Page 11 of Dr. Bell

I wasn’t prepared to see a backyard so magnificent. Although night had fallen, low lighting placed along the privacy fence provided me with some visuals of how beautiful the yard was. The pool was magnificent, along with the large gazebo positioned at the back of the property. There was a half basketball court, also, that I could tell was heavily used. A few pairs of sneakers and several balls were scattered over it.

“Welcome to Bell Estates, Pretty. I hope you don’t mind if I call you that.”

I tilted my head even as I blushed. “Why?”

“It’s the first name that came to mind when I laid eyes on you this morning. Since I didn’t know your name, Pretty seemed fitting.”

I couldn’t fight the tug of my lips, even though knowing who this man could possibly be scared the fuck out of me.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Dr. Bell—”

“Adir, baby,” he corrected.

“…Adir… You can understand why I’m a little afraid.”

I glanced back at the house. Too many questions swirled in my brain from all those men showing up, to Adir having four sons, who neither of which looked nothing like him.

“Before we dive into the millions of questions you have, I should warn you.”

“About what?”

“Should you leave this property without the protection of my last name… I can’t help what happens out there.”

My heart sped up in my chest. “What do you mean?”

“Quilo killed a high-ranking gang member. There’s money on his head.”

The food I’d eaten earlier rushed from my stomach. I ran to the grass, dropped to my knees, and expelled everything inside of me. I felt dizzy. My head spun while understanding the weight of what Quilo had done. Tears sprang to my eyes.

Adir stooped down beside me. His large hand went across my back, soothing me as I cried in between losing my stomach. When I had no energy left, I nearly sank to the ground. Adir caught me, though, easily lifting me into his strong arms. He sat me on one of the patio sofas and kneeled in front of me.

“Breathe in slow, lil’ baby. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

Adir’s hand reached out to grip my chin. His strong ass fingers sent chills down my spine, igniting me to the point every nerve relaxed under his touch. Out of thin air, someone appeared, handing him bottled water and a towel.

“They’re going to kill him,” I whispered, distraught.

Adir opened the water and forced me to take a few sips of which I used to cleanse my mouth. I spit the contents into the towel.

“No… they’re not. Not if the two of you bear the Bell name.”

His words hit me in my chest. The implication of what he suggested was jarring.

“He’s all I have,” I admitted tearfully.

“Why is that?”

Adir’s question brought me pause before I took a deep breath and shook my head.

“Our mama died five years ago. Our father has never been in our lives. The rest of our family…”

“Scattered?”

I simply nodded. They were more thanscattered.They were dysfunctional and wouldn’t do a thing except make the situation worse.

“Well, you’re both with me now. If you want it to stay that way, it can. I’m offering you protection and shelter—”

“In exchange for me sharing your bed,” I fired back.

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