Page 88 of Forced Bratva Hostage

“And no fooling around,” he says sternly.

Tia’s cheeks turn red, and I grin.

“I mean it, Andrei. I don’t want you back on my table with internal bleeding.”

“Okay, okay. I promise to be good.”

Tia is dying of embarrassment as she tries to look anywhere but at the doctor or me.

***

Three days later, I’m hobbling up the stairs of my mansion with Nico on one side of me and Arkady on the other. “Come on, old man, you can make it,” Arkady taunts me.

“We set up the bedroom downstairs for him—it’s this way,” my housekeeper says, ushering us all down the hall.

Tia is anxiously hovering nearby, wanting to help and stay out of the way at the same time.

Once the guys have me in my room and sitting on the edge of my bed, they step back and nod, satisfied.

“Right, so, Jade, Aly, and Serafina have all done a bulk cooking thing. They have stocked your freezer full of heaven knows what—but I can vouch for it, it smelled amazing, and what I was allowed to taste was really good.”

“I have a chef,” I laugh.

“Yeah, look, man, when the girls get something in their heads, I don’t get in the way.” Nico shrugs. “My wife is in charge. I don’t argue,” he laughs.

“Please, will you tell them that I really appreciate it. When I’m not stuck in bed, I’ll have everyone over for dinner to say thanks.”

“Hey, it’s what we do for family, man,” Nico says.

Ark grins and, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he confesses, “I already stole one of the meals.”

“Ark,” Nico huffs.

“Dude, it was lasagna. You know that’s my weakness.”

“I can’t fucking take you anywhere, man.”

Tia is giggling as Nico waves goodbye and shoves Ark out of the room.

I hear panic in Ark’s voice when he says, “Don’t you dare tell Jade.Please.”

“I might have to,” Nico threatens.

Their voices fade down the hall, and Tia sits next to me on the bed.

“You have to getintobed,” she says sternly.

“Yes, I will. I have to admit, the walk up those stairs was a lot harder than I expected it to be.”

She pulls the covers aside and helps me ease backward into the hospital bed they rented for me. It’s got the backrest thing that goes up and down, which I’m so grateful for.

“I might want one of these for the bedroom upstairs,” I say, raising my brows as I push the button until it’s where I want it.

“Mm. Maybe we can get one that looks less like this and more like a bed-bed.”

“I’m sure there are some pretty nice ones out there. What about a water bed? I have some ideas of things I’d like to do to you on a water bed,” I grin at her.

“Really? So, you’ve thought about this?” she asks, with a naughty shine in her eyes.