Bennett Mafia
Chapter 67 - BENNETT MAFIA

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

There were whispers from the nurses as I was bundled up in a wheelchair, getting ready to leave. They'd been whispering for the last few days. Kai never left my side, and his guards never left him, so it was a nice circus because of that. I knew the doctor was slightly scared of Kai, but who wouldn't be?

I hadn't thought anyone knew who he was-I mean, he wasn't a celebrity-until I heard one nurse telling another outside in the hallway, "That's him. I'm telling you." "What?" Her friend had laughed, scoffing. "No way. Get real."

"I'm telling you. It's him. It was his sister who was missing a while back. You remember, the mafia princess. They showed his picture on the news. He's in the mafia." "Come on," her friend had murmured, sounding slightly less incredulous. "What are the chances?"

"Chances are good, Silvia. I'm telling you, it's him." A pause. "Look! There it is."

"Oh my God." Her friend had sucked in some air. "Holy shit. Holy shit!"

A hiss back. "I know!" "Holy-"

Kai had been curled up behind me that night, but he'd moved swiftly and silently. Easing out of bed, he walked to the door. "I'm aware that rumors and gossip are unavoidable, but move it along so you're not disturbing my woman's sleep." They had both gasped.

And I guess they hadn't moved quickly enough, because he'd snapped out, quietly, "Now."

I'd heard them hurrying along as he crawled back under the covers, his arms wrapping around me. "Sleep, Riles. We leave soon." Riles.

The first time he called me that, I hadn't processed it. I did now, and I liked it. A lot.

After that, the looks of intrigue, fear, lust, and desperation had been more prominent among the nursing staff. The only person who didn't seem to care was a nurse aid. She always had a cheerful wave as she refilled the medical supplies and brought back new nightgowns for me, though I didn't use them. It didn't matter to her. She took out the ones left behind, replaced them with the new ones, and repeated the process the next day.

For some reason, I knew I'd miss her the most, though she barely spoke a word to us.

Kai was conferring with the doctor outside in the hallway, and a large number of nurses were in the room, all watching as he came back in after shaking the doctor's hand.

I noticed the look of relief on the doctor's face as he poked his head in and smiled at me. "You're in good hands, Riley. I've conferred with Dr. Bennett, and he'll be keeping me updated with your progress." That was news to me. "You're going to be fine. Have a safe trip back to Vancouver."

He darted down the hallway after that.

I looked at Kai. "Vancouver?"

"You cut all your ties here." He frowned a little. "I thought you'd want to go back?"

We hadn't talked about the after-my life since he'd destroyed me. We hadn't even fully talked about what had happened between us. I'd listened to his proclamations, but I hadn't had time to digest any of it. The loss of her-that's what the doctor told us when I asked-hadn't fully set in either.

Kai waited once we had left the hospital and were safe in the back of the SUV before he brought it up again.

"Did you not want to go to Vancouver?"

Did I?

I frowned. "I don't know, actually."

He rested his head back, watching me. "We can go wherever you want. Just... I'm going with you. That's the only stipulation." His eyes darkened. They were fierce. "I tried walking from you once. It nearly killed me. I won't be doing it again, so that's out of the question."

His words warmed me.

He took my hand, and I gazed down at our joined fingers on my lap. I felt a tear falling.

"I was going to Montana." I told him everything. "It wasn't too far over the border. Blade and Carol were going to meet me there, and after the fireworks settled, they were going to reach back out to the Network. They were going to try to work with them again, just from where we were. That was a few years down the road. We all thought it'd take that long. There was a cabin on a lake. I had enough cash with me to buy it, and we had the papers all ready. I was never going to let you know about her."

His hand spasmed against mine, but unlike the last few days, I held him tight. He tried to withdraw, but I clamped down and made sure he was meeting my gaze. I wanted him to see inside of me.

"I love you too."

His eyes turned sad.

I knew why.

"I started that first night when you slept with me in the same bed, even though you knew I wanted to kill you. Then I did try, and you caught my knife, but you did nothing. I fell a little more. Then you called me 'slicer.' Then I found out you won't let your family fly because you love them that much, and how you know it's ridiculous, but you don't care..."

I went down the list. It was long, but I told him every moment he'd taken a piece of my wall away.

"You gave me the bigger room at the hotel. You let me run from you at the warehouse, but I knew I was safe, even if you caught me. Part of me wanted you to catch me. When you let Blade go. How I knew, no matter what, that you would protect me."

My voice dropped to a whisper. "You made me feel special, and loved, and beautiful, and you did all of it without saying a word. There were no proclamations. I just knew. I felt it. It was everything I never felt growing up. You knew me before I realized it. Coming into my life, shattering my walls, taking me, and making me a different woman-you challenged me. You still challenge me. Your life, what you do, you're as captive to it as your siblings are. You're a prisoner to your own last name."

My heart started to beat harder. It hurt. There was something I needed to know. It hurt to say it, but I had to know.

I held his hand tight and never looked away, the importance of this question pressing heavily against my chest. "If you'd found out about her, would you have let me stay away? Or would you have come to get us?" He didn't answer, just held my gaze.

A wall slid away from him. I hadn't even known it was there. He had been letting me see him this whole time, but that wall, it was his last one. I saw the love shining back. It was overwhelming, and I was stunned by it.

I had known, but I hadn't known how much.

Then a shadow crossed his face, and I ached.

He ran his thumb over over my knuckles. "I know the romantic answer here is that I would've come for you no matter what, but that's not the truth. You were leaving to give our child a life away from this world, so no, I would've let you live your life there."

I turned away, a bittersweetness filling me.

He shifted, his hand catching my chin and turning me to him again.

"But I would've watched you," he said fiercely. "You're right. I am a prisoner to this life so I would've watched you from the other side. And I would've loved you from afar. I would've done anything in my power to make sure you and our daughter had the life you wanted. It hurt so much when I found out about the baby, but I understand why. I do."

He stopped, still so stricken. His thumb rubbed over my bottom lip, and he gripped my hand with other. "But I can't let you go. The first time I tried, it nearly killed me. Please don't ask me to do it. I love you too much. I need you too much." My hand rose to cover his as he cupped my face. "No." I reached for him, cradling his cheek. "I love you too much to walk away."

He nodded, his forehead resting against mine. There were tears in his eyes. "I wish I had known about her from the beginning. I would've loved her so much. I do love her so much."

"I know. Me too."

Tears slid down my face, but I reached for him, and he was there.

Meeting me halfway.