Chapter 19
19
BIJOU
P olice reports, paperwork, and a visit to the ER mean the sun hangs high in the sky when we finally head home. At the hospital, Rutger got staples and a prescription for pain medicine. I received a handout on concussion red flags and orders to drive.
We snacked on food from one of the hospital vending machines. But he asks if I’d like to stop at a cafe for a sit-down meal as I drive.
Scanning his bloody button-down shirt, bandaged head, and bruised face, I reply, “Baby, I hate to say this, but you’ll scare the diners. How about I make brunch?”
He smiles, wincing at the motion. Besides the bandages on his head, he has two black eyes, a swollen bottom lip, a fat nose, and multiple bruised ribs. “I’d love one of your breakfasts again.”
We drive to my place and park. My third-floor apartment greets us with Bohemian and vintage-inspired velvet and silk furnishings in rich jewel tones. Extravagant, fuzzy Boston ferns and black-and-white photos of retro blues singers offer quirky accents.
I head into the kitchen, taking organic strawberries and whipped cream from the fridge. Rutger stalks around, checking for signs of trouble. Finally, he limps into the kitchen, pulling me into his arms and reassuring me, “Everything looks okay.”
We both stare at the strawberries and cream on the counter. “You should eat something, beauty,” he urges.
I shake my head. “I’m not hungry. The sight of Raul’s head bobbing in the Cumberland won’t go away. I know we haven’t received the call yet. But I have an unshakeable feeling that he and his man are dead. Finally escaping Raul’s cruelty and violence is a relief. I can’t help but lament the sweet little boy he once was, though.”
“I’m sorry,” Rutger says, holding me tightly. The warmth of his embrace and the sound of his heartbeat calm me. We stay this way for a long time, and I soak up his love and comfort. Finally, his arms relax, and he moves towards the counter.
His eyes fixate on my purse, and his face clouds.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
Reaching into my handbag, he grabs the tarot card poking halfway out. We both stare fixedly at the skeletal smile of the Grim Reaper.
“Raul sent it to me last night at the Bow with a bouquet of thirteen black chrysanthemums.”
He frowns.
“They’re a symbol of death in the Creole culture.”
Scowling, he flips the thick laminated card between his fingers. “This is a GPS tracker.”
“Are you serious?”
He nods, grimacing at the sudden motion.
“Oh, baby, be careful,” I croon.
“That’s how your brother tracked us to the river.” He searches my kitchen drawers for aluminum foil. Tearing off a piece, he wraps the card. “This’ll neutralize it until we deliver it to the police station.”
A question enters my head, one forgotten in the earlier chaos. “This morning, when your phone rang… How did you know Raul had found us?”
“My team planted GPS trackers on his crew’s vehicles in New Orleans.”
I wrap my arms around his neck, straining on my tiptoes to tenderly kiss him. “You’re my own personal James Bond.”
“In more ways than one,” he growls seductively, grabbing my hips and pressing me into his steel-hard arousal. A sudden seriousness captures his face. “Kitten, I know I’m moving fast. And I know you have a lot to process with everything that’s happened. But I want you to move to Rough & Ready with me. It’s where I can best protect you. I’ve got a big cabin with gorgeous mountain views, the kind of place we used to dream of living together. And my friends are loyal to a fault—they can be the family you and I always wanted. Besides McGregor, Wolfe and Izzie are there.”
I nod, excitement and mortification crashing into me. Wolfe was Rutger’s best man. “Wolfe must hate me.”
“He hated what happened. Not you. Once I explain things, it’ll be fine. I promise.” Rutger stares at me expectantly.
Without hesitation, I answer, “Yes, I’ll move to Rough & Ready with you, baby. Wherever you are is where I want to be.”
“If you don’t like it, we’ll relocate. But I need you with me. Always.”
Melting into his azure eyes, I whisper, “Always.”
He swallows hard. “I hope I can be enough for you. I’m a bruised and broken man, Bijou. But I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
“You’ve already made me the happiest woman in the world.”
He wraps his arm possessively around my waist. “I’d love to sweep you off your feet, carry you down the hallway, and spend hours pleasuring you. But how about we walk to the bedroom together, take a hot shower, and settle for gentle lovemaking… at least, until my ribs and your heart heal a little?”
I confess, “My heart started healing the moment you kissed me. As much as I regret Raul’s fate, he did it to himself. I’m tired of his menacing shadow hanging over our lives. He’s already stolen too much time from us, and I won’t let him take any more. The only place I’ve ever felt truly safe and loved is in your arms, and I’m tired of denying myself a life with you.”
Stepping forward, he wraps his other arm around me, leaning down to capture my lips tenderly. Passion floods his eyes as he says, “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved and ever will love. That shit I said in the car… about not knowing how to get back to being the man you deserve. I was still trying to shield myself. Keep you from hurting me again. But you’re all I want… all I’ve ever wanted. Without you, I’m a fucking mess. So, I need you to promise you’ll stay with me forever. Through this lifetime and all the ones to come.”
Tears streak my cheeks as I whisper, “Yes, baby. You’re all I want. Now and forever.”
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