Dirty Addiction (Dirty 2)

"You are not going to work! Your doctor told you to stay in bed for a couple of weeks. You were just shot. Three times and knocked unconscious. You aren't going anywhere."

I cock my head to the side and hold down her flailing arms.

"I'm going." I glance down at my wounds that are healing well and barely ache. They are nothing compared to the pain I feel knowing that Erick and Clive want to take what is mine.

I stare at Eden. "Trust me. I'm fine. This pain is nothing."

She pouts. "Stay…"

I narrow my eyes at her. "I have to go."

"Why?"

"Because I protect what's mine."

She takes the soap from me and begins scrubbing my body with it, as she contemplates what I meant by my words. I rinse off and then turn the water off when I'm done before stepping out. I hand her a towel and take one myself before I walk to my closet to get dressed.

Eden follows me to the closet, watching me dress in jeans, a shirt, and jacket.

"I don't need you to protect me. I need you to stay alive," she says, her voice soft.

I raise an eyebrow. "You'd miss my cock that much if I was dead?”

She swallows. "Something like that."

I stare at her a moment before I make up my mind. "Get dressed. Jeans, a nice shirt, and jacket. None of those sweatpants you usually wear."

"Why?"

"Because you are coming with me."

Her face lights up, and she runs to her closet to get dressed before I even step out of the closet.

She looks gorgeous in her dark jeans, red shirt, and black leather jacket. She chose red heels to complete her look.

"I'm not going to have to hold your hand to keep you from falling in those all day, am I?"

She laughs. "No, but you can hold my hand all the same."

I do hold her hand. I hold her hand in the Ferrari as we drive with the top down on the way to the warehouse we use as an office building and storage facility.

I try to relax knowing that Clive and Erick won't launch a second attack again so soon. I spoke with Maximo before we left and I know that their team was severely injured. They don't have the manpower to launch a second attack again so soon.

So Eden is safe, for now.

I stop the car outside the building that is my whole world. The men inside are not just men. They are family. Family that relies on me for an income. For keeping them safe. And for providing them a family.

I hold Eden's hand as I lead her into the building. When we step inside, all eyes are on us. Everyone has wide eyes or shocked expressions on their faces. I've never brought anyone here that wasn't my family or an employee.

No one expected me ever to bring Eden here, yet here she is.

"I need a team ready to discuss what our plan of attack is to take out Clive and Erick in five minutes," I say to Dierk.

He nods and runs off to gather a team while I lead Eden to the long table at the far end of the warehouse.

She smiles at the men. "Hi, guys. Is Matteo working you too hard?"

"Not any worse than usual," Paul says with a wink.