“You don’t fix that, I do. I want you to come and work for the team. You become our team physiotherapist, keep us in shape and rehabilitate us when we get hurt. I sign a non-disclosure agreement that would let you sue me broke if I were to ever speak about our relationship. I don’t plan on ever being apart from you, so it won’t be an issue… but it will reassure you that you are protected and, if not, would be wealthy beyond your imagination if things didn’t work out for us. He could see Kathryn weighing what he was saying.
“I just never imagined myself breaking the rules Madoc. I don’t want to start things off wrong.”
“Listen Kat, I live and work in a world where ethics and morals change day to day, situation to situation. I’ve seen right and wrong on so many levels and I’ve blurred the lines myself. I’m asking you to join me in my world, which is dangerous and stupid and scary—but I need you there. We will be the good in the world, we will be the right, and we can be a force for something that goes above ethics and morals. I know it means breaking the law, but there is no law that I believe in that can justify us not being together.” Madoc didn’t know what else to say. Kathryn looked over to Ryanne, still unconscious in the hospital bed.
“What about Ryanne? I can’t leave her. She has nobody Madoc. I’m her only family.”
Madoc had already anticipated this. “We are going to hire her too if she’ll come—you and her can work as a team. We will compensate both of greatly for your time and after the ordeal she’s been through she doesn’t have to worry about even having a job if she doesn’t want to. Kat, there is nothing I won’t do to have you… even if that means giving this job up. If you want to wait two years to follow the law, I will. I’ll quit, get a regular job and wait for you. If that’s the case though, I’m going to ask you this today and hold you to it… Kathryn Gabriel Davis… be with me?”
Kathryn sat up and grimaced before lying back down. “Madoc why would you do that? We don’t even know each other really.”
“I told you Kat, you are mine now. I can’t go forward without you. And if I can’t have you for the next two years, then I will wait for you.” Looking over at Ryanne and back at Madoc, Kathryn sighed.
“If these are official negotiations then I will need my own home workspace and a clinic to see other clients other than just the team. Ryanne and I pick the location, clients and our work schedule. Nobody is our boss. You and I work, live and travel together… I won’t be this stay-at-home girlfriend while you’re off jet-setting. I can be yours… but you have to be mine… and you and I both know what a hard-ass I can be. Do you agree to the terms?” Kathryn kept a serious face throughout her speech, forcing Madoc to contain his smile.
“It’s a deal” Madoc leaned forward and kissed Kathryn deeply, anxious to have her but scared to hurt her. When he pulled back from her swollen lips, she smiled at him.
“As your physiotherapist, I strongly recommend you get some sleep and get that leg up… you look like shit.”
Madoc grinned back at her. “As your future roommate and boss, I strongly recommend you make some room so we can consummate this contract properly.” Kathryn swiped at him, feeling confident once again of a future together. “One last thing… where’s my Big Mac?”
***
The end
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the next installment of the Dangerous Care Saga…
DANGEROUS GAMES
‘You will always fall in love, and it will always be like having your throat cut,
, just that fast.’
—Catherynne M. Valente
The empty seat beside Ryanne shook, threatening to spill her drink as they ascended to 30 000 feet. Kat and Madoc sat ahead, occasionally looking back to check on her. Kathryn’s face was scrunched in scrutiny, but Ryanne was satisfied in her isolation. Picking up her Mimosa, she raised it in Kat’s direction- to the happy bride. It had happened quickly, moving in together, taking trips together, then the proposal. Ryanne had helped pick out the ring-it was her duty. Now sitting in her gifted seat, Ryanne had Kat to thank for a luxury ‘free’ trip to Mexico. Except it didn’t feel free, not to her. It felt like it was costing a lot. She had wanted to feel impressed, the plush double leather seats and wide-screen TV’s of first-class were novelties she had never experienced. She’d had dreamed of flying first class with Kat someday, free drinks and hot canapes presented by polite and well-groomed attendants. Now that it was actually happening she could care less. She sipped the tangerine coloured drink, it stung as it passed by her artificially constructed windpipe and healing vocal chords. A flash of memory flooded her brain of waking up to Kat and Madoc at her bedside in the hospital, tears streaming down Kat’s face.
“Oh Ryanne, you’re awake. Thank god! Madoc come here…come here. She’s up”
“Ryanne…you’re safe now. Do you remember anything? No don’t try to speak. Just lay back…everything will be alright.”
She had a lot of those flashes now- they didn’t evoke much feeling in her but they were constant. If she was honest, nothing evoked feelings from her anymore-she had died but survived, and everything was not alright.
The plane leveled out and the red seatbelt sign turned off. Ryanne looked around first class and recognized almost everyone. The bride and groom had brought all of their colleagues and friends to make up for missing family. Miller, their good friend and colleague sat with his new girlfriend a couple rows back. She could hear them giggling and drinking too much- she had to look away. That used to be her.
Kat began moving towards her, she downed her drink in preparation “So Dennis decided on tomorrow’s flight instead?” Kat asked
“Yeah…I guess, that was really generous of Madoc to offer that. He said he needed to update his passport and run errands. Whatever that means” she turned her eyes to the billowed clouds in the window.
“I’m gonna come back and sit with you, we can watch a movie and drink too much just like Miller and his new lady friend” Kat grinned and leaned in closer, “do you think she actually knows where Mexico is on a map? I tried talking to her about it, but I think she confused it with Cuba” Ryanne smirked.
“She’s going to get the wrong impression of Miller with this first class flight. This will be their first and last time travelling in style. Miller is too oblivious to know what true high maintenance looks like. And don’t worry about me back here, go enjoy your time together…while you can- we’ll have plenty of time after the wedding”. Ryanne tried smiling this time.
“Okay, maybe take a nap or something? You’ll have a busy week too, I’ll be relying on you for everything” Ryanne nodded and forced another smile. “And stop trying to cover that scar up, it doesn’t look bad and you should be proud of it. Plus your high-collared shirts are starting to head into the Victoria-era, tone it down a bit Queen Elizabeth” Kat laughed at her own joke. Ryanne signaled the stewardess for another drink “Well I guess if you can get past my new whisper voice and slice’em, dice’em neck scar so should I”. Kat frowned. Ryanne didn’t mean for her response to come out so serious. “Ryanne, I know it’s tough – I’m not completely over it. Maybe this vacation is exactly what we need?” Ryanne accepted the fresh drink just in time to hide the dead-eyed stare that had reached her face. Taking another drink first, “Kat, don’t worry about me. Go enjoy your fiancé and his copious amounts of money. I’m here to support you and have a good time, so go…seriously leave me alone” Ryanne smiled as big as she could and flicked her away. She watched as Kat moved towards Madoc who was talking to Charlie standing near their seats. Madoc looked towards Ryanne and said something to Charlie which made her turn and look. Before Ryanne might have done something cheeky like give them the finger, but she could only look and watch.
One thing burned softly in Ryanne’s heart, something that nobody knew. It gave her hope to think of it when she was at her lowest. It was something the old Ryanne would never have thought of. But that Ryanne was gone. The new Ryanne never left her house, had a perman
ent grotesque scar around her neck and a whispered voice that failed her when she needed it. Her secret could save her from all this...she just had to wait…one more week until Kat was no longer hers to worry about. She forced a canape in her mouth and smiled at Kat who was staring again.
Dangerous Care (Dangerous Care Saga Book 1) Page 16