Page 91 of Look My Way
His face pales and he glances at our joined hands, nodding without saying another word. We’re asked more questions before being taken to the hospital for observation, more so Liam than me. He needs stitches and X-rays done. I wait with him in the room, not leaving his side, and then when there’s finally no staff with us, he leans toward me and says, “Will you lie with me, Daddy?”
My heart lights up. “Of course, pequeño.” Climbing in beside him, I adjust my body in a way where we both fit perfectly and hold my boy as he falls asleep. He’ll have more questions when he wakes up, and like with everything else, I plan to answer them all honestly no matter what ends up being in store for me later.
Thirty-Five
Liam
Machines beep around me and I lower the blankets from my face to a smiling nurse. “Morning, hun. Feeling okay?”
“I . . . yeah.” So it was all real . . . all of it. Daniel . . . Jared, and the man in the basement. They were torturing and killing men in that house. I was supposed to be one of them, but Zavier stopped it from happening. As the nurse takes my vitals and has me sit up in bed to chase pills with my water, I think about everything I was told about him yesterday.
Will he deny any of it when I ask? My body was overtaken with chills when Zavier said,“And that’s why people like me exist.”
He was already agreeing with what had been said. But did he really hurt my editor? Rick was mostly innocent, wasn’t he? My mind races, and maybe I should be scared of him, but I’m not. He wouldn’t hurt me. If anything, he saved me. I was there to stop him from suffering a horrible fate and he returned the favor. My breaths catch when I notice words written on one of the palms of my hand.
Strong. Brave. Beautiful. Mine.
Smiling, I touch each one and flapping sensations fill my gut, but my stomach feels like ropes are tightening around it when I don’t see him anywhere in the room. The nurse pats my arm, face softening. “If you’re looking for your friend, he said to tell you he went home to get some things and will be back later.”
“Oh,” I say to no one in particular. “Do you know when that was?”
Her lips press together and she looks at her watch. “Maybe two or three hours ago.”
“Okay, thanks.” Lying back against the bed, I trace the words again, and Daniel’s words rush into my mind.
“He killed our father, his uncle, and if I didn’t get to you first, he’d kill you too. He and I are the exact same. Cut from the same cloth.”
He’s wrong. I finally understand why the eyes from outside the window of my sister’s house unsettled me. It wasn’t only because they weren’t Zavier, but also because they belonged to someone capable of worse things. Zavier would never hurt me. He told me he wouldn’t. I believed him then and I believe him now. Maybe he’s a monster, but he’s mine. Does that make me a terrible person? I don’t know, but it doesn’t make me weak. Only a strong person could handle the love of a man with blood on his hands. Only a strong person could get through something so awful and come out on top with someone who would take down anyone who hurt him.
A knock at the door has me looking up and Zavier is smiling at me. My stomach is all gooey inside like it usually is with him. I wasn’t scared of him before and I’m not now. He’s right. Worse men like Daniel and Jared would have gotten away if it weren’t for him. My man. My Daddy. My killer.
“Hey, carino.”
“Hey, you.”
“Perfect timing. I was just about to go finish my rounds,” the blonde nurse says, squeezing past him while shooting me a wink.
Zavier gives a curious glance between us and I chuckle, patting the space next to me. “Come back here and make me warm again.”
His eyes light up and he rushes my way. “Gladly.” Lowering himself onto the bed, he offers his hand and I quickly take it. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, hungry, and ready for my bed.”
“Me too. They said you should be discharged today. I brought you some clothes to change into whenever that time comes.”
“Okay. Did you bring food too?”
He laughs. “No. I didn’t have time for that. Had some other last-minute errands to run.”
“Have they found Daniel yet?”
“No.” His face lowers. “They won’t either. Not until I’m ready for them to.”
My insides tug and I nibble on my bottom lip, looking right into his eyes. “Was he really your brother?”
“So he says. I haven’t been able to confirm it yet.” He straightens his legs out beside mine.
“Did you really not know, then?”
