Riggs has been by my side since I first came in here, but I’ve not noticed him. I haven’t had the chance to even worry that he’s in here seeing me in this horrible state. He has rubbed my back, held my hair, and sat by me as I hurled up every last thing in my body.
“You need a hospital,” he murmurs, stroking my damp hair from my forehead. “God knows what she gave you. You think you can get into the truck?”
“She did this on purpose,” I groan, clutching my aching stomach. “She wanted you to be turned off so you’d never want to have sex with me again. That’s sure to be the case now you’ve seen me hurling like a fucking drunk teenager.”
Riggs chuckles. “Seen worse. Come on, let’s get you up.”
He gets me up and tells the cops, who are now here, that I’ll make a statement as soon as I’m feeling better. Then, he takes me to his truck and off to the hospital we go.
Carmen is going to pay for this.
One way or another, she’ll pay.
I’ll make sure of it.
I LEAN FORWARD IN THE hospital chair as Riggs aims the shower head at my back and lets the hot water run over my skin. It’s the only way I can find relief from the cramping pain. I have stopped vomiting, thanks to an awesome drug the hospital put me on, but it still feels like my insides are going to come busting out at any moment. They did say what Carmen gave me, but beats me if I can pronounce the name.
Either way, the bitch drugged me and made sure I’d power spew until my body couldn’t take it anymore.
Riggs hasn’t left my side. He told them everything that happened so they could help determine how to fix me. I have to stay in overnight on a drip as they fear I’ll become dehydrated. I’ve never felt so sick in my damned life. That woman deserves all the hell fire I’m going to direct at her. She will suffer for this. My god, I’ll chop her pretty hair off and make her watch as I burn it.
God.
Sadistic, much?
“Feelin’ better?” Riggs asks, and I snap out of my horrifying thoughts and nod slowly.
I’m butt naked, crouched over a chair, my rolls on display, and I don’t give a crap. I wish I could care. I know what he’s probably thinking, but I don’t have it in me to do anything but sit here and find relief in the water he’s pouring on me.
“I’m sure you’re going to need to go home and have a shower to wash the bad memories from tonight away,” I croak, turning my head to glance up at him.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he murmurs. “Not sure why you think it would.”
“You saw me vomit, and not just any vomit, but like crazy power vomit. That’s hardly attractive. Now I’m sitting here, all crunched over, my fat rolls on display. I’ve seen the woman you were married to, Riggs. I can only imagine what you’re thinking when you look at me right now.”
He pauses and narrows his eyes. “What I’m thinkin’ right now is you’re fuckin’ crazy.”
I frown.
“If you think that you bein’ sick is goin’ to turn me off, you’re wrong. Worse, if you think I don’t love every fuckin’ curve and roll on your body, then you’re crazier than I thought. Don’t want fake, Eve, I want real and you’re that.”
“She has the body of a model.”
“And the heart of the fuckin’ devil.”
Dammit.
Can’t argue with that.
“I’ve seen the women you pick, and they’re all supermodels. Why me?”
He turns the shower away and comes in front of me, leaning down so our eyes meet. “Because you fuckin’ do it for me. Does there need to be any other reason? Does it matter why? I want you, more than any one of those women, including my fuckin’ wife. That has to count for something.”
He wants me more than any of them?
“Would it be weird if I squealed a little right now?” I ask. “Also, please return the shower head.”
He puts the shower stream back on my body.
I let out a little squeal of happiness.
He chuckles.
“That, right fuckin’ there, is why you’re better than any one of them combined.”
“Well, I’m glad and all, but that doesn’t make Carmen disappear. She’s obsessed with you, and she’s not going to let that go any time soon.”
“I’ll deal with Carmen.”
“What if I want to deal with her? After all, she is tormenting me more than you. I have a great big list of the things I’d like to do to her, none of them nice. I’ll start with her perfect hair ...”
Riggs grunts. “You’re not goin’ to do anything. That woman is insane, and she’ll do nothin’ but hurt you. I’m not going to let that happen again. I’ll track her down and make sure this is over.”
“She told me to watch my back. She’s not going to leave me alone until she thinks I’m out of the picture.”
“Then we make her think you’re out of the picture.”
I look to him, grinning. “I like how you think. Tell me more ...”
“We have a public argument, a break up. Know she’ll be watchin’. She’ll come out of hiding if she thinks she has a chance to talk to me. When she does, I’ll finish this.”
“I feel like she’s smarter than that,” I point out. “She’ll know we’re faking it.”
His jaw ticks. “Then we have to make it fuckin’ believable.”
“How? If you say you need to be seen with other women, I’m going to dick punch you, sick or not.”
He chuckles. “No other women, but after the fight we’ll have to spend time apart. You’ll have to be seen talkin’ to your family, your staff, Ramona ... exactly as you would do if we
