Page 14 of Sweet Union
“Get in,” Nat says.
Once we’re all in the car, Nat drives us back to the safe house. I keep the gun trained on the good doctor, so she doesn’t even think about trying to escape again. After we get back to the house, I instruct Nat to grab a chair from the kitchen.
I have some rope stashed in the bedroom in case of emergencies like this. You never know when you’re gonna need rope.
“Sit down,” I order doctor, pointing at the chair.
Tears stream down her face as she complies.
I begin tying her up while Nat holds the gun on her. “There.” I step back. “You’re not going anywhere for a while. And now, I need to rest. I need to heal. Then I’ll start looking for a new safe house.”
“I’ll call my dad,” Nat says. “He’ll help clear up any confusion in case she tells the police about us.”
“Good call.” I lie down on the couch, facing toward the doctor so I can keep her in my line of sight. “I’m just going to rest.”
“Luca?” Nat sits beside me. “I’m glad you’re ok.”
The tension in me softens. “Me, too.”
“I love you,” she says. “I don’t like fighting with you. I could have lost you, and then …”
I pull her into me, moving through the pain. I don’t care about that right now. Not when my wife needs my comfort. “But you didn’t lose me. And you’re not going to. I’m a tough son-of-a-bitch. It’s gonna take a whole lot more than some measly bullet to take me down.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” She gently kisses me. “I love you so much, Luca. I’m sorry I went against your plans. I shouldn’t have.”
“And I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about them first before enacting them. You were right in saying we’re partners. Equals. I should have treated you as such. God, I love you, Nat.” I kiss her more deeply. “You’re everything to me.”
“You’re everything to me, too. Let’s never fight again.”
I chuckle. “Ok. You make it sound so easy.”
“Well, it can be.”
I look into her beautiful face. Her ocean eyes. Her unblemished skin. Her dark hair that frames her face perfectly. But it’s her soul I truly love. Her essence. Her spirit. “Fuck, I love you,” I repeat, whispering so only she can hear. “But now, I really need to rest.”
“Gotcha.” She pulls back. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll keep an eye on Dr. Ryder until then.”
She settles into the couch across from me. Even though she’s only a few feet away, I already miss holding her in my arms.
Nat and I will be ok. That comforts me enough to allow me to fall asleep.
CHAPTER8
Natalya
“You really don’t have to do this,” Dr. Ryder says as Luca sleeps.
I shift in my chair, Luca’s gun resting in my lap. “I didn’t want to, but you tried calling the police on us. My husband will not be taken by the police. If you’d just let us walk away, you wouldn’t be in this position right now.”
She tries moving around, but the rope is too tight. I know Luca. He tied that rope so tight; Dr. Ryder won’t be going anywhere any time soon. But just to be careful, I keep an eye on her.
“You can’t blame me for calling the police,” she says. “You held me at gunpoint.”
“Only to get your attention. My husband was dying, and he needed to be seen right away.”
“You could have just brought him in to see me. I would have helped me. Or sent him to the hospital.”
“No hospitals.”
