Page 44 of Mine to Tease

“Is she okay?” she asks.

“For now. We have an infirmary set up at the address you’re taking us to and a doctor waiting for us. If we can just get there, I’m sure she’ll be okay.” At least, that’s what I tell myself. It’s the only thing keeping me remotely sane and all of the emotions bubbling inside me at bay. Adrenaline, anger, heartbreak, anxiousness, overwhelm, fear of losing her still—I feel everything.

“Yes, I’m very familiar with Dr. R. Don’t worry. You did your part. Now I’m going to do mine.” She returns her eyes to the road and increases our speed.

“Thank you, Ariana,” I say.

If I could see Gio’s face, I know the look I’d find. Ariana Valentine is the woman who holds Alister’s heart. She’s the reason he left, the reason for the alliance, the reason for everything that’s happened in our world over the past six months, including my meeting and falling in love with Anastasia. But she’s not supposed to be involved with our world because it threatens her safety and her safety is Alister’s—and thus Gio’s—top priority. Gio is her protector, even though she doesn’t know it. He doesn’t take her calls. He doesn’t admit her entrance to the Amato estate. He’s done his best to keep her at arm’s length for the past six months and now they sit side by side.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have liked it,” he says then.

I nod. “I know. But it was the only way.”

Tonight, I pulled Ariana back into a world she’s not meant to have any part of. But, on such short notice and with our numbers depleted, there was no other option. She’s an FBI agent, skilled in things like combat and fast-paced driving. Not to mention, she has a badge to get us out of trouble if we’re pulled over by the cops while fleeing the scene. Thankfully, she hasn’t had to flash it and her involvement and her friend Ray’s can go unnoticed. Come tomorrow, everything for her will go back to normal. She’ll be on the outside, wondering just like all of us when Alister will come back. And Gio will continue to secretly watch after her until he does. The thought actually makes me feel bad for her.

I was without Anastasia for mere hours and it nearly killed me. Ariana has lived without Alister for months now with no idea where he is or if he’s coming back to her. And yet she came when we needed help. That tells me she still has hope. Maybe her hope gives me some too, though, for once, my hope for Alister’s return has less to do with the Mafia and more with her and my cousin’s happiness. If their love is anything close to what I feel for Ana, and I’m sure it is, then it would be a shame if they never found a way back to each other.

“Never again,” Gio says then.

I nod even though he can’t see me. “Never again,” I agree.

I give Ariana one final glance. Holding Anastasia in my arms, I know I’d be furious if someone put her in danger. Hell, I am furious that someone put her in danger, that someone being her brother. I know better than to involve Ariana again, because Alister would never forgive me if something happened to her. Just as I will never forgive Aidan Cross for his reckless actions that caused the woman I love to be so brutally assaulted.

45

Back at the Compound, Ana lies asleep in my bed wearing her favorite pajama pants and one of my black long-sleeve T-shirts. It swallows her, but Ariana suggested it might be helpful to provide her with a warm and cozy environment. It’s something she’s learned in her line of work, which can include encountering women who’ve survived this type of assault. I bite my lip then and fight back the tears that have been threatening to pour since I got her safely inside that SUV. I almost lost her. I almost lost her, and the mere thought tightens my chest. I close my eyes and take several deep breaths.

After we got back, Dr. R and I got her cleaned up while Gio fetched some clothes from her place, a few personal items that may make her more comfortable, and Brinkley. He’s snuggled at her feet now as I sit in a chair at the edge of the bed, holding her hand. Dr. R conducted an extensive exam, which thankfully didn’t reveal any broken bones or internal bleeding. She did suffer trauma to her face and her pelvic area, but we already knew that. He put a special salve on her cheek and lip to help soothe the pain and repair the broken skin, as well as on her hands and legs where the glass dug in. He left some for her to reapply over the next week and medication for her to take after she wakes to prevent pregnancy and any diseases. She’s also on an IV to replenish her fluids and help with the overall pain she’s likely experiencing.

I open my eyes and take her in. Lying before me, she is still the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth—an otherworldly beauty and the keeper of my heart. She is my family. Knowing what happened to her is almost as painful as the thought of losing her. I never could have imagined that men I used to call brothers would go this far, would do this to any woman let alone the one I claim as mine. I guess I’m starting to understand why her brother has always been so oppressive and overbearing. After what happened to her, I’m tempted to do exactly as he did—keep her locked in a gilded cage, surrounded by guards twenty-four seven. But that would be breaking my promise, and I won’t break another one. The one I did break is what finally brings me to tears.

“I broke my promise to you,” I say then, my voice cracking. “I promised I’d keep you safe. I promised I’d always protect you, and I failed you, Anastasia. I failed you like I failed my mother.” At that, I squeeze her hand tighter. Tears drip down my cheeks and I bow my head. “I deserve to die. If you weren’t still here, fighting, I would. I would let Aidan kill me for breach of contract or I would do it myself.” I nod, knowing it’s true. “But you are still here. You’re still fighting.”

I look to her then, slowly stand, and brush a single curl from her face. Softly, I kiss her forehead. As tears fall from me onto her skin, I pull away and remove a ring from the pocket of my jeans. It’s not your typical engagement ring. It’s an Amato family heirloom dating back God only knows how many hundreds of years. A gold band with a large oval-shaped diamond in the middle surrounded by small rubies—it belonged to my mother. All of the Amato women have pieces from the same collection—brooches, necklaces, rings with the family crest—that are outfitted with trackers and this one is no different save for the crest. It’s my way of pledging my life to Anastasia but also taking an extra precaution to protect her by allowing me to keep tabs on her even when she’s without her phone, like tonight.

I return to my seated position and take her hand in mine. Gently, I slip the ring onto her delicate finger and make her one final promise. “So, if you’ll have me, I vow to spend every day of the rest of my life making sure nothing like what happened tonight ever happens to you again. I vow to protect you with my life. I vow to honor and respect the way you choose to live yours. I vow to make you happy and shower you with never-ending love and affection. I vow to make you laugh and always work through our disagreements. I vow to be honest with you and put you first—above everyone, above the Mafia. Because I mean it when I say you’re my family. I vow to never give up on you. No matter how long it takes you to heal from this trauma or any others that may befall you, I will love you through it. I will help you through it. And I will never give up on us, Anastasia.” At that, I bring my lips to her knuckles, kiss her, and pray to God to give me the strength to do all that I’ve promised.

The speed of her steady beating heart increases. I push myself up in my chair and quickly look to the monitor to make sure everything’s okay. “Damon?” Anastasia’s hand twitches in mine and I turn to find her slowly opening her eyes. A sigh of relief escapes me.

“Yes, baby. It’s me. I’m here. You’re safe,” I reassure her and wrap both my hands around hers. She nods. Her movements are slow, given the painkiller flowing through her system.

“Where am I?” she asks groggily.

“You’re somewhere we call the Compound. It’s the safest building in the French Quarter. No one gets in or out who doesn’t belong here,” I quickly explain. It didn’t even occur to me until now that she’s never been here before. “Do you need anything? Are you in any pain? Because I can up the?—”

“No, I’m fine,” she says, her voice hoarse.

“Water. You need water.” I stand and grab the large jug Dr. R suggested I keep near the bed. It has a long straw, which I gently place between her lips, sure to avoid the place with the salve. Thankfully, she doesn’t fight me and takes a few good sips. Returning the water to the bedside table, I sit and, once more, take her hand in mine. There’s a moment of silence between us as a million words go unspoken.

I want to apologize all over again. I want to comfort her, but that would mean bringing up what happened and I don’t know if I should. Perhaps she wonders how much she wants to say about it. I saw pictures, but I wasn’t there. I don’t know everything. I don’t know what she felt or feels. I don’t know the extent of her trauma and I don’t know how best to help her. As she sits quietly, perhaps she’s even angry at me and not sure how to express it. Finally, I break the silence and say, “Ana, I’m sor?—”

“You forgot Brinkley,” she says, cutting me off.

My brows crinkle. “What? He’s right here, baby.” He waddles up alongside her and positions himself on her lap. She closes her eyes and places her hand on his white fur, though she’s too weak to truly pet him.

“No, I meant, if we’re family, then so is he.” She looks at me then and returns my squeeze of her hand with one of her own.

“You heard me?” I ask. She nods. A small smile spreads across my lips. It lasts for only a moment, because it feels out of place given the circumstances. “Well, then, I vow to love Brinkley almost as much as you do, because I know it would be impossible to match your love for him.” At that, Brinkley’s ears pop up and he wiggles a little in my direction and licks my hand as it lies over Ana’s. “Thanks, little buddy. Does that mean I have your blessing to marry your mom?” He licks me again and I give him a little pat. This moment heals some of the ache inside me, and yet I know there is no escaping what happened tonight. Not for me, but certainly not for Ana.

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