Page 31 of Tainted Blood

He begins by listening to my heart and then my lungs. His physical exam is pretty routine until he gets to my wounds. The bandages have to come off, and so it takes a little longer.

“Most of these are looking really good. Although I think we’ll need an x-ray to see what it looks like underneath. You had two broken ribs, which is probably what is causing most of the pain when you move. The wounds on your arm and your chest have completely closed up. The one on the back of your leg needs more time. I’d recommend lying on your left side.”

“Is there a problem with it?”

“No, you’re healing rather fast, which is fantastic because that prevents infection, and we don’t want another one of those.”

“What about my exercise and training?”

“I’d say no more than walking for the next week. After that, we can bring in a physical therapist to work with you.” He gives me a few more instructions and a refill on my medicine before leaving.

Connor, who was standing by the door, listening but not interrupting, walks him out.

I’m grateful that things are going well. So, I wrap up my open wounds and then take a shower. Connor needs a massive thanks for giving me the room with the walk-in shower that has a bench. It’s perfect for right now. By the time I get out, I feel so exhausted, but I don’t let that send me back to bed. After getting dressed, I slip on some clothes ever so gingerly and then make my way downstairs. A walk outside would be nice.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted that number.”

“Sure. Here it is. I know people,” she says with a wink.

I take my walk and then go sit in the enclosed yard where Cain roams around, digging and wagging his tail. Claudia brings me out some coffee. “I’m going to call him now.”

“Good. You need to get the hard part over with.”

“I think Calista is the harder part.”

“I don’t think so.” She winks and walks off. I don’t make the call until the patio doors are closed.

“Vitale,” he answers on the third ring.

I clear my throat and say, “Mr. Vitale, my name is Ian MacNamara.”

“Ah, yes. How are your injuries?” I’m shocked by the civility and concern.

“I’m recovering.”

“Good, so then you’ll finally have the balls to come and talk to me like a man soon,” he says, taking me by surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“You think you can fuck my little girl like some whore on the street and think I won’t expect you to marry her? I don’t take that kind of disrespect well, Mr. MacNamara,” he barks out.

Damn it. She didn’t reveal that she was a mafia princess and that her father would string me up by the balls for fucking her tight cunt. God, I miss that sexy body in my hands and my cock buried deep in her while she screams my name.

I take a sip of my coffee before I give him a response. “And I meant no disrespect by it. If I had my way, your daughter would have been my fiancée at the very least by now,” I inform him, wanting to clear the air. If he wasn’t her father and I was one hundred percent, I wouldn’t take his shit.

“You had weeks before your attack, so what happened?”

“Didn’t she tell you?” If she told him we fucked, then I’m sure she explained that she ran out.

“No, she didn’t reveal anything to me. My men watched her leave with you, and I expected that she wouldn’t have gone with you unless she was serious.”

“Me, too, but she wants nothing to do with me. She made that clear the last time I saw her.”

“If that’s the case, why are you calling me?”

“Because that doesn’t mean I want the same thing. She’s mine until the day I die, and I’ll do everything I can to protect her.”

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