taking the lead with a bag of cash in each hand. He carried it down the aisles of men and stopped in front of me, dropping them on the floor, a look of rampant rage in his eyes.
What the fuck was happening right now?
The rest of his men did the same, piling up the cash at my feet. Then they turned and left.
Damien lingered behind, his shoulders as stiff as his upper lip. “There’s your money, asshole.” He said the final word with such rage that spit flew from his mouth and sprinkled the stairs below me. Then he turned around and exited the room.
All the men looked at me with respect, like I was powerful enough to get Damien to hand-deliver payment at my leisure.
I wasn’t sure what my expression looked like—because I was confused.
So fucking confused.
When I got home, Catalina was still asleep, so I went to bed without waking her. I usually slept until noon, and that day was important because we were getting her cast removed at the doctor’s office. After a few X-rays, they’d determined she’d healed, and a little quicker than most people.
Because of her fire.
When I woke up, I rolled out of bed and washed my face and brushed my teeth before getting dressed and walking out the door. I wanted to tell Catalina what had happened, but now wasn’t the right time. When we got home and were in the privacy of the apartment, I would tell her what happened.
At the office, the doctor cut into her cast and got her foot free.
When she tried to move it, she winced in pain.
“It’s going to hurt for a while,” the doctor said. “But that’s normal. Start physical therapy immediately, and after a few weeks, try to walk more on your own.”
I took her home afterward, carrying her so she wouldn’t have to deal with the crutches. When I got her into the apartment, she tried to walk on it, wincing as she attempted to get used to moving it normally again.
“The doctor told you to try after a few weeks. Not right away.”
“But I’ve got to get back to work.” She clenched her teeth as she forced herself to move. “If I take too long, people might forget about me, and I’ll be the understudy…”
“No one is going to forget about you, baby.” Not possible.
“And I need to pay bills—”
“I pay your bills.”
She gripped the kitchen island for balance, lifting her foot to take a break. “I don’t want your money, Heath. I don’t need you to take care of me—”
“You agreed to marry me.” I came to her side and stared her down. “So, yes, I’m going to be taking care of you. My money is your money. So, don’t worry about money ever again.” I gave her an authoritative expression, warning her not to question me.
She was quiet.
I moved to the fridge. “What do you want for lunch?”
“Anything…I don’t care.” She tried to walk again.
I shut the door and turned back to her. “If you rush it, you’re just going to hurt yourself more. Listen to the doctor, alright? Now, sit your ass down.”
Both of her eyebrows rose in offense. “What did you just say to me?”
“You heard what I said.” I pulled out the chair at the dining table for her.
She walked to the chair, gave me a defiant look, then fell into it. But her look was savage, like I’d pay for the bossiness later.
I stepped into the kitchen and made lunch, indifferent to her wrath. I made sandwiches and salads before I carried the plates to the table. I fell into the chair close to her and started to eat right away.
She didn’t touch her food as she stared at me, like she demanded an apology before she would touch anything. “You know—”
“Damien came to the Underground last night.” I knew I was being short with her, an abrupt change in mood from our previous joy. She needed to understand why. She needed to know what happened with her brother.
Her mouth stayed open for a few seconds in shock before she closed it again. Then her expression completely changed, turning soft, confused. “What happened…? What did he say?”
“He didn’t say much. He delivered money then walked out.”
“Oh god…” She leaned forward and planted her face in her palms.
“That’s why I’m not in the best mood today.”
She held her position as she breathed to herself, sighing loudly, before she pulled her hands down again. “I guess I should have