Page 66 of Sunrise Malice

“What is all this?” I ask.

“Kim needs serious care,” he says, and a lump forms in my throat. “She’s getting it at the hospital, but even the doctors agree that she’d be better off healing at home. However, from what I understand, it seems like that isn’t the best environment for her. I was thinking we could bring her here.”

“Julien,” I manage to say, croaking his name, feeling overwhelmed.

He walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed. “I’ve already hired nurses to care for her. I’ll have someone available for her around the clock—they’ll stay in the room across from this one—and my family’s doctor will check on her at least every few days. Honestly, mon minou, she’ll get better care here than she does where she is right now. If you want?—”

I throw myself at him. I straddle his hips and kiss him hard, burying his mouth with mine, mostly because I can’t think of the right words to express how I’m feeling right now. He holds my hips and kisses me back, and he’s grinning when I pull away.Tears roll down my cheeks and I have to wipe them with my sleeve.

“I don’t know what to say,” I manage to whisper. “This is too generous.”

“Well, we don’t even know if Kim will want to, so you should talk to her before you get too excited.”

“She’ll want to. I mean, you’re right, going home won’t be the best thing.” I hesitate and touch his face. “But are you sure? I mean, she’ll be safe here, right?”

“She’ll be safe here,” he confirms. “I’ll make sure my guards know to keep everyone away from her room. She won’t be able to have visitors for a while, at least until this issue with Dusan is resolved and Grandpère goes back to France, but I’m hoping that won’t be too long.”

“I’ll talk to her. I’ll make her see this is going to be good for her.” My heart leaps at the thought of having her here, right here, in this house. “You did this for me, didn’t you?”

“You know I did.” He leans forward and kisses me. “You want to visit her. I don’t want you to leave the mansion. This way, everyone wins.”

I lean into him, hugging tight.

“I’ll call her right now,” I say.

But he doesn’t let me go. “I have to go on a job tonight. I wanted to show you this before I went.”

“What kind of job?” I feel a sudden urge to hold onto him tighter.

“You know what kind, baby. Dusan put a bomb on my doorstep. He has to hurt for that.”

I chew my lip, not looking at his face, my cheek pressed to his chest. Before, I knew his life was dangerous, and some part of me was able to disassociate from the risks. Julien was Julien, and I couldn’t stop him from going out and shooting people if that’s what he wanted to do.

But our relationship changed.

The axis shifted, and suddenly, I don’t want him to put himself in danger, even though I know that’s a big part of his life.

“You can send someone else,” I say, hating myself for how meek I sound. “I mean, we’ve only marked off a few items from my list.”

“Are you trying to bribe me with sex?”

“Only if it’s working.”

He pulls me back so he can look at me. “The last thing I want to do is leave you right now,” he says and leans forward to kiss me softly. “But if I want to make sure you’re safe, these are the things I have to do.”

My heart shudders in my chest. “Right, I know, it’s totally fine. It’s not like you’re my real husband, right?”

I mean it as a joke, but his face grimaces slightly. “Right,” he says, voice thick, and he stands up, placing me back down on my feet. “You stay here and call Kim. Tell her we can have her moved tomorrow if she’s up for it.”

“Yeah, okay, I will.”

He walks to the door. “I’m getting changed and heading out. Don’t wait up for me.”

“Sure. I won’t.” I look down at the floor. I don’t know how to act in this situation. It’s not like our relationship is any different from what it was—except it’s also completely different too.

He hesitates, looking back, before he leaves me alone in the hospital room.

I’m overwhelmed from everything. From losing my virginity, from having a whole lot of sweaty, intense sex, from the prospect of Kim coming to stay here—and from these emotions running wild in my chest.

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