“I was going to, but then I remembered she hasn’t had pain medication since the party, and I didn’t want to risk waking her up and having her crying again by moving her.”
“Okay,” I nodded and climbed off Dante’s knee.
“Where are you going?” He asked as I walked out the bedroom door. I came back a minute later with the blanket off our bed. I dumped it on Dante and went back to our room to get another chair, dragging it next to him, careful not to make too much noise.
I climbed on the chair, sitting sideways with my legs over the arm of it, and my back resting against the other arm, my head on Dante’s shoulder.
“You don’t have to stay here with me, you know?” He said, pulling the blanket over the both of us.
“I know I don’t. I want to. I’m your old lady, Dante. Bee is as much mine as she is yours. We will protect her together. And if anyone breaks in, I'll make sure the bad guys don't kidnap you again. Clearly, I'm the winner at the kidnap game. You got stabbed during your kidnap,andyou got stabbed during mine. Whereas I got a whole new family.”
He kissed the top of my head with a small puff of laughter, and we settled down together.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” He asked me.
“No. It's just routine tests. I wish you could come with me, though.”
“I have to be close by for Zach’s meeting,” he said apologetically.
“I know. I get it. Hopefully, this is the end of it all, and life can return to normal.”
“Here, here. Get some sleep, Darlin’. Tomorrow is a busy day.”
Chapter 43
Rachel
I woke up the next morning, my neck screaming in protest as I untangled myself from Dante’s hold, cursing myself for sleeping in such a stupid position.
Once sat up in the small chair, I peeked open one eye, waiting for the inevitable hangover to come crashing into me, mocking me for my idiotic decision to drink so much.
Nothing came, so I opened the second eye, and was happy to note that still no hangover came screaming at me. I breathed a sigh of relief, realising it was still dark outside. I glanced at the clock on Bee’s table, seeing it was only a little after six in the morning. I ran a tired hand over my face but still got up, wrapping my blanket over Dante’s sleeping frame.
I had to go to the hospital today to collect my blood work results and pick up more medication for Bee. If I went back to sleep now, there was no way I was making it in time. And considering the amount Dante had drunk last night, he was going to be in no position to drive me. Besides, he needed to stay near the club, waiting on news from Zach, and I knew if I had allowed him to drive me, he would have found a reason to stay at the hospital with me.
He breaks club protocol for you,came my inner voice, and I both sighed and smiled.
It was true.
Dante had shown me a few times now that he was willing to go against club orders if he felt something in my life took priority. And I suppose that’s all I could ask for. At least he was trying.
I quietly padded over to Bee and checked her forehead, making sure she wasn’t too warm, and then snuck out of the room. I drew up short outside the bedroom when I noticed a passed-out Crash in the hallway, his gun in his hand, keeping guard over Bee’s bedroom. I rolled my eyes and then chuckledsoftly when I saw Vienna asleep at the top of the stairs, his body spread out so no one could get passed him. He also had a weapon on him – his choice being a baseball bat.
I got a flash in my mind of Vienna annoying me last night and had the perfect idea for revenge.
I quickly jogged to my bedroom, grabbed a dress out of the wardrobe and placed it over Vienna’s body, and tucked one of Bee’s dolls into his arms. He stirred and pulled the doll closer. I pulled out my phone, snapped a picture, and then gently dislodged the doll from his grip, and smiled to myself.
That’ll come in handy when he’s annoying me in the future!
As I made my way downstairs, stepping over bodies of club members, girls, prospects, and hang-arounds, I shook my head at the mess left behind.
There were beer bottles, broken chairs, spilled drinks, and leftover food just about everywhere.
I resisted the urge to blast music as loudly as possible and quietly stepped over body after body as I gathered up rubbish and carried it to the kitchen.
An hour later, I was sitting at the table, cradling a cup of tea and scrolling on my phone, when I heard a crash, followed by a string of swear words, and a murmured grunt of pain.
“What sort of fucking moron sleeps at the top of the stairs?” Dante growled.
