Blowing out a breath, he pulled me carefully into his chest, and I felt his mouth on the top of my head. “Fuck, I was about to kick the door down.”
My voice was muffled by his chest when I tried to reply, so he released some of the pressure so I could tilt my head back.
“You’ve got men here. One of them even looked around before I came into the house and said it was clear.”
Leaning down to kiss me on the forehead, he left his lips there as he murmured, “I need to be able to see you all the time, dorogoy, so I know you’re safe.”
I hadn’t forgotten what he’d told Dad earlier, I’d just pushed it to the back of my mind in an area marked ‘tackle later.’ This wasn’t later, it wasn’t anywhere close to later, so I wasn’t going to tackle it now.
Pushing against the arm he still had around my back, I growled when he didn’t move it away.
“That won’t ever happen, Taras. And I’m going to get Hunter or Rider to teach me to shoot tomorrow so I can get a gun.”
The expression on his face morphed into one that could only be described as horrified as I told him my plan.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Nell. That’s—” he paused, his mouth opening and closing. “That’s not happening.”
I had a lot to say to that, but wisely didn’t say any of it. Instead, I shrugged and tried to move away from him again, accidentally pulling on the wound and wincing at the sharp pain from it.
Realizing immediately what’d happened, he released me, but only to pick me up and carry me to the couch.
“Is the pain normal? Do you need to see a doctor?” he asked as he lowered me slowly and gently—so gently it blew my mind—down onto the cushions.
Putting my hand over the area, I shifted my hips slightly to ease the pressure on it. I knew it wouldn’t stop it entirely, but it was something I’d learned at least helped alleviate it slightly.
“I did a lot of driving today, and the Yukon is a heavy vehicle to drive after your stomach’s been cut open. Then I yanked it when I fell out of it at the Club, so it’s just been a rough day, that’s all.”
Frowning at my explanation, he watched as I adjusted my position again. “Are you meant to be driving so soon after it?”
Chewing on my lower lip, I decided silence was golden, and undid the top button of the jeans I was wearing. They were super stretchy and had lasted me until the seventh month of my pregnancy. Right now, it felt like they were squeezing the heck out of me.
His eyes didn’t miss any of it, and what I thought was a distraction turned out to be me shooting myself in the foot.
“Those pants won’t help either, malysh. Go and change, and we’ll discuss your driving when you come back.”
“I need to put on the next load of laundry, Taras. There’s premature baby clothes that need to be ready for them, and then I have to put the dry load away. After that, I have to—”
Running a hand through his hair—hair I knew felt as soft as it looked—he cut me off. “I’ll put the laundry in while you get changed. After that, if you tell me what still needs to be done, I’ll do it while you rest. Something, I might add, that you haven’t been doing since you had the boys.”
Planting my hands in the cushions, I used them to slowly push myself up until he leaned down and helped me, taking most of my weight.
“If I stop I stiffen up, and it hurts. I also have two sons in hospital, and if I don’t drive to them I won’t see them, and that isn’t an option for me.”
Once he was sure I was steady on my feet, he eased back to give me space, keeping his hands on my hips.
“I only just heard from my men about it, so I came straight over. They’re close to the boys at all times, and there are other men placed around the hospital to make sure nothing happens to them.
“From now on, my men will take you, stay with you, and then they’ll drive you home. That way I know you’re safe, Walker and Hendrix are safe, and you’re not endangering your health.”
Sighing at how he was trying to take over control of my life, I pushed against his chest and took a step away from him.
“We’ll talk about it once I’ve changed out of these.”
It wasn’t until I reached the mouth of the hallway and was about to go in the direction of where the bedrooms were, that I realized he was walking behind me and stopped. Looking back over my shoulder, I raised a brow at him.