washing your clothes, and I know the wound is pretty much healed but…”
I tipped my head and smiled. “Okay, thanks, I’d love that. To come to yours.”
“You’re not going to argue about it?”
“No, why would I? I want to be with you and I know I’m going to be running on a low battery for the next few weeks, so it makes perfect sense.”
“Oh…oh, in that case.” She grinned. “Great. I’ve taken some annual leave, so we’ll have nothing to worry about except getting you better.”
My gaze slipped to the neckline of her dress.
The first rise of her sweet breasts were just visible, and my palms itched to cup the soft flesh.
“I know what will make me feel loads better.” My cock reacted again, and a memory of her sprawled out on the floor, orgasming on my tongue, girl cum heating my fingers, brought me to a semi hard-on.
Again I caught her wrist, and this time I placed her palm on my groin. “I know exactly what medicine I’m gonna need when I get out of here.”
The right side of her mouth tipped into a sexy smile that had more blood rushing to my cock. “We should check with the doctor.” She squeezed my length. “Find out when you’re allowed that again.”
I held in a groan. “I don’t fucking care what he says, once I’m out of here, my rules, got that?”
“Got that, Daddy.”
Fuck. She’s was hot when she said that. It meant she knew I was in charge, and damn it, I was.
I caught her around the back of her neck and hauled her in for a deep kiss.
She stroked my cock, over my sweats and then squeezed the base, cupping my balls.
Damn it, now I wanted to fuck, or get her on her knees sucking me at least. Those pretty lips around my dick as she gazed up at me all innocent and wanting was just the healing I needed. I was sure we’d get away with it, the nurses didn’t come in to my room that often any more.
“Hey, Dad.”
“What the…?” I broke the kiss.
She snatched her hand away.
I grabbed a pillow and set it over my lap.
In the doorway stood Harry, Nathan, and—to my dismay—Sarah.
She had a face on her like a thunderstorm was brewing, a force five hurricane about to hit. I’d seen it before when I’d found out about her affair and she’d blamed my work for her lies and infidelity.
Yep, that was all my doing…apparently.
“Hey, boys, didn’t know you were coming in,” I said with a smile. “Great to see you both.”
I’d spoken to them on the phone, two days ago. Reassured them that I was okay despite being shot and would be out of the hospital soon. I hadn’t thought Sarah would bother to bring them to see me, despite it being my weekend to have them.
Amy stood by the window, looking out. Likely waiting for her cheeks to fade from scarlet to pink.
“I’ll leave them with you,” Sarah said, her nose wrinkling. “Unless you’re too busy to see them.”
“Not at all.” I grinned and nodded at the bed. “Come sit. Nathan, how’d you get on with the maths test?”
My two beautiful boys, on the verge of becoming gangly teens, wandered in. I was sure I got a whiff of cologne. That was a new thing.
“Did okay,” Nathan said and handed me a Toblerone. My favorite chocolate bar. “Got ninety percent.”
“Thanks, and that’s great, buddy,” I said. “Better than I would have done. Maths was never my strong point, but your mum is really good at it.” I glanced at the door. “You must get it from her.”
Sarah had gone.
“And Henry, did you get any goals at that match on Wednesday?”
“Two.” He beamed. “Man of the match.”
“I am so proud of you.” I gave him a high five and hid a wince when he put muscle behind the whack.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Amy said, turning. She blew out a breath and smiled. “Anyone need anything from the canteen?”
“Hello again, Amy,” Harry said and sat.
“Harry. Well done on the goals.”
“Thanks.”
“And you on the maths test, Nathan.”
He shrugged. “What job do you do?”
“Oh I…I work in marketing.”
“What’s that?” Harry tipped his head and studied her.
“I do sports marketing, so when there is a big match, or a big game, I help organize the posters and the t-shirts and the scarves, that kind of thing.”
“Like when the rugby is on and we get an England scarf at each match, and it shows who they are playing?” Nathan’s eyes widened. “Like that?”
“Yes.” Amy smiled. “Exactly like that.”
“England are playing Ireland in the first match of the Six Nations, Dad,” Nathan said.
“Maybe we’ll go.” I smiled.
“If you’re better.” Harry frowned.
“I will be by then, no problem.”
“And I’ll see if I can get you a scarf each,” Amy said. “Pre-match, so you can wear it on the way to the stadium.”
“Oh, that would be cool.” Harry grinned. “Thanks.”
“Are you coming with us?” Nathan asked. “If you’re Dad’s girlfriend now.”
Her mouth parted, but no words came out.
“Not all girls like rugby,” I said, giving her a get-out-of-jail-free card.
She didn’t take it. “I love rugby, and it would be fun. Perhaps pizza first, yeah?”
She’d hit their sweet spot. Clever girl.
“Pizza and rugby. That will be an awesome day.” Nathan clapped. “I can’t wait.”
The conversation bounced along for the next twenty minutes. Seeing the boys was a balm to my tired, aching body, and when Sarah came to collect them, their hugs gave me the determination to get back to normal as soon as was physically possible.
I’d always been a fighter, and that wasn’t about to change now.
* * * *
Three days later I was home, or at least in Amy’s pretty apartment, and watching the leaves flutter in the breeze. The ancient tree outside her living room window was alive with birds and squirrels and the occasional dragonfly.
Amy had gone to the shop. I needed fresh fish for dinner, she’d said. The protein would do me good.
My phone rang. Andrew.
“Hey, Prof, how’s it going?”
“That’s my question to you. I didn’t take a bullet to the gut. Bloody hell, man, you really did bleed all over the place and in the vehicle.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize, but that was a close call, shook us all up.”
“I’m okay. I’ll be out of action for a while, but don’t think I’m retiring from Galahad. It would take more than a thick-necked asshole with a gun to do that.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I know.” Pause. “What did you tell the police?”
“Not much. Said I was walking to my girlfriend’s, took a shortcut down a back alley, big mistake, and got robbed by some druggies. I know a place where they hang out, so I said it was there, authenticity and all that.”
“Good move.”
“I said it escalated fast when I refused to hand over my wallet and a gun was drawn. Next thing I was shot.”
“And how’d you explain getting to the hospital?”
“I said I’d managed to get to the road, called a cab.”
“And they believed it?”
“Yeah, said they’d be tracking the cab driver down to get a statement, and of course that’s a dead end. I presumed you’d have changed the plates on our vehicle by now, to shake any CCTV at the hospital entrance.”
“Yeah, that’s done.”
“So they can investigate all they like,” I said. “Won’t get very far.”
“That’s good news, we don’t need the cops sniffing around, no offence, mate.”
“None taken.” I huffed. “I don’t remember much after the bullet hit, it’s a bit patchy, you know, but did you find the girls? I remember them running.”
“Finn and Cillian caught up with two of them, but they didn’t want our help. They spoke good English, said they had a place to go. Understandably wary of strange men, can’t blame them. So Finn gave them five hundred quid, cash, and wished them luck.”
“She was a dapper shot, the one who got Beelzebub.”
“No kidding, square between the eyes. Surprised she didn’t keep going and shoot everyone.”
“I’m glad she didn’t. Me or Jamie could have been next, and she wouldn’t have half missed like the fat fucker did.”
Andrew huffed. “Yeah, his belly will have kept the dogs entertained for a while.”
“You threw them over the cage?” I grimaced. That was a bad end, for sure.
“Took a bit of doing, no one volunteered to open the cage door, but yeah, all three bodies. Then we filled their trough with water, checked around, and got out of there. Jamie said he’d do an anonymous message to dog control in a few days, when the evidence will be gone.”
“Find anything of use in the house?”
“Place was a dump inside, filthy. No laptop just phones, oh, and two hundred grand cash and a bunch of Rolex watches.”