“I am.”
I leave him checking his computer and pay a visit to the bathroom. When I’m done, I kick my boots off and climb into bed. Hunter comes over to me and tucks me in. At least he makes me grin.
“That’s better. Now get some sleep and don’t worry about anything.”
I watch him leave and pray he isn’t going to get himself arrested on my behalf.
Chapter 31 ~ Ruben
“What the fuck have we done?” Lucien mumbles behind his hands, which his face is buried in. “Surely there was another way to go about this. That was brutal. Did you see her face? She’s not even my girl and I wanted to drag her into my arms and tell her the truth.”
Since Rosie left, I’ve wanted to go and find Simon to beat the living shit outta him. I trusted him. Gave him a job when no one else would, only for him to betray me. Stab me in the back.
After Hunter rang me last night and filled me in with everything that had happened I’d wanted to grab my keys and get to Rosie, but Hunter had a better plan. One that even now I’m having trouble dealing with. It had taken him a while to convince me this plan would work.
Seeing Rosie looking so heartbroken in front of me has torn me in two. My heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest. And her wrist. I was angry that I have to do this to protect her. I never meant to hurt her—physically that is. My intention was to make her hate me so she’d leave, and hopefully stay the fuck away from any of us until this is over with. But seeing that I’d hurt her nearly had me caving, and taking her into my arms, and showing her how much I love her. Because I do. Love her that is. She has my heart even though I’ve just crushed hers. Hunter promised to look after her and to keep her safe, which he better do.
“I need a drink,” I say to the room in general.
“It’s not even mid-day,” Ramon informs me.
“Yeah, well it’s not every day I get to crush the woman I love, now, is it?”
Hunter walks through the door. “She’s sleeping. And what the fuck did you do to her wrist?”
Dropping into my seat, I bury my head in my hands. I’m not cut out for this.
“How is she? And I know you said she’s sleeping.”
“She’s about how you’d expect. With a broken heart and a swollen wrist.”
“Fuck! I knocked her hand away. Please tell me it isn’t broken.” I couldn’t bear to have hurt her that much. Hurting her enough to cause her wrist to swell is killing me, but to have hurt her enough that I’ve broken a bone will finish me off.
“It isn’t. Sprained probably.” Hunter sits in the chair next to Ramon. “I have a friend keeping an eye on the hotel. She’s safe. For now. Have you phoned Simon?”
“Not yet.”
Phoning Simon is going to set the whole thing in motion and I’m hoping it won’t backfire and send the people he’s working with after my girl. It turns my stomach to imagine anything happening to her. But hopefully Simon and his friends will show themselves here at the club now that Rosie isn’t around. After that, I can go and admit to Rosie that I never believed in a million years that she’d have anything to do with drugs. I’ll hopefully get the chance to admit that when we’d found the drugs in the locker that not one of us had believed she was responsible. We’d used it as an excuse to try and keep her safe. We hoped we’d be able to catch Simon with his guard down.
“You need to do it now. Just like we agreed,” Hunter states, sitting back looking relaxed. His right ankle rests on his left knee with his hands behind his head. He’s trying to look relaxed but not quite pulling it off.
“I’ll do it.” Might as well get it over with although it’s making me sick to my stomach. “You promise me that Rosie has someone looking out for her.” I point to Hunter.
He sighs. “Look, I like Rosie so there is no way I’d leave her alone at the hotel without someone keeping an eye on things. Just make the fuckin’ call. The sooner you do this, the sooner it’s going to be over and you can go and get your girl.”
“I’m going into the bar to see if I can rustle up some coffee,” Lucien says, standing and stretching, “and you can come with me,” he adds, looking at Ramon.
“What are we? A bunch of girls having to go in pairs,” Ramon mumbles, following Lucien out the door.
“Ruben.”
Fuck! “I’m on it.” Picking up my cell, I find Simon in my contact details and dialing him, I’m half hoping he doesn’t pick up.
“Ruben,” he answers.
There goes that wish.
“I’ve fired Rosie.”