**Dedication: KittyKat44 because she uses parenthesis with her translations, and that's where I got the idea**
**¡ Gracias por leer! (Thank you for reading!)**
Closing the bedroom door, I could tell she was tired. I wasn't even sure if she was awake when she kissed me, but she definitely was when I left her. Turning, I signaled to Hendrix and Nero to move into the study.
"Parlami. Cosa hai scoperto?" I asked Nero. (Talk to me. What did you find out?)
"Beh, sono riuscito a trovare la sua casa. Il suo amico era lì e non sapeva dove fosse Ben." Nero folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the door frame. (Well, I was able to find his house. His friend was there and didn't know where Ben was.)
"Oh fuck no! If you're going to talk about that cock sucking, son of a bitch, you better talk in English." Alexis shoved past Nero, dislodging him from his post. With one hand on her hip, the other pointing at me. "What do you need to know about the shit stain?"
Both Nero and Hendrix spoke Italian, but Lexi didn't. Lexi spoke a mix of Spanish and English from living in Miami for as long as she had. I'd know when she was truly pissed off or extremely drunk when her Spanish was as good as the locals.
Waiting for us, she waved her hands at us to continue.
"Come on! From the top. In English!" She was a firecracker on a regular day, but when her best friend had been attacked she was fully loaded and ready to fight.
"Boss, you sure she should be here for this?" Hendrix didn't know Lexi. I lowered my gaze to the floor and prepared myself.
"Excuse me? That is my best fucking friend lying in there," she took aim at Hendrix. Marching up to him, all five feet of sass, as she talked with her hands. "I'm not going to sit in that damn living room like some housewife, with my thumb up my ass. I am here to help so get over yourself. I'm not going anywhere."
Chuckling to myself, I tried not to show it. When I looked up, I found Lexi walking over to the large chair in the corner and Hendrix was looking at me. Amusement written across his face. He had a type. Feisty women, the ones who didn't come easy, and who could fight their own battles, and Alexis was exactly that. Poor Hendrix just didn't realize he would never stand a chance. Her heart belonged to someone from her past.
"Fine. I asked Nero what he found out. He said that he had found Ben's house. His friend was there, but said he didn't know where he was."
"Bullshit! Who was the friend?" Lexi turned her attention to Nero, who shrugged.
"Big guy, dirty, stinky, and bald," Nero said, grimacing like his senses were still plagued by the stench of the man he described. Whoever he had described sparked a similar reaction from her.
"Fuckin' A! I know who that is and that shit head will lie through his teeth to protect Ben. Listen, Ben is slippery. As far as I know, he worked small jobs. Odd jobs. Installing radios in cars, doing tint on cars, and occasionally helping his dad with construction jobs. You won't find any credible work history. He is a piece of shit who only works when he needs something. He lives with his dirty friend, Rick, and they live off Rick's dad."
"Shit, Lexi, I should have consulted you first!" I complimented her.
"Well," she threw her arms up, "you think? It's not like I was completely out of the loop when I moved to Florida. I make enough money that I can come home whenever I want. I kept my friends close, especially the ones that matter." She gave me a look that could have cut a weaker man down at their knees.
"Give us a minute, guys? Go make yourselves a drink. Make yourselves at home." Both men raised their brows in silence as they walked out. "How many times do I have to apologize, Lex? You know that if I could have prevented it, I would have."
"It's not that, Micah! She is one of my closest friends! With the manpower, I know you have, this shouldn't have happened."
"I didn't want to overrun her life with a security detail. Both of my guys have already admitted their mistakes, but there isn't anything I can do to change what has already happened. Plus, if her detail had been any closer, she would have raised hell. You know her better than that! She would fight me on it and I'm not willing to lose her over that shit. She would not see it like we do. My world is still foreign to her."
"For her safety, seriously? You think that you'd lose her? You'd sooner lose her to death than because of a disagreement or because she got mad at you. Do you not know how head over heels she is for you?" At that point, she was gaping at me. Seemingly dumbfounded that I didn't see something that she found so obvious. Rolling her eyes, she scrubbed her hands over her face, "Eres un puto imbécil, Micah." (You are a fucking dumb ass, Micah.)
"Yes, seriously. If I put a full protection detail on her, she would lose most of her freedom. I would push that she quit the restaurant." Ignoring her insult, I paused, pushing my hands into my pockets. Opening my mouth to speak, she beat me to it.
"Have you ever given her the choice? What if she chooses you? You already told her about your family, didn't you?" She was standing in front of me now.
"Yes, but-"
"But nothing! She hasn't run away. She hasn't ratted you out. Instead, she has stayed with you. That has to count for something, Micah!"
Mulling her words over, I started to feel guilty. I could have fully prevented this. I could have kept better tabs on Ben so that if he came back into town, I would have known about it. Raking my hands through my hair and stared at the floor. Alexis was right.
"Stop it." She leaned against the desk, next to me. "I can see it in your face that you're beating yourself up about the shit that could have been done. Stop it. She is here, safe, in your bed, and you're in here being some cry baby."
"I'm not crying, Lex."
"Besides the point," she waved her hand in the air in front of us. With a deep sigh, she grabbed my hand in hers and weaved her fingers through mine. "You have helped me through some of the toughest shit in my life. You picked me up off the floor of your own club and got me clean. I don't think there is anything in this world that I can do to thank you for that. So let me tell you this... You need to leave it to Remi. She is a big girl. Do not make a move against Ben without talking to her. She will want to know, and honestly, I don't think she will stop you."
"Thank you." I gave her a kiss on her temple and headed towards the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her wipe her forehead.
"You sap. Además, ¿por qué te estoy dando consejos sobre el amor, de toda la gente?" She spoke quietly, which wasn't like her. (Besides, why am I giving you advice about love, of all people?)
Stopping in the hall, I turned to her. I'm not sure she even meant to ask it, but I answered her, "Because sometimes it is the ones who have been hurt the most who see the clearest."
She smiled at me sadly and wrapped her arm around my waist. Walking with my arm over her shoulders, I knew she didn't want to get into her business. Nothing she did was insignificant. She loved with her entire being. Fought, worked, and lived that way too. In my life, she was a friend I was happy to know and to have on my side.
Inwardly smiling, I knew that we needed to hold off on the manhunt for Ben. I wanted Remi to recover enough that she felt like we could have that conversation. Taking Lexi's words to heart, I needed to make the decision about Ben, with Remi.
By the end of the evening, I said goodnight to my guests and joined Remi. The room was dark as I entered but I could still see the bed. My heart stopped and then began to hammer in my chest. By the light of the moon, the white sheets showed that the bed was empty.
"Babe?" I called out as calm as I could, and then I heard her.
"I'm here." Her voice was pained and came from the bathroom.
"Baby girl, what are you doing?" As I entered the dark bathroom, I went to turn the lights on but her voice stopped me.
"Please don't."
"Is everything alright? Why are you in here with no lights?" Her hand found mine and she pulled me further into the blackness.
"Be gentle, okay?" Her voice was dry and quiet. I hummed and I did as she asked.
She led my hand to her skin, her hip. Standing behind her, she reached back with the padded hand and did the same to her other side. She was naked. Facing the mirror in the, almost, pitch-black bathroom.
As if she could sense that I wanted to say something, she hushed me.
Standing in the darkness, I began to see her in the mirror. Her beautiful creamy skin marred by dark marks. Her wrapped arm looked swollen compared to her left. She had removed gauze from the smaller cuts and stood bare. Taking in what had happened.
She finally drew in a deeper breath, whimpering slightly as she blew it out. "What do you plan to do about Ben?"
"Baby girl, we don't need to-"
"No, I know we don't need to talk about it right now, but I want to know what is going on in your head, Micah." Her words were soft but solid. "I don't know if I want him dead or almost dead, but I do want him to hurt."
"Piccola, please. I want to worry only about you and your recovery. Ben will get what is coming for him, I promise." She turned, then and buried her face in my shirt. "I also promise, no matter how bad it gets, I will make sure I talk to you before anything happens."
Even in the darkness, I could see her doe eyes look up at me. Wet lashes and tear strewn cheeks, my heart knew before I could say the words. They were stuck in my throat and I feared that if I said them then, that they wouldn't come out right. I'd never said them and meant them, but at that moment, I knew.
Our mouths melded together, slow and full of passion. I was careful to avoid smashing my face into hers, but my desperation to be closer to her was mirrored with hers, for me.
Remi had my heart and soul and I knew I would be lost without her.
The next morning she called her work and talked to the owner, even though I had given them a heads up about her absence and had the doctor fax over an official note. She took two weeks off, begrudgingly. Visitors came and went, but even that wasn't enough for her.
Cabin fever set in by day three. Nearly clawing at the door to be able to leave, I set up a lunch away from home that I knew she would enjoy. Shay and Alexis took her out to one of their favorite spots in a smaller town, south of DC. Reluctantly, Alexis agreed to a security team as long as I promised they would be discrete.
By day the second week, Remi was feeling more herself. She had an appointment at the hospital to remove the stitches and have her checked over. Her ribs and arm were healing well, but she was still told to be light with her activity.
Glaring at me over Dr. Forbes' shoulder, I couldn't help but give her a smirk.
"Five more weeks, Remi. No heavy lifting. No strenuous activity. No going back to work until I clear you. So another appointment. Make it with the girls on your way out? Are you listening?" Ignoring Remi's protest, Dr. Forbes glanced over her shoulder at me, "She is as stubborn as you are."
"I'm going to go crazy if I have to do nothing for the next five weeks," she groaned. Dr. Forbes shook her head and laughed.
"I'm sure this guy can find something for the two of you to do." She patted me on the shoulder and headed to the next waiting patient. "Have a good one kids. Take care."
I dipped my chin and looked up at Remi through lashes. Thoughts of her lying naked in my bed while I tasted her, played through my head.
"What are you thinking about? I know that look," she asked suspiciously.
"Our time is up, Remi."
"I know. I still need to check with reception to make the next appointment."
"I'm not talking about your appointment, baby girl." Her eyes shot to mine as her lower lip was captured by her teeth.
Restraint was not my strong suit and our two months were finally done.
***
A/N: EEP! I love giving you cliffhangers! Especially with what is coming!!
Less than 10 chapters left!!! I've had 5 days off from my day job, so I've had plenty of time to write. Updates may come slower, but I promise to continue writing, every day!
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xoxo