Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

GRACE

I don't know if I've completely screwed up my life or not. The way my father stood up for me gives me pause. He's never had my back or given two shits about me before. And here he was today. He got rid of Hayze, like, told him to get out and never come back.

Then there was Otto, who was prepared to give that asshole his beautiful car and a fistful of cash. I didn't want to run, and I should have listened to my gut. Because this is where I belong, beside this man.

"Your father wants to work on your relationship," Otto announces as he pulls away from the motel.

Alexei is taking my car home, back to their place. The guys' house. Because I've already moved everything out of my room. Plus, I cannot pay rent, and I would never ask them or anyone else for help.

Except, isn't that what I'm doing by staying with the guys? By living with Otto? But on the other hand, being beside Otto is where I belong. It doesn't matter that this is happening so fast that my head and body are spinning.

"I will believe it when I see it," I murmur. "But today showed me a lot more about the man he can be than the last nineteen years ever did."

"Honey," Otto rasps as he guides the car into its designated spot in front of his house. "I hope he changes. If he doesn't, you always have me. Always."

Turning to him, I lift my hand across the console and cup his uninjured cheek. "How did I fall in love with you as quickly as I did? This doesn't seem real," I whisper.

He leans forward until his lips touch mine, but he doesn't deepen the kiss. Instead, he holds his mouth close, brushing mine as he speaks.

"It's real, honey. Every single moment of it is real. It's fast, but it's real, and I want more of this, of you, of us. Don't leave me again."

My heart aches at his words. "I didn't leave because I didn't want you," I explain. "I left to save you from myself. From my problems. I refuse to allow you to ruin your life for me. This team is your life, and I don't want you to give it up for me."

Otto hisses and shakes his head from side to side a couple of times. "You are my life, Grace. There is nobody else for me. And leaving the team would not be giving up anything other than a jersey because you are my life."

His words cause my entire body to jerk. "Otto," I breathe.

"You're marrying me," he says, his words more of a demand than a question. "Never again will you ever have to worry about your worth. Never will you ever have to worry about a single fucking thing."

"I feel like a burden to you."

The words come out on a whisper, but inside, I'm screaming them at the top of my lungs. I don't want to be that. Not for him, not for anyone, but it's all I've ever been—a burden. I feel it deep in my bones. I've been a burden to my mother, to my father, and to this beautiful man beside me.

Otto leans deeper forward, resting his forehead against my own as he lets out a heavy sigh. "Taking care of you is a pleasure, Grace. I would want nothing more out of this life. Just you and me. And me taking care of you."

My heart flutters at his words. I cannot believe he's said all of that. They are the most beautiful words in the world. They consume me wholly. As does he. I clench my thighs together and try to keep from climbing over the console and onto his lap.

"Let's go inside," he murmurs. "I think I need some rest."

My gaze flicks to his cheek, and my stomach clenches at the sight. He no doubt needs rest and here I am being selfish. It's like I can't control myself. I can't help it that I'm so damn selfish. I hate myself for it all over again.

"Honey," Otto calls out.

Finding his gaze with my own, I breathe out a heavy sigh. "Why am I this way?" I ask. "Why am I selfish?"

"Never," Otto hisses. "You are nothing of the kind. You're scared. You've been treated like shit, but selfishness does not describe any single ounce of you, Grace."

He doesn't let me speak. I can't rebut his words because he presses his mouth to mine. His tongue slips inside of me, and he consumes me fully. I lean into him, loving the way he tastes and the way he makes me feel.

OTTO

The moment I laid eyes on Grace, I may not have fallen in love with her, but I knew she was special. That she was for me. Made, created, whatever the case may be, she was for me, and I was for her. Every single day that has become much clearer to me. I have been waiting for her—made for her.

We walk into the house hand in hand, and I guide us over to the sofa. I sink down on the cushion, tugging her down beside me. Her arm slides around my waist, and her cheek rests against my chest.

I comb my fingers through her hair as I close my eyes and hope for the pain in my face to vanish. It doesn't work. My cheek pulses, and the longer I sit here, the fiercer it seems to grow.

I can't bite back the moan that escapes my lips. I know it isn't a sexy one either. It sounds full of pain, which is exactly what it is. Grace sits up, her hand cupping my uninjured cheek. I want to open my eyes because she's so close to me. I know they're gorgeous, and I'll never not want to look into those eyes. But it hurts too badly right now.

"When was the last time you took pain meds?" she demands.

Forcing myself to open one eye and then the other, I shake my head slightly. "I haven't had anything since you gave it to me," I admit.

She gasps and jumps to her feet. Her eyes are so wide that I'm afraid she won't be able to blink ever again. I almost laugh, but the pain is too strong. She spins on her heels, and I hear her footsteps as she runs up the stairs.

Before I can even blink, the front door opens and closes. I watch as Alexei and Forrest walk into the house, moving straight for the living room and stopping in front of me. I would roll my eyes, but I'm in too much pain for that shit, so I just stare at them and wait for whatever it is they have on their minds.

"You good?" Forrest asks.

"I'm good," I say through gritted teeth. Though, I don't feel it right now. All the adrenaline from earlier has completely worn off. Almost the second my ass hit the couch, I felt unbearable pain.

"You don't look good, and that shit was intense," he says.

I clear my throat, then lean my head back against the cushion, trying to focus on him, but my gaze is blurry as the pain continues to consume me. I don't agree with them that I know I don't look good, and I agree that shit was intense immediately, but It takes me a moment to gather the strength to give them a minimal answer.

"It was," I murmur. "But I'm good."

He arches a brow, obviously not believing me, but doesn't call me on it. He really shouldn't believe me because I feel anything but good right now.

"You hungry?" he asks, changing the subject just as Grace walks into the room carrying two bottles of medicine. Forrest's gaze flicks to her, then shifts back to meet mine. "You're hungry," he grunts. "Grace?"

Alexei thrusts a glass of water at her, and she wraps her fingers around it, dipping her chin with a small smile before she hands it to me. Then she opens each pill bottle and doles out my meds like the sexy nurse she is… I wonder if she's got one of those nurse costumes?

Grace shifts her gaze from watching me take my meds to look at Forrest. "I could eat, but will you let me help?"

Forrest shakes his head from side to side. "You can help by taking care of Otto. He looks like shit. Lev will be home soon, then we'll eat. It's my chore this week, although Lev actually enjoys it a hell of a lot more than I do, so he usually does it."

"Then I'll clean up," Grace states.

Forrest doesn't even try to tell her no. He gives her a grin, lifts his hand in a two-finger salute, and then turns around to head into the kitchen. "Come and sit with me," I murmur toward Grace.

Alexei leaves us alone, although he does turn on some music. I can hear him talking with Forrest in the kitchen. My body begins to relax, although I'm still in pain. My cheek is pulsing without a break, but I have my woman safe beside me. I wrap my arm around her and pull her against my side. And I wait for the meds to kick in any second.

I breathe through the pain, closing my eyes as Grace rests against me. "What happens next?" she asks in a whisper.

Keeping my arm around her, I also keep my eyes closed as I talk. "We're going to be together. You're going to live here until I find a place for the two of us, and you're going to figure out what you want to do without any financial pressure."

"It feels like financial pressure no matter what," she says.

"Work at the salon, figure out whatever it is you want. You have no pressure from me. I love you, Grace, and I'm going to take care of you."

She shifts, and I know she's sitting up and likely wants me to look at her. So, I do, only cracking my eyes. It's about all I can manage right now. I watch her with hooded lids, wondering what her response is going to be. How stubborn she's going to be.

Grace surprises me. "I'll never be able to run away, will I?" she asks.

My lips twitch into a smirk. "Not for an asinine reason, no."

"And it was an asinine reason, wanting you to be happy?"

I cup her cheek, my thumb sliding across her bottom lip as I look into her eyes. "It is when you're the one who makes me happy. The rest is just icing on the cake. I get to play the game with you in my bed. That is all I need."

"What about these guys?" she asks.

"They'll always be my best friends, my brothers. But there's no other woman for me—just you."