I bit my lip at the confused look on his face. It wasn't really his fault. I had a tendency to want to bake when I was turned on. I chuckled mentally-at least something good came of my aroused states. All the cookies, pies, brownies, cakes, confections a person could ever ask for.
They also gave me a lot more pleasure than sex. I sighed. Oh well.
Something over his shoulder pulled my attention.
Tali stared at me like I had asked Ryker to eat my...cookie...in the middle of the room full of her brothers. We knew each other too well if she could decode my offer to bake for the man.
"How are you feeling?" Tali asked, a strange note in her voice.
All eyes turned to me. Damn it. Center of attention was nowhere I ever wanted to be. I nodded. "Good."
Dom came over and grabbed my hand. "Come on. Let's feed you before you get too much hangrier." He pulled me after him.
I tripped over my feet and almost crashed through the glass coffee table.
"Amatucci, you asshole," Ryker said as he glared at Dom. He slid his arm around my waist to keep me from plummeting to the floor. "If you wanted her at the bar top, then you should have said so. Yanking her around the room isn't going to get her there."
My eyes widened as everyone went quiet.
Dom held onto my hand. I was stretched out between the two men. I felt like a rope in a tug of war contest. Another fucking contest and I was either the prize or the ball. I couldn't quite tell which one yet.
I rolled my eyes, sought out Tali's gaze. I pleaded with her with my gaze.
She smiled. Took pity on me. Unwinding Ryker's arm from around my waist, she pulled me up in front of her. Her front flush against my back, arms around my waist. "I can't promise my distraction will be as good, but I don't think they'll notice that you've even moved," she whispered in my ear.
I snorted.
Together, her body leading from behind, we walked like we had corn cobs stuck in unpleasant places. My knees didn't really bend so much as I did an odd swaying motion to get them moving. But we made it.
My stomach was in a constant state of yelling by the time I got to stuff my face. I leaned on the counter, my legs unwilling to let me sit on the bar stool. I practically dove face first into my Lucky Charms cereal. I was looking for the end of that rainbow, and damn did it taste good.
Rafe slid a small plate of scrambled eggs and crispy bacon beside my bowl. "That too. We need to chase the sugar with some good fats and proteins. It will help your body heal faster. What's on your schedule for today?"
I tipped the bowl back and made quick work of my remaining milk. I lowered the bowl, wiped my mouth, and attacked the rest of the food. It took me a minute to realize the room was completely silent.
I looked around.
Everyone was watching me, mouths open to varying degrees.
I wiped my mouth again. "What?" I looked at Tali for some idea.
Her mouth snapped closed with a soft click. "When did you start moaning as you ate?"
I snorted. "Oh please. I don't moan while I'm eating." I dug back into the eggs. They were so freaking good. Little mounds of deliciousness. I could feel my body absorbing all the wonderful nutrients.
"Seriously, stop. It's getting a little creepy," she said as she came up next to me.
"What? Can't I just eat my eggs in peace?"
She laughed. "I don't know. Can you?" She leaned forward. "It sounds like a bad porno in here."
I jerked back, searching her gaze. "Really?"
She nodded as she stole a piece of bacon.
I snatched it out of her hands and slid it into my mouth.
Male groans sounded from behind me.
Tali's smile was huge. "Like I said."
"I'm still waiting for an answer to my question," Rafe said, his voice lazy.
I blinked up at him. "What was your question?"
He repeated it.
"Oh. I have finalizations for three parties this weekend. Menu approval. And prep shopping. If I can actually get my legs to work, I should be done around six-seven at the latest."
Rafe shook his head. "I think you'll get about a third of all that done with the shape your legs are in."
I slumped back. "But that throws off the rest of the week. I have to get it done today." Crap. I couldn't get behind when I'd just gotten full with clients. I glared down at my legs. Jerks. I took a deep drink of my glass of milk. Set it down on the table softly. "Do you have anything that could help with the swelling?"
Rafe's eyes widened as if I'd just confessed I was an alien. "Yeah. Are you wanting drugs or remedies?"
"Ice bath, ibuprofen every four hours, frequent breaks, and light stretching," Ryker said from behind me.
I tried to turn and look at him, but my balance was still way off.
Rafe snarled softly. "That's what I was going to say." Rafe turned his dark chocolate eyes on me. "What he said. You're also going to be moving a lot slower than you're going to want to. I can help you today, but one of the others will have to help tomorrow."
My pride surged over and through me like a tidal wave. I hadn't worked this hard to become independent just to have everything crash around me. I knew the Amatuccis had lots on their plates as well. For as much as they were the criminal element in New Trenadie, they did have legitimate businesses as well.
I gritted my teeth. "Thank you." I wanted to rage and yell at them, but it wasn't their faults I was in this mess. It was my own. And that fucker Cavendish. Definitely that assdouche's fault.
Rafe grasped my chin, pulled me forward the tiniest degree. "We'll get you up and on your feet as soon as possible, Will. I promise." He leaned forward, planted a kiss on my forehead.
I nodded, a grimace on my face. "Let's hope so or everyone's getting conscripted into waiter slash server duty for my three parties."
Rafe gave me stank face.
I laughed. "Hey, I'm trying to be all mature adult here. If I can't do it on my own, I'm certainly going to need some help. Right?"
"But you're so bossy...and bitchy when you order us around." He looked so sad and forlorn.
I made a whip crack sound. "That's how you like it, baby."
He shuddered. "Only if I'm on the other end of the whip."
Laughter burst from me in surprised humor. "You would probably burn the whip instead of using it on anyone."
He shot me a wink. "Exactly."
I shook my head, finished the rest of my bacon. Once my plate was clear and all my milk had been consumed, I turned around to face the room again. Dom and Ryker were still here, arguing softly. Tali was on her cell phone, her brow furrowed as her thumbs danced over the screen.
I just needed to get back to the bedroom, change clothes, and Rafe and I could start with everything that was on my list for the day. I eyed the stretch of real estate between the counter and my bedroom.
The forty feet might as well have been a mile. Oh well. I had to start getting these stupid multicolored legs working or I'd become an invalid and dependent on those around me.
Something I swore I would never do.
I tried to bend my legs. Stomped my feet a couple times. Using the counter edge for balance, I rocked up to my toes and back towards my heels. Yoga it was not, but I could feel everything in my lower body begin to ease and shift slightly.
I kept up the subtle motions, closing my eyes so I could focus mentally on each part of my body that I needed to get moving. My toes were freezing against the concrete floor, but at least I could feel them without having to see them.
My calves felt like they were three times their normal sizes. They were an itchy kind of warm on the inside. I raised one foot and slid it's cooler surface against the lower curve of my calf. Blessed chills overtook my body momentarily.
But soon my knee started aching. Both of them really. I set my foot back on the floor.
With my free hand, I walked my fingers down my thigh. No sharp surges of pain came, but the dull, nagging ache of bruised soft tissue rang clearly through my head. I opened my eyes again and tried to do a slight squat.
I got farther than I thought I would actually, so that was nice. Nowhere near where I needed to be in order to be on my own, but if I could increase my healing with ice and ibuprofen, then I'd grit my teeth and do it.
I looked over at Rafe. "Have any ibuprofen?" I asked softly.
He nodded. Turning, he opened a shelf in my kitchen.
My brow furrowed as he pulled out a medicine bottle. When the hell had that gotten put in here?
He saw my expression. "I brought them last night when I came in to check on you."
I narrowed my eyes. "When was that?"
He mirrored me. "I came in a few hours after you'd gone to bed. And a few hours before you woke up. Don't give me shit for checking on you, Will. It won't end well for you."
I bit back my reply. Knew he'd done it out of love and not some creepy need to control me. But I couldn't shake the idea that he'd been watching me while I was unconscious. Had probably touched me, even if in an innocent manner.
I swallowed heavily before I nodded. "Next time, just wake me up, Rafe. I'd rather you woke me up than just stand there and watch me." I held his gaze steady. This wasn't a joke and I wasn't playing.
He winced. "Sorry. I didn-"
I held up a hand. "I know. But next time...wake me up."
He nodded, shook out two little round brown pills. He ran me a cup of water. "Here. Take them now so by the time you get in the bath, they'll have started through your system."
I did as I was told, prayed I'd only have to take these two. Knew I wasn't that lucky and that I'd have to take more before I could move around on my own.
"Does anyone have ice?" I asked after I finished off the water.
A round of "no" sounded.
"A cool bath for about twenty minutes should be good enough," Ryker said. He popped his head up and around to talk to me before going back to his conversation with Dom like it hadn't been interrupted.
I looked over at Rafe.
He nodded even as he glared at Ryker. "What he said." He came around the counter, wrapped his arm around my back as I gripped his free hand.
"A cold bath. How much fun," I said drily. "I'm so excited."
Rafe huffed a laugh. "Lucky you. I'm a little jealous."
I snorted. "Right. And I'm a unicorn."
He slapped a hand to my ass. "You've got the ass of one."
I elbowed him in the stomach. "Rude."
After what felt like years, we made it back to my bedroom. He ran a bath for me as I struggled to get out of my yoga shorts and sports bra. The bra was quick and painless. A sharp tug, a quick shoulder shuffle, and I was free.
The shorts, however, had decided to mold to my flesh with what felt like Super Glue. No matter how I pulled or pushed, the fabric wasn't moving. I lay back on the bed, my chest heaving as the muscles in my arms fatigued.
"The door, Will," Dom yelled at me from out in the living room. "For fucks sake. Tits."
I slapped my hands over the small mounds. "Stop looking, pervert. I'm as close to invalid as I can stand right now. I might have to leave these stupid shorts on."
"Tali, go help her," Dom ordered.
I lifted my head, a huge smile on my face. I wanted to see the show that was about to premiere. My girl didn't leave me hanging.
She slapped her brother upside the head, made a low curtsy, and rushed away as he grabbed for her.
"Respect, woman. Respect!" He slapped at her.
We both dissolved into laughter. "Then don't order me around, Nico. I'm not one of your soldiers or your men. I'm your sister. Not a wh-"
Dom snarled, his face lost the light of play in an instant. "Say it and suffer, Talia Maria." His voice was low, his brows knitted tight.
Ooo, sister was playing with fire. I slapped a hand over my mouth as she tried to back pedal.
"Not a wholly made man...yet." She made a finger gun and shot him with it.
Dom's face cleared as he accepted her last minute change. He pantomimed getting shot in the heart. "And you never will be." He blew her a kiss.
She blew him one before turning to me. Her eyes were wide as saucers.
"What the hell, Tali?" I whispered.
She shrugged, shook her head slightly. "No idea. It just started to come out of my mouth. I hate how bossy he gets. He's nicer to the girls than he is to me, sometimes."
"Door!" Dom yelled, before he stomped over and slid it shut himself.
Tali looked at me. "See?"
I laughed softly. "True. And he'd hate it if he cowed you into being a doormat. But, for craps sake, girl." I shook my head.
"Yeah. Whoops." She helped me to my feet. Once I was steady, she grabbed the waistband of the shorts and ripped them down my legs. Her face was right next to my lady bits.
She looked up at me, a smirk on her face. "Need some ladyscaping, sis."
I laughed. "I'm not really into strangers touching my hooha to rip all the hair out. I can do without that kind of pain."
She got back to her feet, gripped my hands. "If you keep doing it regularly, it doesn't hurt as much. No more than getting a tattoo."
My legs almost went out from under me. I had one tattoo and it had been six sessions of six hours of hellacious pleasure. "I might give it a shot then."
She laughed as she helped me into the bathroom.
I looked around. "I didn't even see Rafe leave."
"He's a ninja."
I chuckled. "I think you mean Mas is the ninja."
Tali tipped her head to the side. "Yeah. Him too."
"When's he coming home?"
"He should be here later today."
"Where's he been again?'
She shrugged as she held me steady to get into the jacuzzi tub. "I don't ask those kinds of questions anymore. I just know he was out of the country."
I hissed out a breath as the cool water washed over my legs. "Sweet baby potatoes, this is freezing."
Tali dipped her hand in the water. "No, babe. It's not. This is warmer than I would have guessed."
I curled my arms around my chest as shivers wracked my body. "Uh huh. R-r-r-right. Wh-wh-what are y-y-y-you d-d-doing tod-d-day?"
"I've got a presentation at one of the children's homes. We're donating money for a new wing." She pulled a phone from her back pocket. "We couldn't find yours, so I picked up one of the burners. You'll need to get a new one today while you're out. For now, all of our numbers are input as the first six speed dial options."
I nodded. "Th-th-thanks." I groaned. "How long do I have to stay in here?"
"No idea. I'll go ask, Rafe. You good?" She turned back from the door.
I nodded again. "Yeah. Hurry back though. I feel like my body is trying to lock up." I bent and straightened my knees in the water, tried to keep them moving. It also helped to warm me up a fraction.
Just as I was getting good at making the waves splash at decent intervals, Tali came back in. "Need a toy boat?"
I grinned up at her. "Maybe. Might be more fun. What'd he say?"
"Only about fifteen minutes every couple of hours. You've got about five minutes left."
I dipped my chin, closed my eyes. Worked on bending my knees as much as possible. The jagged ache in my thighs was lessening. My knees were able to bend more comfortably.
A slight chirping noise came from the sink. Apparently, Tali had set a timer. She came back into the room, a giant towel stretched between her hands. "Let's go, little Willow." She said it in a baby voice.
I rolled my eyes at her. I flicked the drain with my heel and waited for the water to go down a bit before trying to stand. "You ready?"
She spread her legs apart slightly, squatted down. "Ready."
I laughed. "You look like you're getting ready to tackle me, not help me from the bathtub."
She bumped a single shoulder into the air. "Basically the same thing. Come on." She dried my hands before wrapping hers around my wrists. I turned mine over and grabbed her wrists.
We got me about halfway up before my feet started to slip. "Shitshitshit. Don't let go." I clenched my eyes shut.
"HELP!" she screamed, almost blowing out my eardrum.
A rough set of hands grabbed my waist and yanked me from the tub.
"I said help, not crash me into the toilet," Tali said, grumpiness in her voice.
"Then you should have been more specific," Ryker said.
My eyes flew open as I looked at my rescuer. His grass green eyes were steady on mine. "Still on that redemption kick, I see." I curled myself against his chest so he couldn't see my naked body.
His jaw firmed. "Something like that." He lowered me so my feet could touch the floor.
Tali wrapped the towel around me from behind, her hands crossed in front of my body protectively. "Thanks for the assist. We've got it from here."
"Damn fucking straight you do. Penn, you keep this up, I will kill you myself," Dom said from the doorway between my bedroom and bathroom. "DA's office. Now."
Ryker's jaw clenched as he gave me a tight nod and stormed from the humid space.
"I'd call dibs, but I don't think it's me he wants like a fat kid wants cake," Tali said.
I snorted as the bottom of my belly dropped away. "He can want all he likes. All he's going to get are cupcakes by the dozen and some heavy ass flirting. You know I don't play those games."
Tali rested her chin on my shoulder. "Maybe he'll be different."
I shook my head. "And probably he won't be. Not interested, Tali. Leave it alone."
She sighed as she straightened. "Towel secure?"
I nodded, tucked the free edge under my arm. "Ready."
She helped me hobble back out into my bedroom. In the bright light of morning, the muted tones of a room that rested in a sundrenched village on a white-sand beach greeted me. Thin, layered materials, wide open space, and minimal furniture made up my gypsy oasis. This was my happy place.
In the closet, I got dressed. Going for comfort and ease, I pulled a sundress on. Panties were Satan's handmaidens at the moment, so I was free-balling it for the day. I'd just have to be sure not to be back lit for too long.
I pushed my feet into a pair of comfortable, girly flip flops and let my hair air dry. No fuss, no muss. Some moisturizing cream, a flick of mascara, a swipe of lip balm, and I was ready for the day.
Tali was sitting on my bed, her nose in her phone. She looked up when I came out. Nodded. "Beautiful as always." She pushed up from the bed. Pecked my cheek. "I've got to run. Nathaniel is having a meltdown about the presentation today. I'll be back around six tonight. Love you."
"Be safe, tell Nathaniel to pull his tampon out. Love you, too."
She dashed from my apartment, her chuckle wafting in the breeze behind her.
I slowly shuffled to the living room. By the time I got there, I was out of breath. Close to passing out. "When are the pills supposed to start working?" I asked Rafe as I took a breather leaning on the couch back.
"Any time now. And they won't help with pain really. Or at least not mainly. We need to get that blood moving, pushed out of your joints so your lymphatic system can remove it. Movement and light stretching is going to be the best option. But you're still going to have to go at quarter speed, Will. Moving too much or too fast will just make everything worse." He looked me over, his arms crossed over his chest. "Good choice on the clothes though."
"Thanks." I pushed my hair back off my face. "Where do you want to start?"
He shrugged. "Wherever you do. I'm at your service." He dropped into a bow.
I smirked. "Oh yeah?"
He straightened. "No. Not really. But you get to decide where we start. Everything after that is up to me."
I held up the burner phone. "Let's go get me a new phone first, then."
He nodded and came over to help me. Grabbing my purse in his free hand, he helped usher me from the apartment. "Elevator this time, Will."
I chuffed a laugh. "No shit, Sherlock. We don't have a year for me to get down the steps."
