Arranged love

BONES

“SAY SOMETHING,” SHE whispers, keeping her eyes on the bed.

I have nothing to say. I know what her father wants. Does she think he just decided to take what’s mine? He’s not going to get it. No matter how much pussy he tries to throw at me.

I uncross my arms and run my hand through my hair. My newest concern is her and my best friend, who is fighting for his life.

Three days ago, they showed up and smacked her around. Informed her she would pay the ultimate price for not obeying their command. “Why didn’t you call me?”

Her eyes slowly look up to meet mine.

“Why didn’t you call me when they showed up at the house? I told you to call me if you needed anything.” I had only left her one number in her cell, and it was under Dillan. I was afraid if she knew me as Bones, she would have been too afraid to reach out to me. I thought Dillan made me sound more relatable and kind. Thinking about it now, I realize that sounds stupid since I almost choked her out and then drugged her.

“You kidnapped me. Drugged me,” she growls, hearing my thoughts, and my eyes narrow on her. “Then shipped me away. Why would I call someone who didn’t want anything to do with me?”

I fist my hands. I did that to save her. To get her as far away from me as possible, yet here she is with bruises. They used Luca to get what they wanted. How far are they willing to go?

She glares up at me, looking so small in that big bed. Her dark hair is down and tangled in multiple places. Her silvery-blue eyes look dull and tired. Her pouty lips are dry. She looks as malnourished as she was when I bought her. Why hasn’t she been taking care of herself? “How long were they there?” I ask instead, needing to know the details.

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “After he shoved me to the floor and kicked me, I passed out. When I woke up, they were gone.”

My jaw clenches. “Did they all touch you?” Three men against a woman is horrible enough, but then for it to be someone her size? Not to mention they’re her fucking brothers. They wanted to scare her, rough her up, but not to the point of killing her. No, they wanted her to come crawling back to me, pretending to need help. Giving me the chance to be the savior and fall for the damsel in distress. And when she didn’t, they went after Luca, knowing that would do it. It’s the one person who means anything to her. He’s never betrayed her-not like the rest of her family has anyway.

She shakes her head. “Matteo did all the work.”

Just then, the door opens again, and Haven runs in. “Oh, my God, Mia.” She rushes over to her bed and hugs her tightly. “The nurse told me you were up and talking,” Haven adds. “I had to see you.”

I turn and exit the room and begin to pace the empty hallway. Looking up, I see Lane walking toward me, still dressed in his bloody scrubs. I swallow, meeting him halfway.

“Luca-?”

“He’s stable. For now.” He places his hands on his hips, and I let out a long breath. “But he’s not out of the woods.”

I nod, figuring that would be the case. “And Mia? Were you able to look at her test results?” I didn’t want anyone else looking at them. One less person we have to give an NDA to.

I already knew nothing was broken, but they ran other tests as well once it was clear she had been beaten. Add the fact that her brother had been shot. I wanted him to be very thorough.

“Rape tests came back negative, along with pregnancy test. As you were told earlier, she most likely had a concussion from the head laceration found, but it’s too late for us to tell now.”

I didn’t expect her brothers would rape her, but you never fucking know. I wouldn’t put anything past them at this point. “Anything else?”

“She was dehydrated, and my guess is she hasn’t slept in days. Maybe due to the attack. Victims react differently to any kind of trauma. Add sleep deprivation, starvation, and stress regarding Luca, and that could be your cause of the fainting.”

“What do you suggest for recovery?” I ask. My concern now is to make sure I keep her safe. I can’t allow her and Luca to both die.

“Honestly, it won’t take her long to bounce back. She needs to eat regularly. Even if she’s not hungry. I’m going to write her a prescription for nausea pills in case she gets sick. The best thing for her now is rest.”

I nod, stepping back.

“I need to speak to Haven.”

“She’s in Mia’s room.” I point at her door, and he walks past me to speak to them privately.

Leaning back against the wall, I close my eyes, running a hand down my face. Now what the fuck do I do?

“He’s been placed in a private ICU room,” Titan speaks, walking down the hall to me. “As you requested. And in his own wing. NDAs have been signed.”

I nod toward Mia’s door. “Lane is speaking to Haven and Mia now.”

His eyes slide over to it, but he doesn’t bring up the elephant in the room-who is she, and how do I know her. Instead, he says, “I’m going to order around-the-clock private security for Luca.”

“You can never be too careful,” I agree with him.

“And her? Want the same?”Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

“She won’t be here much longer.” She’ll get released today. There’s nothing they can do for Mia. She should have sought immediate treatment when she was assaulted. I would say that the fact Luca was shot helped her. Otherwise, she would have passed out alone in my beach home. But then again, he was shot because of her, or so she thinks.

Hearing the door to Mia’s room open, I look over to see Haven exit and literally charge toward me.

“You and Mia can stay at my house,” I tell her. Titan, Grave, and Cross will be next door. It’s our very own private, gated community. No one goes in or out without the Kings’ knowledge. “Your house won’t be safe, and someone needs to watch over her.” I’m never home anyway. I live at Kingdom.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she states.

“Haven …” I grind out her name, not in the mood to argue with her.

“When I’m not in Luca’s room, I will be at our house.”

“I’m afraid you can’t stay there,” I tell her. Luca is going to live, and I can’t risk the Bianchi brothers going to their house and hurting Haven. Luca wouldn’t want to live if his wife was killed.

“Then I’ll stay here with Luca,” she offers. “But I think it’ll be fine. Honestly, I’ll have Nite hire extra security for the house. He can stay there with Mia.”

“No. Haven …”

“I understand that you’ve never loved anyone, Dillan,” she snaps my real name, and my jaw tightens. “But my husband has been shot! And I’m not fucking leaving him.” With that, she stomps off down the hall.

Titan arches a brow as if to ask me what I expected her to do. Not everyone is as coldhearted as me. Instead of defending myself, I walk away, needing to get a few things in order for Haven since she’s going to be stubborn. But she was right about one thing, Luca’s and her house needs extra security. Even though Mia thinks this has to do with her, it doesn’t mean that whoever did this doesn’t have other opportunities in mind.