Chapter Thirty-Eight
I can sense she is awake before I even look up at her.
Relief floods me, and I can finally take a deep breath.
I know she’s worried about Reece, but she doesn’t have to be.
I warned that mother fucker, and he didn’t listen, not my fault that he can’t follow fucking directions.
Now he’s going to pay for hurting what belongs to me.
Once I know she’s out of the woods, I’m going after Reece.
He might be on the run, but I’ll find him.
I won’t kill him right away. I’ll let Juni get some well-deserved revenge.
But after that, no one is going to care enough that he’s missing.
We might have to either pay Ricky off or have him join his cousin.
I don’t really care either way. I just want to restart our lives, but together this time.
This isn’t the place to ask, and frankly, it’s none of my business, but Peyton seems off with everyone but Juni, considering the last time they saw each other ended in a catastrophic fight.
I need to get to the bottom of it. I don’t know if the shit between her and Brenden is going sideways, but again, I don’t really give a shit. They are adults.
Since Juni is fully off sedation and seems to be doing okay as of now, the doctors have mentioned coming back sometime in the afternoon to discuss scheduling the surgery for her hand and wrist. Every time I think about it, I see fucking red.
Maybe we will give him the same treatment he gave her and then some.
“Gavin?”
I almost don’t hear her because of the rough shape her throat is in from being on the vent. “What’s wrong, Любовь?”
“You never did tell me how you found out I was here? And how did I even get here in the first place?” She whispers.
“Do you want the short version or the full version?” I ask, my eyes never leave hers.
“I want the full version… I don’t remember much of that day at all,” she says quietly.
“So, it started with a FaceTime call from you just as I got out of the shower. For some reason, you thought I had someone there with me. So, I drove over there, and I still wanted to spend time with you, so we took the SIG to the range after a little encouragement… You started shooting like you used to. Things got a little heated during a discussion, and I did the only thing I could think of to shut you up… And you responded like you always do to me,” I say with a wink.
“And we kind of started making out at the range table.” After a few minutes, you freaked out and asked me to take you home, and I did…
I apologized for coming on to you when I shouldn’t have.
But I knew what really upset you. I needed a second to myself, so I didn’t open your door like I always have since we met.
But I needed space because I started thinking with my dick and not my head.
And I guess after I dropped you off… He was home, and somehow got your gun, and he hit you with it.
” I take a deep breath once I finish talking.
A shocked expression covers her face as she looks at me. I can tell she has so many questions. “Still can’t handle yourself around me, Petrov?” She looks at me with a wink.
There I go again, thinking with my dick at the most inappropriate timing…
Little Gavin was not getting the fucking memo in time.
Before I realized, I stood up, and my hand ended up around her throat.
Not in a threatening way, but in a possessive way.
What can I say? I am a possessive asshole with a hero complex.
“Careful, Любовь,” I whisper. “Soon enough you’ll be mine again, and honestly, I can’t fucking wait to punish this fucking mouth of yours,” I say, smirking when I notice her pupils dilating not from fear but lust.
Before Juni can respond, there’s a knock at the door, and we both jump, as shock covers both of our faces.
What the fuck is your problem, Gavin? Juni is in here because Reece beat her so badly, and here I am with my hand around her throat.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but the Doctor will be in soon.” The nurse gives us a look I can’t place.
“Uh, thank you.” We say in unison.
We both start laughing. “You’re always getting me in trouble, Любовь, even all these years later,” I say with a wink.
“If I remember correctly… You love trouble.” Smirking at her, I sit back down in my seat, trying to gather my thoughts. I need to get myself together. In my defense, she knows what her bratty attitude does to me.
A sharp knock at the door gets our attention again. A taller blonde woman in blue scrubs stands in the doorway holding an iPad that I assume is Juni’s chart. “Hello, I’m Dr. Kline, an orthopedic surgeon. I’ve reviewed the CT scans and the X-rays. Let's discuss what needs to be done.”
Dr. Kline leaves after we agree and schedule her surgery for tomorrow morning.
Juni hasn’t talked much since the doctor left.
We were told her wrist is the same break as before: a Comminuted Distal Radius fracture following a Spiral fracture through the third metacarpal.
Juni needs an open reduction and internal fixation, and the doctor has to fully go in, realign the fragments, and secure them with plates and screws.
The fracture in her hand will require a titanium plate along the broken segment to help keep it aligned during healing.
For a day or two, she might require surgical pins.
But that will be determined in surgery. Dr. Kline’s words just keep running through my mind as we are sitting here.
The TV is on but on mute. With Juni awake, she’s not connected to any machines anymore, so it’s just quiet.
With them still classifying her as a Jane Doe for now, for protection, they are allowing me to stay with her; normally, I would have to leave after visiting hours were over.
“Gavin?”
“Are you okay, Любовь? Do you need me to get you anything?”
“Can you come here and hold me… please? I’m just scared. My mind is running a hundred miles an hour,“ she softly pleads.
“Of course, Любовь,” I say as I stand up. Slipping off my shoes and sitting next to her on the hospital bed, trying hard not to bump into her and cause her any kind of pain.
“I’m not made of glass, Gavin, I might look like it. But I’m tougher than I've ever led anyone to believe.”
“You're the farthest thing from being fragile, Любовь. Of course, I know that, but you do have broken bones, and morphine or not, you're still going to be in pain.”
“Then take the pain away from me, Gavin, let me imagine this world where there is no pain. Even if it’s temporary.”
Sliding in behind her, I wait for her to get herself comfortable before I situate myself.
She slowly turns onto her right side and lays her head on my chest. I can still faintly smell her lavender shampoo and conditioner from a few days ago.
Slowly, I start rubbing her back, as I take in how close we are right now.
And surprise! A special guest, little Gavin, decides this is the perfect time for another visit.
I can sense she’s discovered I’m getting hard just lying here with no ill intention.
“I’m sorry, Любовь, please just ignore it, it’ll go away eventually,” As I lean my head against hers.
My eyes start slowly closing until I give up the fight against sleep.
I’m not a praying man… But I am hoping and praying I don’t wake up in a sleep paralysis state with Juni sleeping next to me.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but I woke up suddenly.
This time, it’s not from a nightmare, but by a soft touch caressing my lower stomach under my t-shirt and gently tracing my happy trail.
Still dazed with sleep, it takes me a moment to remember I’m lying in Juni’s hospital bed with her small frame tucked into my side.
Shifting my eyes down, I’m met with hazel-green eyes I used to spend hours getting lost in. “What are you doing, Любовь?”
“Gavin…” Her hand moves to cup my jaw, locking me in place.
“Are you okay, Любовь? What can I do?”
“I am now,” She smirks and lifts slightly, pressing herself impossibly close to me. Her lips start tracing my jaw, her hand starts making its way back down to my stomach, her nails dragging, leaving a thin red trail behind.
“Juni… as much as it kills me to say this, you need to stop. We can’t.”
“Why can’t we? Not like we haven’t before,” she says, raising her eyebrow in defiance.
“Before it wasn't complicated like it is now… It physically pains me to stop you, Любовь. I want nothing more than to devour you right here, right now, but I can’t,” I sigh, pressing my forehead against hers.
“Because of my injuries or because of Reece?” she asks, glaring at me.
“For one, you still need surgery. I’m not going to hurt you further.
The temporary cast isn’t doing anything productive.
Second, I don’t give a shit about Reece; he started this.
He signed his fate. He was warned, but ended up hurting what belongs to me anyway. He’s going to suffer the consequences.”
“You’re not going to hurt me, Gavin. I promise.
I just want you to take my pain away…touch me and let me touch you.
” I’ve never been a weak man, but this woman right here somehow always finds the cracks in any resolve I have and shatters it.
Guilt temporarily rushes me, but it’s gone with my next breath.
Fuck him, maybe if he didn’t choose drugs and easy women over his fucking wife, we wouldn’t be here.
I’ll never thank him for what he put Juni through, but I do appreciate him sending her back into my arms. I just hope our future will be like what I’ve dreamed about.
I want her happiness to be real. I don’t want her to live in constant fear and make herself small to try to stay out of everyone's way.
I want to help her build herself back up.
I want her confidence to light up any room she steps into like she used to.
“Любовь…” I softly grab her chin. Leaning down, I press my lips to hers.
It starts soft until she deepens it. Her tongue starts tracing my bottom lip, demanding access.
As I let her in, I feel her throw her leg over my hip; the hospital gown she’s wearing is not helping.
I can practically feel her heat on my leg.
My hands automatically go to her waist and lock tightly on her hips.
As I deepen the kiss, I have to swallow the moan escaping her.
Breaking away, I smirk. “Are you going to be a good girl for me, Любовь? You have to be quiet.” I whisper.
Leaning back down, I capture her lips again, my hands drifting from her hips to cup her ass.
I quickly discover she’s not wearing anything under the hospital gown.
“Иисус Христос…” ‘Jesus Christ.’ “Ты делаешь меня... таким чертовски слабым” ‘you make me so fucking weak’ Running my hands from her ass back to her hip, I slowly drag them down to her knees, pulling her as close as possible.
From her knee back to her hips, my grip tightens. “What do you need, Любовь?”
“I. Need. You. To. Touch. Me.”
As I softly trace from her hip to her pubic bone, her breath hitches.
“You're so responsive to me, Любовь. You know the best way to drive me into insanity.” Taking her mouth again, my thumb finds her clit and starts making lazy circles. My middle finger ever so slowly starts tracing her slick heat. “Hmm, look at you, Любовь,” I whisper, “I’ve barely touched you, and you're ready for me.” She tugs on my hair as she swirls her hips. Gathering her wetness, I sink my middle finger inside, waiting for her to adjust. I start moving at the pace I know she likes. Adding a second finger, it’s like her body has never forgotten me and welcomes me home.
Curling them to hit that spot, she starts rocking against my hands.
Her breathing picks up, and her walls tighten against me like a vice grip.
Quickening the pace, it doesn’t take long until she falls apart on my fingers.
“You're so beautiful, Juni,” I whisper. Kissing her one more time before standing up to readjust myself once again.
I need a cold fucking shower. Making sure we are both decent, I step into the bathroom to piss and splash cold water on my face.
When we get out of here, how am I going to survive living with her?
A lot of cold showers are in my future, I guess.
Coming out of the bathroom, we hear a knock at the door; It’s Peyton and Brenden. “Peyton?” Juni’s voice cracks with emotion.
“Juni, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything!” In a blink, Peyton crosses the room and sits on the bed with Juni. Wrapping her in a long, emotional hug, they both pull away crying.