Buttons & Hate (Buttons 2)

“So we can go home now?” she whispered. “I hate hospitals...”

We? “You want to go to the estate?” I kept the hope out of my voice. If she asked me to drop her off at the airport right this instant I would.

She nodded. “I want to be in my bed—with my window.”

If that were what she wanted, she would have it.

“I have a room with a private balcony. Would you want to move in there instead?” I should have offered that to her a long time ago.

“A balcony?” she whispered.

“Yeah. You can leave the doors open whenever you want. You could lay out there in the shade.” If she even wanted my room I would give it to her.

After a moment of consideration she nodded. “I’d like that.”

“I’m going to speak with the doctor and we’ll be on our way.” I kept my hand in hers because it was too difficult to pull away. I didn’t want to leave her grasp, not even for a second. I almost lost her and it was the most painful feeling in the world.

She sensed my hesitance. “I’ll be okay.” She pulled her hand away, taking care of the difficult part for me.

I stood up and leaned over her. My mouth immediately moved to her forehead and I placed a long kiss against the skin. I held the affection for nearly a minute, my heart aching in violent pain. I’d never done such a thing, but it somehow felt right with her.

Like I should have been doing it from the beginning.

Chapter Nine

Pearl

Everything hurt.

Even days after my surgeries I felt weak. My body didn’t work the same way it used to. The strength I once felt in my muscles was absent. If I had to defend myself, I was embarrassed to say I had no chance of succeeding.

I was that broken.

Cane was ruthless. When he got going, he couldn’t be stopped. He wailed on me like I’d done something to him personally. Something in his mind snapped and he beat me to an inch of my life.

When I did nothing to provoke him.

What was his obsession with me? Crow wasn’t going to return me to Bones so why did his brother keep fighting it? What did beating me senseless accomplish? Was his intention to kill me? I honestly thought I was dead. When I opened my eyes in the hospital room I couldn’t believe where I was.

A part of me hoped I was dead.

I’d grown attached to a man who enjoyed hurting me, my own boyfriend sold me into slavery to pay off his own debts, I’d been raped by a madman, and there was no one waiting for me at home.

What was the point?

Crow took me back to his mansion and set me up in the room with the balcony. He carried me in his arms and placed me on the couch he positioned out under the shade. A table laden with books was placed beside it. Instead of having one of his maids attend to me, he stuck by my side. “Is there anything else I can get you?” He placed the armchair beside me and sat down. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, but he held himself with such rigidness it seemed like he was in a meeting. He was on edge every second we were together.

“I’m okay.” I grabbed a book and felt my arm strain as I tried to lift it. Something as simple as a bound book was a struggle for me. It was pathetic. I’d lost all my strength in the fight and now I feared I would never get it back.

Crow assisted me. “It’ll come back to you.” He understood better than anyone how much I prided my ability to look after myself. Now I was so weak I had to rely on someone else to take care of me—something I hated.

I opened the book and turned to the page where I left off. I read through a paragraph when I felt his intense gaze on me. It was practically burning a hole though the side of my face. “I’m fine.” I turned my gaze back to him, showing him that my resolution hadn’t faltered when my body broke. That strength was still within my walls.

He lowered his gaze, shame and despair written all over his features. He didn’t put up a stoic expression to hide his thoughts like he usually did. He allowed them pour out like a flood.

I hadn’t looked in a mirror yet because I didn’t want to see the damage Cane inflicted. But judging the swelling of my cheek and lips, I was still black and blue. My eyes throbbed and one was partially closed from the damage. I could see my demolished body and knew my face must complement it.

Crow turned his gaze to the balcony and looked across the vineyards. He didn’t stare right at me anymore but I remained in his peripheral vision. Still and quiet as a statue, he lingered.