Chapter 28

" W oah, hold on, stop moving," a familiar voice demands, their hands grasping my shoulders as they push me back down, stopping me from getting up. "You're going to tear your fucking wound back open if you move too fast, asshole."

Forcing my eyes open, I see Knox's ugly mug in front of my face. "Let me get up," I growl, trying to fight his hold.

"No, you're on a shit ton of medications right now and high as a kite. I doubt you can even feel anything. You just went through five hours of surgery to stitch you back together. Did you really have to tear your fucking stab wound back open? That shit didn't help anything."

"Shut up," I demand, closing my eyes once more. Now that he mentions it, my body feels like it's on cloud nine. I don't feel any pain at all, and if what he said is true, I should be in a shit ton of pain. That means the doctor gave me the hella good meds this time around. "This ain't my first time being stabbed, and I doubt it will be my last," I grunt. "You can let me go."

"I'll let you go if you promise not to move," he glares at me. Whatever answer he's looking for he must find because he releases me and takes a step back. "You need anything?"

I shake my head no and open my eyes. "Where are the girls? Are they okay?"

"The girls went back to Rockport with Trevor and Valentina. Senator Granger picked them up about thirty minutes ago, or well his aide did," Knox answers his eyes shifting down and to the left as he tries to avoid my eyes.

"What are you not telling me?" I growl, knowing he's left stuff out.

"It can wait until you're better," Knox answers instead. "Doc, said you have about six months recovery time on that wound. Which means you are on permanent desk duty when you're released from here."

"Trying to distract me by pissing me off is not going to work," I growl, pushing my hands into the bed to adjust how I'm laying. "Tell me what the fuck is going on. Now! What happened? How is Illeana?"

"You're concerned about her?" Knox asks carefully. "I'm surprised because she told Valentina that you probably weren't going to want to speak to her ever again. Though that hasn't stopped her from blowing up your phone and asking how you're doing. Though, those messages stopped about thirty minutes ago, the same time she got picked up from the office."

"Of course, I'm fucking concerned about her! She's mine. I told her that she was mine and I wasn't ever letting her go," I roar, pissed off that she really thought I wouldn't want anything to do with her. "Where is she?"

"Don't you dare get your ass out of that bed!" Knox shouts. "If you try, I will have them strap you down and I won't tell you everything else."

His words force me to freeze. If I'm strapped to this bed, I have no chance of going after Illeana. She can't really believe that I would want nothing to do with her. I wouldn't do that. Sure, I was pissed that we were found because she didn't follow my rules but I wouldn't push her away for it. No, if anything I would just punish her for it. I know she already feels bad enough for it and I hate that I'm not with her to reassure her and promise her that everything is going to be okay. As soon as I get out of this damn bed, I am going after her. Damn her father if he tries to keep us apart. I won't let that stop me.

"Tell me," I demand, settling back down while I begin forming a plan in my mind to get to Illeana.

"After the information you and Illeana found, Sky was able to do some digging. Turns out that Senator Granger had a deal with the Silent Death Mafia. He was getting kickbacks from all their gun sales as long as he continued to push back against the anti-gun policies that were being voted upon in Congress." Knox pauses and lets me process what he's saying.

"So if he was working with them, then why did they go after Illeana? Why threaten them?" My mind tries to come up with an answer but I just don't have any. Whether it's the medications I'm on or what, I'm not sure, but it doesn't make sense.

"Well, because Senator Granger got greedy. He was also getting kickbacks to push the anti-gun policies through law as well. The Silent Death Mafia found out, and they weren't happy about it. We figure they thought if they kidnapped Illeana they could force the Senator to do what they wanted," Knox explains. That makes sense, a lot of sense. I'm not surprised that the Senator decided to play both sides. He's a greedy bastard who thought his position would protect him.

"Suppose that explains why he wasn't giving us the whole story every time we asked him to. He didn't want us to find out the truth," I snarl. The man disgusts me. His greed put both of his daughters at risk. Why would he do something like that?

"Nope, he didn't," Knox sighs, flipping the phone in his hands around.

"So what's the plan? Are you reporting him to law enforcement?" That would be the right move to do. Even if I'd like to see him pay by my hands for putting the girls in harm's way, watching him rot in jail would be even better. I watch Knox carefully and notice him trying to avoid my gaze with my question. "Please tell me we aren't just shoving this under the rug," I plead, not wanting to accept it.

"I was waiting for you to wake up," Knox answers slowly, carefully choosing his words. "It needs to be your call if we do this. The threat is dealt with, and the Silent Death Mafia is backing off, but I know it doesn't sit right letting the Senator get away with this. But if we do this, you could lose Illeana. She may blame you for putting her father in jail. Is that something you can handle? And no don't lie to me and say she means nothing to you. I know you two love each other even if you don't want to admit it. Can you accept that you may lose her?"

Growling, I stare him down. How dare he even question that? How dare he even think that? I'm losing her because of her father not, because of me turning him in. She wouldn't leave me over that. Would she? Fuck! This is why I don't do the relationship shit, it's too damn complicated trying to worry about something else and their feelings and how they will react to things. All the what ifs is fucking with my head.

"Just think about it. We don't need to act right away. I'll have Sky continue to gather the evidence and we will put it on a drive. If you decide you want to do this then we can. I don't like him getting away with the crimes he's committed but I'll leave the decision up to you. Maybe you can get her to talk to you first. Baby steps, right?" Knox chuckles, patting his hand on my leg. "Get some rest and we can discuss this later. Oh," he pauses, tossing the phone in his hands at me. It hits my chest where I catch it and hold it against me. "That's yours. Maybe you can get her to answer you. She stopped answering me."

I watch as my best friend leaves the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the incessant beeping of the machines telling me I'm alive and breathing. The medications are starting to wear off and I can feel how much pain I'm really in. Soon, I'm going to have to ask the nurse for some more, even knowing it's going to knock me on my ass again. I hate that I'm confined to this damn bed and can't go hunt down Illeana myself and make sure that she's okay. I wish they had brought her here to the hospital. I understand why Knox didn't but it doesn't mean I have to like it. She must be so confused about everything, and I'm not there to comfort her.

Sure, I'm pissed that we were found because she texted her best friend, but there's nothing I can do about that. She's not from my world, she doesn't understand the consequences, or, well, she didn't understand them. She was angry at the time, I understand that she didn’t ask for any of this. She does now. I can't hold it over her head for forever. We have so much to talk about once I get out of this damn bed. Or... I hesitate, looking down at the phone I'm holding. Maybe we can talk now? Lifting the phone, I unlock it and open my contacts. Finding Illeana's name, I hover over the Facetime button, deciding if this is really what I want to do. Maybe a call would just be better? But I need to see her face; I need to see for myself that she's okay. Decision made, I hit the video chat and wait for her to answer. The only sound that greets me is nonstop ringing before the call disconnects.

"What the fuck?" I snarl, hitting the button again. Why the fuck is she not answering me? Even if she's pissed at me she wouldn't ignore me. No, that's not her style. Illeana loves to give me a piece of her mind. She wouldn't ignore me like this. Once again the call gets disconnected. When I go to call again a text comes through.

Illeana: Do not ever speak to my daughter again. You are to forget she exists and if you don't, I will file a restraining order against you and toss your ass in jail.

The fuck? I read the text again and again before throwing it at the wall. Who the fuck does the Senator think he is? He can't keep us apart. I won't allow that, and if he thinks for one second that I will back down he's got another thing coming. I can be patient. I won't let her go. Illeana belongs to me, and nothing is going to stop that.

"What the fuck?" Knox snarls, looking between the smashed phone in the corner of the room and me. "I left you alone for two seconds and you smash your phone?"

"Her father took her phone and threatened me. Told me he would file a restraining order against me and toss me in jail," I snarl, pissed at the balls the man thinks he has. "Does he realize we can toss his ass in jail after everything? Why would he think to threaten me?"

"The man thinks he's untouchable," Knox answers calmly. "So, what are you going to do?"

Silence fills the room while I think. I won't let her go, but maybe there's a way to have both. It would mean letting her suffer and think I hate her. Could I do that to her? Fuck. I hate this! Illeana graduates in six months, if I can wait that long, then she won't be under her father's thumb anymore. That's when I can make my move, win her back, and put her father in jail. Hopefully, she can forgive me for this.

"Six months," I state, making up my mind. Knox gives me a questioning look, waiting for me to continue. "That's when Illeana graduates. The doctor said it would take that long for me to heal right? It's perfect timing. We will go to her graduation, and I'll win her back. Then we will submit all the evidence on the Senator to our law enforcement partners."

"Are you sure this is the route you want to take?" Knox watches me carefully. "You're playing a dangerous game."

"Positive," I respond. My mind is made up on this. Six months and then my Princess will be back where she belongs. With me.