by Cameron Hart
After she’s been cleaned up and bandaged, Sienna gives her statement to the police. Shortly after, we get the all-clear to go home. I’ve been so caught up with being by Sienna’s side every second, that I forgot I don’t have a car here. I make a quick call to Declan and have him send his driver over. This terrible day needs to end, and the only way I’ll be able to fully breathe again is holding Sienna in my arms and watching her sleep.
Chapter 14
Cooper
I carry Sienna inside once we get back to our place. She has crutches and a wheelchair that came with her from the hospital, but the safest place for her is in my arms. I don’t set her down until we’re in the master bathroom. She got cleaned up a bit while she was in the hospital, but I know she needs to wash off more than just the lingering dirt and blood.
“You ok to sit here, sweetness?” I ask as I place her on the edge of the tub while kneeling down in front of her, keeping her steady with my hands on her waist.
“I’m good,” she rasps, coughing a bit. It pains me to hear her struggling with such a simple thing like talking.
I want to kiss her so damn bad, but she’s so sore and tired. I don’t even know where I could press my lips on her that wouldn’t hurt. That’s the last thing I want to do. As if reading my thoughts, Sienna cups my cheek and leans in to rest her forehead on mine.
“Sienna…” I whisper, breathing her in. She smells like the sterile hospital, and a bit like blood, but underneath it all I smell sweetness and spice. My Sienna. My kitten. Mine.
We stay like that for a few moments, but I need to get her cleaned up and in bed. I pull myself away from her and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Keeping her steady with one hand, I reach over and turn the water on, letting it warm up before putting the stopper in.
While the tub fills up a little bit, I carefully remove her boot and sling and take off the scrubs she wore home from the hospital. It hits me again how small she is. Yes, she’s badass, she’s a fighter, she’s a fucking goddess, but in this moment, she’s so fragile. Sienna looks up at me with a mix of trust, adoration, and complete exhaustion.
“I’m just gonna give you a sponge bath, ok, kitten?”
“Ok, Cooper,” she whispers.
Kneeling in front of her, I dip a washcloth in the water and load it up with soap before gently wipe her face, her neck, her perfect little breasts. I’m filled with anger once again as I see her precious body littered with scrapes and bruises. Taking a deep breath, I let go of every negative emotion. I just need to be here with her, take care of her, and love her.
When I get to Sienna’s back, she leans forward, resting her head on my shoulder. I can feel the weight of the day in her muscles, the way she melts into me like she can’t hold herself up any longer.
“Almost done, baby,” I whisper as I wash her back. I drop the washcloth and opt to use my hands instead. I keep her steady with one hand on her lower back while the other one massages soap into her neck and back.
Sienna sighs, her breath tickling the skin on my neck. I work the knots in her back with a tender touch, careful to avoid her sore shoulder.
“Thank you,” Sienna says, her voice so small and broken.
“Always, sweetness. I’ll always take care of you.”
Sensing the exhausting pulling her under, I rinse off her back and dry her off before carrying her to bed and throwing one of my shirts over her. I prop her foot up on a pillow and get her all set up on my bed, our bed. She’s asleep almost instantly, soft little snores pouring out of her lips.
I set up shop in the chair beside the bed, content to watch over her as she sleeps. The doctor said I needed to wake her up every few hours to check on her concussion. I have a book next to me on the nightstand, but I don’t even look at it. I’m too fixed on watching Sienna breathe and reminding myself that she’s really here.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and seeing that it’s well after two a.m., I know it has to be one of my brothers. Aside from the brief request to Declan about using his driver, I haven’t talked to either one of them. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I see it’s Asher. Not who I was expecting. I take the call out in the hallway so as not to disturb Sienna.
“Ash, hey,” I say quietly.
“How is she?” He asks. Asher is a bit gruff, but it means a lot that he’s trying and that he cares enough to follow up with me. Today has definitely been a turning point for us.
“We’re home now. She’s resting. Fucked up her foot and shoulder pretty bad, she’s got a concussion, but all in all, the doctors said she was lucky.”
Asher grunts in acknowledgement. There’s a pause, neither one of sure how to proceed. Usually we only talk when Asher is yelling at me about something or giving me a hard time. It’s been years since we’ve just held a conversation, let alone talked about anything so personal.
“And… you?” He asks, sounding about as unsure of our conversation as I am. “How are you doing with… everything?”
I smile at his attempt to be human with me. My first instinct is to tell him I’m just glad to have Sienna back, which is true, but there’s so much more to it than that. I decide that if he’s willing to call me in the middle of the night and ask how I’m doing, the least I can do is be honest with him.
I sigh heavily, collecting my thoughts. “Ash… Fuck. I’m relieved that she’s here with me, but I’m scared something else is going to happen. I’m furious that I couldn’t protect her. And honestly, every time I close my eyes, clips from that fucking video play out in my mind. I don’t know what she needs from me, you know?”
At this point I’m not so much looking for a response, I just need to talk it out. Who would have thought Asher would be the one to listen?
“I mean, I can nurse her back to health, but what’s the best way to protect her?” I continue. “Rationally, I know the threat of her mom and Derek is gone now that they are going away for a long time, but I still feel like I failed her. Now everything feels like a threat to her safety. Do I lock her away in the penthouse? Bring her with me everywhere I go? But what kind of life is that? Do we move? Will she want to stay in the city?”
There’s more silence on the line while my questions linger unanswered.
“You’ve always been good at this sort of stuff. The nurturing and whatever,” Ash says after a few moments. His voice is almost… soft. “Remember when mom was going to have the rose garden torn out because she decided she didn’t like roses anymore? You were just nine or ten, but you said you wanted to keep it, that you’d do all the work. Typical mom pretty much forgot all about in the next day, but you were true to your word. You did all this research and made me take you to the store to get gardening supplies despite the fact that we had a gardener who said he’d do it all. Those roses were dead, I was sure of it, but you figured out what they needed to flourish. You’ve always been… I don’t know. Aware of things. People. You’re good at anticipating needs and following through. That’s what makes you so good in your role at the company, too.”
I’m stunned into silence. It’s the most he’s said to me about non-company related things in probably a decade, and definitely the first time he’s complimented me. Asher clears his throat and continues.
“I’m just saying. You have good instincts. And Sienna will be easier to take care of than roses because she can talk. All you have to do is listen.”
I can tell the moment is too intense for him. Shit, it’s almost too intense for me. So, I go for a joke.
“Damn, Ash, who knew you were such a sap?”
“Must be the adrenaline crash,” he replies, though we both know that ended hours ago. Which reminds me…
“Thank you for today, Asher. I mean it. I don’t know what I would have done without—”
“It’s fine. No thanks necessary,” he says, snapping back into his cold, detached demeanor. That’s ok. I’ll let him have this out.
“You know what this means though, right?”
He sighs in resp
onse. “What’s that?”
“You’re gonna have to get another tux for the wedding. I haven’t asked her yet, but I always thought she’d like a winter wedding. That gives you a few months to come up with a best man speech.”
“How wonderful,” he deadpans.
“It really is,” I chuckle.
We’re quiet for a beat, then Ash clears his throat. “Get some rest, Coop.”
“You too, brother.”
He hangs up and I stare at my phone with a big grin on my face. Looks like the cold-hearted bastard isn’t quite as immune to having feelings as he wants everyone to believe. I’ve always known it, but it’s been years since he’s let his mask slip.
I shake my head and walk back into the room, resuming my position on the chair next to Sienna. It’s been a little over an hour and a half, but I can’t wait another second to check on her. I reach out and stroke her forehead, the only place that isn’t bruised. Tucking some hair behind her ear, I lean down and place soft kisses along her hairline. I feel her stir slightly, so I lean back and take in her face, still so beautiful even with her scrapes and bruises.
“Mmm, Cooper?” She whispers as her eyes flutter open.
“I’m here, sweetness. Sorry I had to wake you up, I’m supposed to make sure your pupils aren’t dilated, and you can hold a conversation.”
“What kind of conversation?”
I grin at that. “I think you just passed the test.”
“And I didn’t even study,” she murmurs, a tired little smile on her lips. Fuck, she’s so precious, so pure in this moment. My heart aches just looking at her.
“Go back to sleep now, kitten. I’ll be right here.”
She mumbles something and then closes her eyes. I sit back in the chair and count her breaths. Sienna’s eyes flicker open and she looks right at me.
“Why aren’t you in bed with me?” She asks.
“I don’t want to risk hurting you accidentally.”
“You won’t. Aren’t you tired?”
“Baby, I’m not sleeping tonight whether I’m in the bed or not.”
Confusion spreads across her face. “Why not? It was such an impossible night, I know you’re exhausted.”
“I can’t fuck up with your care, Sienna. I’m supposed to wake you up every few hours. You’re too important for me to screw up your safety. Again.” She looks like she’s going to protest, but I continue. “Besides, I can’t sleep. I can hardly close my eyes without picturing you in that basement…”
“Cooper,” she says so gently my heart breaks and heals at the same time. “Please come lay next to me? I think it will help us both. We can set an alarm for two hours.”
My initial reaction is to stand my ground, but Asher’s words come back to me. You have good instincts… All you have to do is listen.
Sienna is telling me she needs me to be next to her, so of course, I’m going to go lay down next to her.
“Ok, kitten,” I tell her before setting the alarm on my phone.
I walk around to the other side of the bed and strip down to my boxer briefs. I slowly crawl into bed, not wanting to shake the mattress or jostle Sienna at all.
“You’re still too far away,” she says.
“What if I roll over and hurt you? Or accidentally kick your bad foot? Or elbow you in the head?”
“Have you ever kicked me or elbowed me in the head before?” She teases. I’m not in the joking mood, for once in my life.
“Sienna, I’m serious. I already hurt you by failing to protect you. There’s no way in hell I’m going to allow myself to hurt you again.”
“What do you mean you failed to protect me?” Her brow is furrowed in confusion, but then her eyes go wide with realization. “You think it’s your fault my mom found me?”
“I know it is. I put the article out there, and then even when I tried keeping you protected here in the penthouse, I still failed to save you from her. This is all my fault. Every single cut, bruise, broken bone… it’s all because of me, Sienna. I’m so fucking sorry, so sorry. I…”
She places her hand on the middle of the bed, clearly trying to reach out to me even though I’m too far away. Tentatively, I scoot closer and gently wrap my hand around hers. Sienna closes her eyes and breathes in deep.
I take time to brush the pad of my thumb over her knuckles and then uncurl her hand, tracing the inside of her palm with my fingers.
“Look at me, Cooper,” Sienna says. I have no choice but to follow her command. “My mom is a fucking psychopath, and she is the one who hurt me. She hurt me long before I ever moved out here and met you. The article may have set things in motion, but you can’t take responsibility for her deranged plans. That’s not on you. I don’t want you bringing it up again, especially after tonight.”
Sienna takes another deep breath before continuing. “You have done everything in your power to keep me safe, and more than that, you’ve made me feel so cherished. Like I matter. Like you see me and know me and truly, truly want me. I’ve never had that. So while I’m not a fan of how I came to be in your care, the truth is, I’m so grateful that I am. I’m grateful for every day we spend together.” She laces our fingers together and tugs me towards her. I inch closer and closer until she lets go of my hand and traces her fingers over my face.
“Sweetness…”
“Let me finish. I’m going for extra credit on my conversation test,” she grins at me. I turn my head and kiss her fingertips. “You weren’t in the room when I gave my statement to the police, so you don’t know how they got to me. Cooper, I wasn’t here in the penthouse.”
“What?”
“It was so stupid, I know. I got comfortable here with you and the danger felt so far away. I ran some errands, I wanted to surprise you with a few things. Obviously, the kind of surprise you got was not the one I intended. So it wasn’t your fault at all. And it wasn’t mine. Let’s place the blame and anger on the ones who deserve it – Derek and my mom.”
I’m overwhelmed by her confession. She’s forgiving me, but also releasing me from my own prison of guilt. The fact that she’s grateful to be in my care, fuck, that she even admits to wanting my care… it’s everything. To hear her say I make her feel cherished and wanted drains the last of my fear from my heart and replaces it with such love and joy. God, she’s so incredible.
“Cooper?” Her sweet voice brings me back from my thoughts.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Are you mad? Did I say too much? What are you thinking about?”
Shit, I must have been lost in my head a lot longer than I thought. Suddenly, I’m overcome with exhaustion. It’s like I was holding out until I heard how they were able to get her, and now that it’s all out there in the open, I find I’m struggling to even keep my eyes open.
“I’m not mad, sweetness. And you didn’t say too much. Fuck, Sienna, all I’ve ever wanted is to show you how much I love you.”
She gasps quietly, and I realize what I said. Of course, I love her. I have pretty much since the first moment I saw her. But I was hoping to tell her in a much more romantic setting.
“You love me,” she whispers. It’s not a question, it’s more like she’s testing out the idea in her head.
“More than you could ever know.”
She smiles through her tears, those beautiful eyes of hers sparkling for the first time since everything went down. “Then can you come over here and hold me? I just need to feel you.”
I scoot closer to her once again and settle down by her side. She’s all propped up on pillows, laying on her back. I turn on my side to face her, letting my eyes roam over her features and drink her in. Sienna takes my hand and lays it across her tummy, my palm resting on her hip. Then she places her soft little hand over mine and laces our fingers together.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I say again.
“You won’t. I trust you.”
Her words mean everything to me. Tentatively, I kiss the exposed skin on her good should
er, the one closest to me. Sienna sighs contentedly, so I press another kiss into her warm skin before resting my head on her shoulder.
“I love you, too, Cooper,” Sienna whispers so softly I almost don’t hear it.
I prop myself up and look at her, but she’s already sound asleep. Nuzzling back down against her body, I finally allow myself to relax and join her in sleep.
Chapter 15
Sienna
The last six weeks have flown by. Cooper officially sold the bakery back to me, although I refused to keep the one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars that the original contract outlined. Instead, Cooper offered to give Mad Batter Bakery a complete marketing makeover, which I agreed to now that the threat of mom and Derek is long gone.
The trial moved quickly as there was video proof of their torture and blackmail as well as the eye witness accounts from Cooper, Declan, Asher, and me. Thanks to the cutthroat lawyers Cooper has on retainer, mom and Derek will be serving several life sentences. I don’t feel sorry for them in the least.
I originally stayed with Cooper so he could take care of me during my recovery, but he asked me to move in officially about a week after everything went down. He said he wouldn’t sleep knowing I wasn’t by his side. I couldn’t argue with that, because I knew I’d be the same way. Plus, Mandy, my loyal bakery assistant, needed a place to live, so I happily let her have the apartment above the bakery.
There’s one more big life change that I just found out about this morning. I thought about the best way to tell Cooper all morning, and finally came up with what I think is a brilliant (and sexy) plan.
I just got back from grocery shopping and a second trip to the little French boutique I visited right before I was taken. I thought I’d have a flashback or something while walking by the alley where Derek grabbed me, but I only felt safe and confident. Part of it was knowing Derek would live the rest of his life in a prison cell, but the bigger part was because I knew Cooper would always protect me and always come after me if anything ever happened to me.