Mine: A Dark Billionaire Romance

by Brook Wilder

  The doctor turned and guided me through the double doors and down the hallway. I had to trot to keep up with him, and he almost lost me a couple of times in the bustle of the crowded hallway.

  "As I said," he called over his shoulder as we walked. "He's stable for now, and conscious. There was a significant amount of blood loss, but the bullet appears to have not done any significant damage to his internal organs. We'll be keeping him in the I.C.U for at least another week for monitoring, but he's already showing signs of a strong recovery."

  We stopped at a closed door, and I could hear the gentle beeps and hisses of the medical machinery on the other side. The noise intensified as the doctor opened the door, and I took a deep breath before following him inside.

  My heart skipped a beat when I saw Garrett lying on the hospital bed. I almost didn't recognize him because of the multitude of tubes and wires that snaked off of him and into the sensors and machines around him.

  "He might have dozed off," the doctor said quietly. "But you can sit with him if you like. He won't be able to talk, because of the breathing tube, though."

  "That's fine," I said as I sat in the chair beside his bed.

  I grabbed his hand and started to lightly stroke it, thinking back on everything we had shared over the past few weeks. It felt like a whirlwind, but I wouldn't change anything about it. I studied his profile, noticing how peaceful he looked.

  "Is he in pain?" I asked the doctor quietly.

  "I don't believe so," he replied. "But we do have him on a morphine drip which seems to be doing its job."

  I turned back to Garrett and reached my arm out to brush a strand of hair off of his forehead. His eyes fluttered open at my touch, and he turned to face me. While he couldn't quite smile around the tubes in his mouth, his eyes did crinkle with happiness when he recognized me. He then turned to the doctor and waved a hand at the tubes.

  "Now Mr. Rutherford," the doctor said, recognizing Garrett's motions, "The breathing tube will stay for at least another couple of hours, just in case of an emergency."

  Garrett turned to me, pointing at the pad and pen that sat on the table next to him. I handed them over and stifled a small grin when I saw the grim determination in his eyes. I'm sure the doctor was going to figure out quickly that Garrett Rutherford was not one to take orders from others.

  He scribbled his note quickly and motioned for me to hand it to the doctor. I snuck a look as I passed it over.

  Take the tubes out now or I'll do it myself, it said.

  "Now really Mr. Rutherford," the doctor said after he read the note, "As a medical professional…"

  True to his word, Garrett started to paw at the plastic protruding from his mouth. He managed to get part of it disassembled, which cause several of the machines to start beeping frantically. Three nurses rushed into the room as the doctor leaped toward Garrett.

  "Remove this breathing tube," he told one of one the nurses.

  "But you said…"

  "Just remove it," the doctor snapped. "He's determined to have it out one way or another, and I don't want to risk him injuring himself the second we turn our backs."

  The nurses worked quickly, and it wasn't long before Garrett was coughing and gasping for air.

  "The second you start having respiratory troubles," the doctor said in a serious tone. "It goes back in, no question."

  "Of course doctor," Garrett said in a raspy voice. "Would you mind giving us a moment of privacy?"

  The doctor nodded and ushered the nurses out, following close behind. As soon as the door snapped shut, Garrett let out a dry chuckle.

  "I think I'm going to regret that later," he said. "I just wanted to speak with you, Laina. I was so happy when they said you'd waited for me."

  "Of course, Garrett," I said. "Why wouldn't I?"

  "I don't know, just a silly worry. How are you, Laina? You aren't hurt? You'll need to fill me in on what happened. The last thing I remember for certain was seeing you run into the living room with Victor behind you."

  I told him about getting the gun away from Victor, how he'd come after me with the knife and then fallen off the balcony. Garrett grimaced enigmatically when I told him Victor was dead. It was then that I realized how amazing it was that I had gotten out of this ordeal with barely a scratch.

  "I know he was your friend, but the bastard deserved it. If he wasn't dead, and he'd put so much as a scratch on you, he wouldn't remain living for long."

  "He used to be my friend," I said slowly. "But that ended the second he couldn't be happy for us. I felt guilty when I heard the news first, but then I realized that he brought that onto himself. I'm just glad that you're here, and that I can still hold your hand and smile with you."

  "Me too. Laina…"

  "Yes, Garrett?"

  "I love you," he said. I looked into his eyes and saw that he truly and deeply meant what he said.

  "I love you too," I replied.

  At that point I didn't care what else happened, so long as Garrett stayed by my side, I felt like I could conquer the world.

  THE END

  Read on for your FREE BONUS book – Bound

  Subscribe to get the latest news about my next release!

  http://eepurl.com/b0l1nP

  BOUND

  CHAPTER 1

  “Matt, that wasn’t nice!” Junie said, massaging her scalp with her fingers. “No playing ball inside the house!”

  “But, Mom!” Matt said, squatting down and catapulting the ball into the air again. It shot up a couple of feet and then hit her over the head again.

  “That’s it,” she said, rolling her eyes. She tossed her books aside and got up, kicking the ball out of the room and went back to her seat. She picked her phone off the desk and dialed the first number in her contacts. “Hey, Amy, could you come over to babysit Matt? I’m trying to study for my nurse exam and he’s really getting on my nerves,” she said. “Alright, thanks a lot, hon, I’ll order you pizza to make up for it,” she continued, and then she hung up. Junie leaned back in her chair, stretching out her back and laid there like a starfish. She thought about how hard it was keeping an eye on Matt while she studied, but she knew she had to do it, anyway. She cocked her head to the side, listening to him run up and down the corridor, his soccer shoes clicking against the hardwood. Junie clenched her eyes, trying to focus.

  “Resuscitation, resuscitation,” she mumbled to herself, scribbling some notes down on a yellowing piece of paper. She flipped through her notebook, smiling at the reoccurring coffee ring showing up at almost every page, and then she leaned back in her chair again, as if waiting for the information to register. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. “Ah, thank God,” she whispered under her breath. Amy always had her back when she needed her.

  “Hey,” she said, throwing her arms around her sister.

  “You’re desperate, aren’t you?” Amy asked, reciprocating her hug. “There, there,” she said, patting her on the back.

  “He’s in the kitchen, I can hear him messing around with the silverware,” Junie said, closing the door behind her.

  “Don’t worry, I got it,” Amy said, rushing to the kitchen. “Matty! Do you want to come play ball with me outside?” she asked, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around the three-year-old. The little boy nodded, his lips coming to a smile. “Alright, go outside and I’ll meet you there in five minutes, okay?”

  The boy nodded again and scurried out into the backyard. “Thanks,” Junie said, heading for the fridge. “You hungry?”

  “Starving,” Amy said, peering over her sister’s shoulder. “Wait, what was that?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Junie rushed outside.

  “Mama, mama!” Matt yelled. He was hunched over in the grass, his blonde head popping out in the middle of the weeds.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, kneeling down and squeezing his shoulder. The little boy nodded to a bruise on his knee. Junie looked closer and it was oozing out blood. “Okay, let’s get you inside
,” she said, picking him up. “Amy, could you get me the band-aids?” she asked, nodding to the kitchen cabinet. “You’ll find them in there,” she said.

  “Here,” Amy said. Junie shook her head, briefly disappearing in the hallway before she came back with a bottle of antiseptic.

  “Alright, bud, this is gonna sting, just a little bit,” she said, spraying the aerosol onto his knee. The little boy cried out in pain. Junie wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “Let’s get you in bed, okay?” she said before picking him up again. She climbed up the stairs to his bedroom, and when she was sure he was all tucked in, she made her way downstairs again.

  “I’m really sorry,” Amy muttered. “I should’ve run out there straight away.” Suddenly, Junie started to shake. “What, what’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes fixated on her sister’s.

  “I’m so tired,” she said, her voice trembling. “I keep trying to balance things, but it’s just not working out for some reason… I feel like a horrible mom!” Junie retreated from the kitchen, slumping down on the couch and bringing her knees up to her chest.

  “Junie, you’re not a horrible mom, I don’t want you to say that… ever!” Amy said, sitting down next to her.

  “I didn’t think it’d be that hard,” Junie said. “But ever since I started studying for my nurse exam, I haven’t been able to juggle everything with Matt and my night shifts… I don’t know, it’s just fucked up.”

  “I know, I know,” Amy said, lying down next to her sister. “Being a single mom is one of the hardest things anyone can go though.”

  “I didn’t imagine it being this hard,” Junie said, her tears dripping on the pillow. “Whatever, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself,” she said, fidgeting in her place.

  “It’s alright to wallow every once in a while, you know,” Amy said, getting up. “I don’t want you to bottle it all up inside,” she continued, folding her arms across her chest.

  “I’m not,” Junie said, sniffing. She got up and dusted herself off. “I’ll be okay, I just need time to figure things out.”

  “Hey, you’re going to pass that nurse exam and you’re going to get your license, do you hear me?” Amy asked, grabbing Junie’s shoulders. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you believe in yourself,” she said again.

  “I do,” Junie said, the corners of her lips curving upwards. She stared back at Amy with bloodshot eyes. “Now, let’s pretend this never happened, I’m okay.”

  “Sometimes I wish you would just stop pretending to be so strong all the time,” Amy said, rolling her eyes. “You’re human, you’re entitled to break down every once in a while.”

  “I know I’m human. But I also have responsibilities,” she said, her eyes scanning the room. “I’m gonna go study some more… can you go check on Matt?” she asked.

  “Of course, anything for you,” Amy said, planting a kiss on her sister’s cheek.

  ***

  “Who the fuck is this?” Aiden whispered, looking through the peephole. Someone was standing outside his apartment, and he didn’t know who he was. Aiden turned around and started pacing the room again, a habit he had picked up ever since he started feeling watched. “That fucker,” Aiden said again. It was true he didn’t know who the guy was, but one thing was for sure; he was a Mercenary. “Hey, Jon-Boy, come take a look at this,” he hissed, nodding towards the door. His friend was stacking some cardboard boxes in the hallway, one on top of the other, getting ready to carry them to Aiden’s car.

  “Yeah?” he said, showing up with at the doorway with the boxes.

  “Drop them,” Aiden said, nodding towards the door again. “There’s someone outside.”

  Jon-Boy dropped the boxes to his feet, and they landed with a loud thud. Aiden turned to look at him, but by the time he pressed his forehead to the door again, the man was gone. “He ran off,” Aiden said, balling his hands up into fists.

  “He a Mercenary?” Jon-Boy asked, his head cocked to the side.

  “Probably,” Aiden said. “It would only make sense if he was.”

  “They’re really trying to keep tabs on you these days,” Jon-Boy said, taping up a few boxes. “Now, this is ready, this is ready…”

  “Hey, thanks for helping me move my things, man, I appreciate it,” Aiden said, fumbling with his keys. “Now, let’s get to the car.”

  Jon-Boy squatted down and picked up a few boxes, making his way for the door and squeezing past Aiden. He flashed him a coy smile before he started down the corridor. “I don’t see no Mercenary around here,” he said.

  “He was gone the second you dropped those boxes,” Aiden said.

  “Hey, you’re the one who told me to drop them,” Jon-Boy said, his voice growing more and more distant as he disappeared down the hallway. “I’ll meet ya downstairs by the car.”

  Aiden turned around and scanned the room with his eyes. He was finally moving out. It wasn’t safe for him anymore; he realized that the second he found out his boss was trying to get into narcotics. The Mercenaries were probably not too happy about that, he figured. He took one last look at the place before he picked up what was left of the boxes, flicked the lights off stepped outside. He hurried down to his car, popping its trunk open and putting the boxes inside. “Hey, you got everything in there?” he asked, turning to Jon-Boy.

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “The pickup truck’s gonna take care of everything else,” he said.

  “Alright,” Aiden said, looking around. He had a funny feeling the guy was still there.

  “Hey, builder’s boots, leather jacket?” Job-Boy asked, his arms folded across his chest. He was staring in the opposite direction, and somehow he had spotted the guy who had been standing outside Aiden’s apartment.

  “Yeah,” he said, turning around suddenly. His eyes landed on the stranger, who seemed to be circling the apartment building. “I’m so sick of their shit,” Aiden said. “They need to back off, or they’re dead.”

  “Don’t worry about it, I’m pretty sure you can take them all out in two seconds!” Jon-Boy said, a smug look on his face.

  “Don’t be so sure,” Aiden said, shaking his head. He knew the Mercenaries were keeping an eye on him, which is why he decided to move out in the first place. “I’m a walking target now that Lee’s trying to get into narcotics.”

  “Yeah,” Jon-Boy said. “Just take care of yourself, man, we wouldn’t want you getting hurt.”

  Aiden nodded. He knew how gullible Jon-Boy could be sometimes. Of all the men he had to work with, Jon-Boy was probably the kindest. In the world of gangsters, there were very few men Aiden knew he could trust, and Jon-Boy was one of them. They had been best friends for years, and at that point, he couldn’t really imagine doing work without him. “It’s gonna be fine, I just need to get out of this neighborhood,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat. Jon-Boy got into the seat next to him and the two of them drove off.

  ***

  “Matt, Matty, wake up,” Junie whispered, gently rocking her son. He let out a quiet moan and then went back to sleep. “I made pancakes for breakfast,” Junie said. Instantly, the little boy opened his eyes, a smile settling over his face. Junie chuckled. “That the only way I can get you to wake up?” she asked, her head cocked to the side. She had just gotten back from her night shift, and Amy was asleep in the next room. Matt threw his feet off the side of the bed, got up and made his way for the bathroom, his clammy bare feet thumping against the ceramic floor. “Wear your slippers!” Junie said. She walked past the window and then stumbled back a few steps, narrowing her eyes at the moving truck that had pulled over next door. “How long has that been there?” she asked.

  “Mommy, I’m all done,” Matt said, holding his hands out in front of him. Junie smiled.

  “Did you wash your hands, buddy?” she asked. The little boy nodded and then ran downstairs. Junie’s eyes stayed fixated on the truck. They hadn’t had next door neighbors in years. “Maybe I should do something sweet,” she said to herse
lf, following her son into the kitchen. She fixed him up some pancakes and then took out the brownie mix, ripping the bag open and pouring it into a bowl.

  “Brownies!” Matt yelled, his baby teeth showing through his smile.

  “No, no, those aren’t for us,” Junie said, searching through the drawer. “Those are for our new neighbors.”

  ***

  Junie snapped the lid back on the box of brownies and stepped outside, walking along the sidewalk until she reached the house next to theirs. She peered over the fence, and, realizing the moving truck had pulled out, she walked up the driveway and rang the doorbell. For a while, there was silence. Junie thought she would just leave, but then she heard a crashing noise inside, like someone had tripped over the steps. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Aiden was just standing there, eyeing her.