Chapter 03

No blood on the sheets.

***Afon***

 

“You’re not going anywhere.” I try to keep my voice even.

Yet inside I’m boiling with fury. Just one look and I can tell she’s been crying. She might think she’s wiped her eyes dry, but I see her. Having Andy in my bed for the last twenty-four hours and sitting by her hospital bed months ago when she was hurt, showed me lots of her little tells.

Not to mention I have my boss, Tarzan, to thank for the knowledge of how to recognize a woman that’s been hurt through and through. And yet back then, between Tarzan and me, it was a friendship connection right next to her being my boss. But those experiences are a solid foundation for me to be there for Andy, because I can tell by the fury that’s shooting out of her eyes I’m going to need every goddamned thing I have in me to claim her heart.

I never was a sappy one but shit, with her I want all of it. Not just her companionship or the fact she’s already tied to me every way possible, no. I watched Tarzan fall for the man who affected her past to a point where no one thought they’d ever end up together. Yet they have a bond that’s unbreakable. The same goes for Yegor and his woman, Ruby. When you see a good thing in this fucked up world you grab that shit and tie it to you. And that right there is exactly what I’m doing. Correction, what I’ve done by signing the contract.

“What? No snarky reply?” The corner of my mouth twitches. “Ah, we’ve landed into the stage of the silent treatment, huh? Good. That will speed things up.”

From all the years experiencing Tarzan’s moods I’ve got a lot of them filed in my head. Mainly the things I need to guide a woman through it and get her back on her feet. Andy is still glaring at me when I let my gaze travel to my dog. Who has claimed my fucking spot in the bed; next to my woman. She’s stroking him like he’s been her dog ever since he was a pup.

Great. I’m jealous of my own goddamned dog. “Dozor. Get off the damn bed.”

I know, it’s not a direct order. The dog was fully trained as a guard dog when I bought him straight from the breeder about a year ago. He should be a trained guard dog, right? Fuck no. As soon as his furry ass hit my couch he hasn’t so much as lifted his head, regardless of whomever the fuck walks into the house. I should have contacted the breeder and traded his hairy ass, so I could get one who does know how to guard a damn house…but yeah, I couldn’t. Let’s leave it to ‘he looked nice on my couch’ before I turn into a pussy and say I didn’t have the heart to trade the fucker.

“Stay, Dozor,” Andy counters as she keeps petting him.

Fucking hell, he drops down and now even the dog is glaring at me. I rub a hand over my face. It’s been a long-ass day without sleep. Then Ricca showed up here and now this.

“Should have fucking known. Damn dog,” I mutter.

Andy is covering Dozor’s ears while she narrows her eyes.

I raise my hand to make my point. “It’s a dog! Why the hell would you cover his ears? It’s not the first fucking time he’s heard me curse.”

Still. Glaring. The both of them.

Anger surges through me, making the asshole inside me rearing its ugly head. “You’ve got three weeks. That’s all you’ll get.”

She turns as white as Dozor’s fur. She’s not fucking glaring anymore, now is she?

“Seven days you get to recharge, the other two weeks are meant for training, get some meat on your bones to get your strength back. Then you’re going to slide into a dress. We’re going to get married on Sunday, a traditional Italian one, three weeks from now.” Spinning on my heels, I make my way to the door.

I was going for an easy exit to grab some things but the fury in her voice stops me dead in my tracks. “I’m not a damn cow to be sold off for compensation. Fuck your traditional Italian wedding. There won’t be any blood on the sheets unless I slice off your dick.”

“No blood on the sheets,” I tell her with my back still facing her. “Gotcha,” I add and leave the room as she’s filling it up with vile curses that are freely flowing out of her mouth.

I don’t need this discussion with her yet. I’m very much aware she considers herself broken and unfit to be a wife, to any man for that matter. But she’s wrong there. She’s perfect, and I intend to show her exactly that.

What happened in the past might have shaped her into the woman she is today, but it doesn’t define her. I reckon we need to have a little heart to heart very soon, but not today. Like I told her, seven days. One damn week I get to spoil her and make sure she rests and gets the food her mind and body needs. Then we’ll take two weeks to slowly get her back into a workout routine. Blow off steam and stretch her muscles.

Like I said… I intend to show her exactly how perfect she is because I don’t see her the way she looks at herself. I don’t see the horrible things she endured. All I see is the woman I want as my wife. My equal I intend to spend the rest of my life with.

Reaching the kitchen, I make fast work to slice up the cheesy garlic bread I made and grab the other things I need. When I had Andy safe in my bed, I made a call to my boss. Tarzan was here within the hour and brought me the rest of the stuff. Tarzan has been Andy’s friend for a while now and knows what kind of comfort food is her favorite. With my arms full, I make my way up the stairs and step inside the bedroom.

Her eyes go wide for a moment before they narrow. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting her to be any less angry. There are a lot of things going on inside her head and I just added something big to her pile of shit but I’m not sorry at all about making her my wife.

“Make room,” I grumble.

And it’s not directed at Andy, it’s for that damn dog of mine who never listens anyway. Like now…he’s just sitting up eyeing the food as if I’ve brought it all for him.

“Come on, Dozor,” Andy quips, patting the bed on the other side of her.

Dozor doesn’t think twice and jumps over her legs to snuggle down against her right at the very spot she told him to fucking sit. Andy gives me a shit-eating grin as if to say ‘he knows who’s boss’.

Ignoring the statement they both are trying to make, I throw the things on the bed and grab the remote, handing it to Andy. “Find a movie you like. We’ve got a few hours to kill before you need to sleep some more.”

“I can’t have sex. Not ever. I can’t stand the touch of a man, any man. In any way for that matter. I’m asexual. So, don’t even think of stepping into this bed.” There’s something vulnerable about her voice that’s tugging my heart.

“You’re not asexual,” I mutter, mainly to myself because that’s a fucking topic that we’re not discussing right now. I’ve felt her breath hitch at my touch, her eyes dilated the first time she stood in front of me. She’s far from asexual.

“There’s enough room for the both of us,” I simply say.

“No, there’s not. There’s room for me, the dog, and the goodies you brought me. Go to your own room.”

“Go to my own fucking room?” What the hell? “This is my damn room. Now pick a movie for Christ’s sake.” I reach for my belt and my slacks hit the floor when I add, “End of discussion.”

She’s frozen in bed but there’s nothing I can do about it. I damn well hope she defrosts at some point because I’m not leaving my own bed.

“Relax, anima mia.” I add the little Italian endearment to comfort her before I slide underneath the covers and place my back against the cushion that’s leaning on the headboard. “It’s just a movie with some food. Oh, and can you make Dozor sit on his couch so he doesn’t drool all over the bed?”

Her head snaps toward Dozor. Yeah, that fucker is eyeing the cheesy garlic bread and already imagining the taste of it by the looks of the drool that’s sliding out of his mouth.

“Dozor, go,” Andy snaps and the dog jumps over the bed onto the couch that’s placed against it.

“Glad someone in this house finally has a grip on that sucker,” I mutter and grab a piece of the bread, enjoying the fact that I’m sitting in my own damn bed without the dog for once.

“What?” she asks confused.

I point the piece of bread in Dozor’s direction. “He never listens to me and I bought him as a trained guard dog for fuck’s sake.”

Now she fucking smiles at me. “He listens perfectly. We just don’t like you.”

“I don’t care,” I shoot back. “Because I kept him and I’m keeping you too.” Hell yeah, I’m fucking smiling back at her stunned face.