My senses wake before I do and I feel her next to me. Taking a deep breath to smell the amazing scent of coconuts and sea mist that is her. Feeling her stir as she starts to wake from her sleep, I lean down, wincing at the motion, to place a kiss against her forehead.
"You're going to hurt your wound." She chides me without opening her eyes.
"I'll be fine."
"Have you called the doctor yet."
"No, I was just going to have him meet me at one of the clubs. I need to deal with a lot today after last night." She stills slightly only nodding in response to my mention of last night. I need to make this up to her somehow.
Holding her a moment longer before I slide out from under her, needing to get ready for the day. Buttoning my shirt up as I walk out of the closet, I see she is sitting up on the bed. Something doesn't seem right about her expression. Going to her I lift up her face. "What's wrong?"
She forces a smile onto her face. "Nothing, was just thinking about picking out a dress next week." I tilt my head looking at her trying to understand her sorrow at the task.
If she is regretting having to marry me she will be sorely upset when I drag her down the aisle as she doesn't get a choice in this. I won’t allow her to leave.
"I just wish I had someone to go with me. With my mother gone and Gianna not here, I don't have anyone I know enough to come with me." Her lips pull up in a sad version of a smile. Relief at her words but wanting to fix her sorrow I lean down to kiss her.
"I could go with you." She playfully slaps at my arm.
"No you can't, you're not allowed to see the dress before the wedding. It's tradition."
"Or," I counter. "We can screw tradition and fuck in the dressing room while your in your dress. It can be like a pre marital consummation."
Rolling her eyes at me she groans. "Nico."
I throw my hands up. "It was just a suggestion. If you change your mind though let me know."
Winking at her she falls back onto the bed. "Go to work asshole."
Grinning at our banter, happy that everything feels back to normal, despite my worries over last night. Maybe she is stronger than I thought.
I leave her in the room as I head out to meet Daveon at one of the clubs, calling the doctor on my way requesting he meet me there. At my arrival I head inside, knowing only a few people will be here as the club doesn't open until later tonight. Walking past the main area I slip through a door leading to a stairway under the club. Making my way to the bottom I head down the hall to my office. Opening the door I see Daveon is already sitting down, feet propped up on my desk with a drink in hand.
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" I question raising my brow at him.
“That’s what I told him, but the winey bastard doesn’t listen to anyone. Thinks his life is so hard he has to drown his sorrows in liquor.” A silky feminine voice pulls my attention from Daveon to a chair behind me in the corner.
"Don't tell me you don't want one after last night." Daveon responds to me, completely ignoring her.
“Marina, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I heard about what happened so I wanted to come down and see if I could offer any assistance.”
I shake my head, knowing she is probably just as pissed as I am about the hit. Making my way behind my desk I sit down. “Any idea who the fuck would put a hit on us like that?" Daveon asks before taking a long swill from his glass.
"I have no idea. I didn’t recognize the man we caught at all. Whoever it is, is either really ballsy or really desperate for something.”
“Do you think it was a hit from the Bravata?” Marina offers.
"No he didn't sound or look russian. I may be wrong but I don't think this was an attack from them. Aside from the obvious, it's just not there's style."
Taking another sip of his drink Daveon nods in agreement. "Do you think it was coordinated from inside our ranks?"
"I don't know I mean, no one else would have known where we were meeting last night unless it was."
"Fuck your right." Running my hands through my hair, feeling my anger rise at the possibility of a snake among us. Getting even more irritated that I don't have the slightest clue as to who it is.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts before I call out. "Come in." The doctor walks in with his bag, motioning me to remove my shirt as he pulls out his tools, laying them down on the desk. I sit back, not moving as he gets to work cleaning the cut. My nostrils flare as the alcohol burns like a bitch over the open wound.
A light scoff comes from the back of the room where Marina has been silently watching. “Don’t tell me that hurt big brother.” She coily smiles at my reaction.
“Fuck off Marina.” Settling back into the chair she taps her manicured nails over the wood of the armrest.
“As much as I would love to sit here while you two brainstorm ideas, if you don’t need anything from me I will be leaving.” She pushes up onto her heeled stilettos making her way to the door.
“Marina.” I call out, stopping her. “I do need a favor from you.”
“And what would that be?”
“I want you to reach out to Elijah for me. I need him to dig further into
