Page 13 of Engaged to the Don

As soon as I have Lara in the car, I speed away toward the nearest place I know I can get her help without raising more attention to our whereabouts. Taking her to a hospital is a surefire way to put a target on us, especially when the driver doesn’t report back to his boss. Instead, I race off to a secret location only I know about—a small French bookstore on an obscure street in the Village, whose owner happens to be a beautiful blonde I once had a thing with. Sabine and I have remained friends throughout the years, and she’s my guide to the world of rare books, as well as the loose-leaf imported teas she sells there from time to time. She has a past with that whole Weather Underground thing in the ‘60s and received medical training through them, so I know she’ll know how to sew Lara back up and I also know she’ll help me and not ask too many questions.

When I get there, I pull Lara gingerly out of the car. She’s still unconscious and she’s lost a lot of blood. Thankfully, the guy’s aim was bad and it’s just a shoulder wound. But she’ll need some stitches, and maybe even a transfusion, which I’m hoping to avoid.

“What the hell happened to her?” Sabine asks as she opens the door to let me in.So much for not asking too many questions.I carry Lara up into the top floor of the narrow bookstore where Sabine’s private apartment is. The air smells like bergamot and rose tea, mixed with the metallic smell of blood I’ve brought in with me. I try not to get blood on any of the books as I lay Lara down and immediately tear open her shirt to see how bad the wound is.

Sabine disappears for a moment and then returns with not only a first aid kit but a tray of surgical supplies. Between the two of us, we manage to stitch up the entry wound and tend to Lara without her waking at all. That part is due to the sweet-smelling cloth vial that Sabine held under Lara’s nose before we started. “Are you sure this isn’t a drugstore instead of a bookstore?” I tease.

“You know, even despite you and I not being romantically involved anymore, I do still wish you would stop trying to get yourself killed,” she teases back. There’s a trace of seriousness in her voice, though.

“Actually, this time, I don’t think they were aiming for me.” I frown as I think about someone wanting to target Lara. I feel as if her father was behind this, and I’m really looking forward to ending that bastard once and for all.

“I’ve been hearing some rumors about your activities in the city lately,” Sabine says. “It might benefit you to try and tone down your murderous rampages before someone you really care about gets hurt. I can see the fury in your eyes, Christian. But what you are about to do will cause even more trouble than it is worth.”

“I don’t care who I piss off. What I care about is keeping my people safe. I can’t do so with men like Valentino Ricci and Roman Gunther remaining unchecked. They need to be put down.”

Sabine sighs, and I can tell she knows I’m right. I don’t normally keep in contact with the past women I’ve slept with. But Sabine and I developed an unlikely friendship because she’s both smart and soft at the same time. Her demeanor sees right through all of my bravado, and she doesn’t hesitate to speak the truth. “You love her,” she smiles gently at me.

“She’s just another woman I’ve been with,” I say, trying to brush it off. “I was helping her leave the city when she got shot.”

Sabine shakes her head at me. “You can’t hide the truth from me, I can see it all over you. This woman must be something very special if you are willing to risk everything for her. I’ve never seen you like this before, Christian—sovulnerable.” Her choice of words takes me by surprise. I’ve never been called vulnerable before in my entire life, and it’s not exactly flattering.

“Okay, fine,” I concede as I stare down at Lara. She looks as if she’s peacefully sleeping, and there’s no trace in her face of the pain she’s just been through. I credit Sabine’s magic potion for that. “I do have feelings for her. Strong feelings.”

“Say it,” Sabine presses.

“Why?”

“Because you need to say the words aloud in order to admit it to yourself fully.”

I grimace because I don’t like being told what to do. “I’m in love with her,” I spit out as if it’s a cathartic release, just like Sabine said it would be. “Happy now?”

“No, actually, I’m worried about you,” she pouts.

“Why? Are you suddenly jealous after all these years?”

“Not at all,” Sabine laughs. “But I don’t want to see you in an early grave, and love can be a weakness in your line of business.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about me. If anything, my love for Lara has made me evenmoredangerous. I’ll protect her at all costs. It’s my enemies who should be worried.” I get agitated with the tough talk, and am reminded by a sharp pain that I’m still badly injured.

“I think you should rest for a bit,” Sabine suggests. “You can both stay here for as long as you need to recover.”

“Got any more of that anise tea?” I grin at her as Sabine gets up to leave.

“Your favorite? Of course.” She smiles and leaves to go make some tea and my thoughts drift to all of the nights that Ester brought me my 3 a.m. teacup. I’m going to miss that woman dearly.

Sabine returns after a short bit with a steaming cup of tea that smells divine, and two blankets for Lara and me. “I’ll be right downstairs if you need anything,” she says.

I nurse my battered body with the blanket and tea she so kindly brought. I thank Sabine and watch her leave, then sit back in one of the comfortable reading chaise lounges beside Lara. She’s still sleeping, and her sutures look good and clean. The only thing we both need now is some rest. I sit there for a while in the warm light of the bookstore, drinking my tea and pondering what could have made Lara want to leave me in the first place. But then my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep. My sleep is so sound that when I wake, I have no idea how much time has passed.

Once I know that Lara is stable enough to recover here, I leave her in the care of Sabine and head back to Hell’s Kitchen. “Are you sure you don’t need some more time to heal?” Sabine asks with her trademark worried expression. When her brows furrow, she looks a bit like a pretty librarian.

“I’ll be fine. But do me a favor and keep a close eye on Lara. Take care of her until I get back. I’ll come for her as soon as it’s all over.”

“You know I will take care of her,” she smiles sadly. “But you and I both know you might not make it out of this venture of yours alive, Christian.”

“Have some faith in me,” I tease, glossing over the fact that she isn’t wrong. Launching an attack on the Hell’s Devils isn’t without risk.

“I do, but what am I supposed to tell your girlfriend when she wakes up? I doubt you want her to know you’ve launched right back into the warpath with a beeline for lethal danger.”

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