Page 20 of Charity's Redemption

“Glad you asked,” I held my foot up in the air with my pants dangling from it, “putting on some clothes.”

Max crossed his arms in front of his chest, his hand covering his mouth, and chuckled.

“Why?”

“Why are you out of bed?” Nico asked with worry pinching his brows.

I closed my eyes and moved my arms against the soft carpet, letting the fibers tickle my abused skin.

“So much to do, so little time,” I said, sighing, then kicked my pants off my leg.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Please come back to bed.”

“Two brothers want the same thing. One makes it a demand, the other asks with concern and manners.” I smiled, tilting my head back up to watch their upside-down features turn.

Luca scrubbed his hand down his face with an exacerbated huff. Nico cocked his head to the side as I rolled onto my belly and made my way to all fours. Max stepped forward and wrapped his hand around my upper arm, helping me stand.

“Long time no see, buddy. You missed all the fun.”

He chuckled. “I heard it all.”

My cheeks flushed as though I’d slapped them. “Hope you at least enjoyed it.”

I bent over and picked up my discarded pants, then leaned my butt against the wall and tried again.

“Where are you going? The doctor told you to rest.”

“No can do. I’ve got things to do, people to see, a business to run.”

“She’s frustrating the shit out of me already,” Luca said, turning and throwing his hands in the air.

Max and I laughed in tandem. “I’ll watch after her.”

“That’s not the point,” Nico said.

“He only wanted me to lie in bed because of the symptoms. I’m fine now.”

I slipped my foot inside my pants, then my second, and gave a little hop as I pulled them over my hips.

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” Luca asked, stepping toward me, his eyes on my bruised breast.

“I don’t know, but seriously, I’m fine. You know, when you had a night full of drinking, and you just know your hangover is going to be horrible, then it turns out not so bad or barely there? That’s how this is.”

“Weren’t you just complaining it all hurt so bad?”

“Nah,” I said, waving my hand in the air to dismiss the notion. “I was a big baby.”

“Where are you going?”

That was a question I’d asked myself when I stumbled out of bed. All I knew was I wanted out of bed. Lying around wasn’t something I was used to. I needed to keep my mind active, my brain working. Besides, I had a mission to complete.

So maybe I did know where I was going.

“Hey, did you figure things out with Senator Adams?” I asked, ignoring his question.

Luca stepped forward and grabbed me by my arms, moving Max out of the way as he did with a stare that lit me on fire. “Is that what this is about?”

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