Page 153 of The Crowned Garza

Lexi:Oh Tillie, you have a lot to learn. There’s no withholding the pumpum when your man is a bedroom bully.

London:A stallion that makes you see stars every. single. time.

Sunny:A beast that rails you without mercy.

Tillie has left the chat.

~

IT’S BEEN TWOdays since returning from Vegas and I haven’t heard from Saint, nor have I been able to get through to him.

Dulce granted me extra time off work, so I’ve mostly been focused on recuperating.

Back in Vegas, while Saint slept like the dead, I struggled. Badly. Every time I closed my eyes, I was in that dark room with rotting bodies again. The nurse had offered me sleeping pills, but I wanted the focus to be on Saint’s recovery and also didn’t want to miss a minute of him being awake, so I soldiered through without them.

However, being home has reminded me how irritable, depressed, and dysfunctional I get without adequate sleep, so I popped some sleeping pills and have been doing nothing but sleeping and eating these last two days.

On the cusp of day three, I’m dosing off with my phone rested against my ear, Saint’s number ringing on the other end. Fully expecting it to go to voicemail, I jerk awake when his voice fills my ear.

“Regina.”

Freaking finally!“Oh, okay. You’re alive. That’s all I wanted to know.”

“Sorry,amore.I had the longest meeting of my life with—”

“I’ve seen how those people operate. No need to explain. I just wanted to know you’re okay.”

“I…thank you,regina.” He sighs. “Can you be patient with me for a little longer? I have to stay atla famigliaestate for a few days and clean up the mess Iseppa created, set things back in order.”

“It’s fine if you have to be gone for a little while.” I yawn. “I just don’t like not hearing from you. It makes me anxious. Can you just make an effort to maintain communication with me? You most likely have a lot to deal with right now, so how about a call schedule? I’ll call once at ten in the morning, then again at ten in the evening. All you have to do is answer. Can you do that for me?”

A beat of silence, then, “Sì amore, I can do that.”

“Thank you.”

“Tillie?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

Even in my sedated state, my heart flutters. “I love you, too. I chose you. I know who you are. Remember that, okay? Just handle what you need to handle, fix what you need to fix, then come back to me, okay?”

“Always.”

That’s the last I remember of our conversation before I’m booted into a deep, dark slumber.

When I wake up the next morning, there’s a text from him with a link to a song. “She’s Royal” by Taurus Riley. A favorite of mine that I haven’t played in ages.

I listen to it all day long.

~

THE FOLLOWING DAY, Mom summons me.

It’s the visit I’ve been dreading. She’s been unusually quiet about my relationship with Saint and I’m not sure what to make of it. Mom isnotthe quiet type in any circumstance. She’s a full-blooded Jamaican. Enough said.

Though, it’s possible she’s holding back on giving me a tongue-lashing in light of the circumstances surrounding the reveal.