Page 24 of My Broken Bodyguard 2: Ritchie & Tori

Worry hung on her face.

After turning off the water, I stepped forward, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around my muscled waist.

Tori watched my every move. The moment I climbed into bed, she turned off the lamp and slid in beside me.

“Drink the water,” she ordered, placing the glass in my hand.

I peeked at her. The light from the TV screen cascaded over our bodies.

Taking the glass from her grip, I tossed it back. The water soothed my scratchy throat.

“That was good,” I stated.

I didn’t realize how thirsty I was.

“Uh huh,” Tori mumbled.

“Now, I know you’ll get a good night's sleep.” She smiled.

I sat the empty glass on the nightstand, then slid lower under the cover. Tori snuggled into my side.

“With you by my side, I will.” I planted a kiss on her cheek.

“You’re so sweet, Ritchie. That sedative I added to your water will help you sleep too.”

“Tori, what?” I growled.

“Good night, baby,” she cooed.

My eyelids felt heavy, then sleep pulled me under.

CHAPTER EIGHT

TORI

THE TIME HAS COME

Ritchie had to be the most stubborn man I’d ever met. Early in the morning before he awoke, I asked Arlis to sedate Ritchie for four days. He didn’t hesitate. Turned out Ritchie busted two of his stitches while kicking Rosco’s ass. Somehow, they’d held up until then.

Made Men like my man couldn’t be trusted to rest and heal on their own. They had to be forced. This was for the best.

Standing in the bathroom mirror, I took in my face. The bruises on and around my eyes were healing nicely. Rosco punched me in both of my eyes, but only one had been swollen shut. The swelling in my lips also subsided. My cheeks were still bruised. But I looked much better. The gunshot wound was healing slowly. Thank goodness I was free of the IV. I was tired of lugging it to and from the bathroom.

I turned out to be a better patient than Ritchie. Instead of running around the warehouse, I stayed in bed with him. I did all I could to regain my strength, so I’d be ready to torture Rosco in the near future.

Asia, Bianca, and Simone kept me company. We caught up on Love and Hip Hop and Grey's Anatomy.

My man was in la la land. It was for the best. If I didn’t ask Arlis to sedate Ritchie, he would’ve killed himself. I understood his level of anger. A dangerous man stole me from him. He planned to beat and rape me and my best friend repeatedly. Rosco deserved all the pain he had coming.

The girls and I kept the conversation light. Soon we’d have a meeting about those who wronged us over the years. The list was a mile long. After Daryl was no more, we’d dive into the hit list our men knew nothing about.

During the evenings, Asia and Bianca took turns rotating my dominant arm. Ensuring I regained strength on the right side of my body.

When my man woke up, I had to be the first person he saw.

He blinked a few times before his beautiful gray eyes met mine. “Good morning, Tori.”

A huge smile lifted my lips. “Good morning, Ritchie.”

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