Page 17 of His Prize

I lowered my voice. “Her name is Ash. She’s the only one discarding her loyalties to my uncle in order to help me out.”

He nodded. “Well, in that case, welcome.”

Ash nodded. “Mhm.”

I squeezed Israel’s hand. “I hate that you had to witness that, though.”

“I’m glad I did, Bonnie. Had I not been there to pull you out, the explosion would’ve killed you.”

“Explosion?”

Ash murmured, “Didn’t get that far.”

I furrowed my brow. “What’s going on?”

Israel cleared his throat. “I was able to pull you and Gary over to the other corner before the car exploded. When the truck T-boned you both, it tumbled for a while. A shard of metal or glass must’ve severed the gas line because all I smelled was gasoline as I tried to dig you guys out. I hardly got Gary onto the ground beside you before the damn thing exploded.”

“My God.”

“Pava isn’t getting away with this. You have my word, all right?”

I nodded softly. “I know. I know I do.”

I should’ve felt bad. I should’ve called Israel out on killing the man I had a right to first. But, I was too angry to think about anything else. If my uncle thought he could come at me like that from jail, of all places, then he had another thing coming.

Hell, I’d completely dismantle his organization just to watch him rage behind a set of iron bars.

“You’re shaking, Bonnie. Take deep breaths,” Israel said.

“I’m furious,” I hissed.

Ash took my other hand. “Settle down, Miss Bonnie. Your heart rate is skyrocketing.”

I gnashed my teeth together. “If that man thinks he’s going to escape his trial soon, he’s got another thing coming. If he thinks, for one second, that he can intimidate me from a holding cell, I’m about to show him exactly how much information I soaked up while he raised me.”

Israel patted my hand. “I understand exactly how you feel, and you have every right to feel it.”

Ash leaned forward. “But if you don’t settle down, this doctor is going to come in here and knock you back out like he did last time.”

I paused. “He knocked me out?”

Ash nodded. “Because you woke up in a tizzy and your heart rate blew through the roof. Take some breaths and settle down.”

I drew in broken breaths through my nose as the beeping of the machine escalated. I tried to get my anger under control, but it was hard. I wanted to dig my uncle’s eyeballs out with a spoon. I wanted to hang him by his intestines. I wanted to pull all his teeth out of his skull and send one to every insubordinate little bitch in his organization that dared to turn their back on me to stay loyal to that murderous creep.

“Bonnie, if you don’t settle down, I’ll knock you out myself,” Israel murmured.

I slowly looked over at him. “Don’t threaten me with a good time and expect my heart rate to stay still.”

He grinned. “For me, Bonnie. Please.”

His words warmed my heart as the beeping of the machine slowly came down out of the clouds. He gripped my hand tightly as he gazed into my eyes, and there was something about his stoic stare that felt like home. My forehead leaned against his. Ash propped her feet up onto the edge of my hospital bed as pages began flipping again. I let my eyes fall closed as my heart rate returned to normal before Israel pressed a small kiss to my forehead.

“We’ll get you better in a snap. I promise,” he whispered.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I murmured.

“Miss Moretti?” the unfamiliar voice pierced the moment, and I wanted to strangle whoever it was.

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