CHAPTER ELEVEN

TORI

THE BAGGAGE

T he day began auspiciously, with Ritchie taking care of me. Just thinking about that pleasurable experience made my toes curl. As the day evolved, I spent time with my girls baking delectable brownies. Later, we spent the afternoon and early evening torturing Rosco.

But the most remarkable moment of the day was yet to unfold. We were ushered outside a little after eight p.m.

It was a complete surprise to the girls and I that Catch planned to propose to Bianca. I think he only included the guys in his plan.

My best friend Bianca got engaged.

After the girls and I pulled back from our unified hug with Bianca, I stared into my best friend’s eyes. I didn’t recall ever seeing her so happy.

A little over a month ago, Ritchie had asked his cousin to keep an eye on me while he was away. I’d never forget their power exchange that day. It was hot. My nerdy best friend had no idea she was playing with fire. She definitely got burned.

Catch became obsessed with my bestie. I loved every minute of their growth.

“Let’s go, bombshell.” Catch gripped the back of Bianca’s neck possessively.

“Bye, Tori, Asia, and Simone.” My best friend beamed.

Bianca waved at the guys before Catch helped her into the Tahoe.

A large, muscular frame suddenly enveloped mine from behind, and I felt massive arms wrap around my waist. Asia and Simone exchanged a smile with me before disappearing out of sight, leaving me alone with Ritchie.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Ritchie’s voice rumbled into my ear, sending shivers cascading down my spine.

“To be honest, the pain in my chest is excruciating.”

His hand balled into a fist against my abdomen, and I knew that he was displeased with me for leaving our bed to hang out with the girls.

“Let me put you back in bed. Then I’ll feed you,” he murmured into my neck, pressing a lingering kiss there that sent tingly sparks of electricity along my skin.

“I plan to wait on you hand and foot, Tori,” he stated.

Turning in his arms, I placed a hand on his chest as I craned my neck to peer up at him. “I’m starving, for one thing in particular.” My tongue slid over my lips.

A sexy smirk hit his lips. Damn, the man was so gorgeous.

“As much as I want to make love to you, nice and slow. Tonight is about putting nourishment in your body.”

“Your cum is a form of nourishment.” I pulled my lower lip into my mouth, teasing Ritchie.

“I’d love to watch you swallow my cum, but not tonight, beautiful. Brock went to pick up dinner. You and I are relaxing. Tomorrow, I might give you what you want.”

“You better.” I slammed my fist into his arm as we strolled back into the building.

“You’re leaving soon. I need all the dick I can get before you go.” I shook my head.

Ritchie ushered me into our original bedroom and flipped on the light.

There was a new bed sitting where the old one was previously. I wondered who set up our bedroom and brought our belongings downstairs.

“Tori, you need to come to Jersey with me,” Ritchie stated, as he shut the door behind him.

I sat on the bed and kicked my shoes off. “You know I can’t leave. We talked about this when we first met.”

“Tori, I’m supposed to leave my woman in Chicago while I return to my job in New Jersey. No. Fucking no,” he growled.

“Ritchie, I’m not saying I’ll never come to New Jersey. I can try to visit.”

His brows moved together. “Try?”

He paced the floor in front of me.

“Our relationship isn’t like everyone else’s, Ritchie. I have trauma I’m trying to deal with.”

“A part of that trauma is Daryl. I’m in the process of removing that motherfucker from existence. So there’s no reason you can’t come home with me,” he roared, slamming his index finger into his chest.

“You know, my trauma stems beyond Daryl. Almost every day, I have an attack,” I admitted.

“Tell me you aren’t going to use your demons to pull us apart?” he snarled.

My mouth dropped open at his question and my pulse raced as I tried to think of how to respond, but the words felt stuck in my throat. I could feel the heavy darkness slowly encroaching on me with each passing second.

“That’s not what I’m doing. While you were sedated, I had attacks. This morning I had another before you woke up.”

His face paled slightly as his eyes grew in size and fixated on mine.

“You know what they look like. You know how they paralyze me.” I attempted to distract myself by standing and fanned my hand at my side, trying to shake the impending terror off.

“You have to come back every other week or so to watch out for Lexis. I’ll be here. I can keep an eye on her too,” I offered as I willed the darkness away from me.

“No,” he barked as he moved swiftly toward me, wanting to control the situation before the demons did.

Too late.

My hand flew to my cheek as panic surged through me, and I could no longer push down my demons’ taunting words and dark demonic laughter bubbling in my conscious.

“Look at pretty broken Tori. She wanted the sexy bodyguard. Now she has him and can’t even keep him,” they jeered in a chorus of malevolent voices. “You brought this man into your fucked up world. You’re dirty, Tori. So fucking dirty. You don’t deserve a man like him. Let him go. You dirty little whore.”

The tormenting only intensified when Marlowe’s voice joined in.

“I took that virgin ass. Got what I wanted. You’re damaged goods. He doesn’t really want you. He doesn’t understand you’re nothing more than a pretty face. The poor, stupid mobster fell for the traumatized, weak woman who couldn’t face her fears if she tried.”

Tears flooded my cheeks, and my breathing came out in heavy pants as I begged, “Leave me, Ritchie. Go and never look back,” I cried, watching the many facets of my nightmare of a life play all the horrors on repeat.

I couldn’t hold my friends back. It was time for them to flourish. My father was returning soon. I’d manage in my hell. I’d done so since I was a girl.

“Baby, can you hear me? Tori?” a pained voice struck my eardrums.

Large hands gripped the sides of my face. Standing on his knees, his stormy gray eyes searched mine.

I was sitting on the floor. How did I get here?

My eyes slammed shut again just as my conscious kicked in and threw up the barriers pushing my boyfriend away.

You had no business bringing him into your life. You’re not normal, Tori.

“I’m not normal,” I blurted out. My words came out shaky.

I heard screaming in the fog of my mind. It felt like it was far away. Ritchie glanced over his shoulder several times.

Who was he talking to?

“How do you expect me to leave you like this?” Ritchie asked.

The back of my head thudded the wall. “Go back to your life,” I muttered weakly.

His response was fierce and unwavering. “Fucking never. You’re my life, Tori.”

A tear escaped my eye. “I’m so sorry.”

“We need to talk to her,” Simone shouted.

“Move Romeo. We know how to help her,” Asia bit out.

I couldn’t see my friends over Ritchie’s muscled frame.

“I’ve ruined your life, Ritchie. You’ve been shot several times for me.”

“Tori, you’re my woman. You’re right, I walked through an exploding gas station for you. I tortured a man who hurt you. I’d do it again to have you in my life.”

His fingertips gently traced the outline of my face, creating a calmness washing over my body as he spoke quietly but firmly.

“Tori, you’re mine, baby. You can’t get rid of me. I’m not stupid. I knew the moment you blacked out in the bathroom in my hotel room, our journey wouldn’t be easy if I pursued you.”

My brows lifted. “You didn’t like me when we first met.”

“You stood up to a beast of a man who was broken. You stole my heart, baby.”

Ritchie had a way of making me feel like a rare flower that deserved love and attention.

He sat on the floor and pulled me into his big, strong arms.

I peeked at my best friends’ tear-streaked faces, and I mouthed. “I’m ok.”

Their shoulders slumped, and they gave me a half smile before walking away.

“You’ll have to see a therapist, Tori,” Ritchie said.

My hand curled around his bicep as my head rested on his chest.

“I know,” I sighed.

“In the meantime, you’ll stay in Chicago. Against my better judgment. But we’ll make it work. Ezra will be your bodyguard, as planned. Honestly, I knew you had to stay in Chicago. But the selfish part of me wanted my woman to come home with me.”

“I’ll work on myself, Ritchie. So one day I can go home with you.”

“To our home, baby.” He squeezed me tighter.

This man loved me. For whom I was. The fucked up broken girl who’d been fucked over.

“Thank you, Ritchie.”

“I’m in the process of purchasing our home in Evanston.”

I pulled back and stared into his eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, baby, really.”

I squealed against his bearded cheek. This man was going to pull me from the clutches of hell every time for as long as it would take.