TORTURE ME_ The Bandits MC(168)

“Those cocky bastards,” I said to the TV. They never expected to be caught. They had never considered for an instant that they could possibly have been taken down by anyone, let alone a bunch of bikers.



There was no mention of the men who helped us leave, no mention of us, no mention of anyone else who was supposed to be involved. They simply mentioned the size of the bust and the apparent purpose of the drugs and weapons—to be distributed on the streets of Chicago.



My phone buzzed while I watched the news.



“Good job, Gage.” The mayor was talking before I even put the phone up to my ear.



“Yes, sir. Thank you,” I said.



“Also, I trust my men helped you get home safe,” he added.



“Yes, sir, they did.” I couldn’t express my gratitude any other way besides just being polite at the moment.



“I’m sorry that your friend suffered at their hands. If she needs anything, you let me know, got it?”



“Yes, sir. And, Mr. Mayor?”



“Yes, Gage?”



“Thank you. Really. Thank you for all of your help,” I gushed.



“It’s the least I could do for how much you helped me with Ivan. For the next few days, you and yours should take care of yourselves and regroup. Once you get back on your feet, give me a call, and I’ll make sure you get connected with the other clients who were working with Ivan,” he explained.



“Thank you again,” I said.



“Don’t mention it. Oh, also a very good call shutting down HQ for a few days. I don’t control everyone around here, so it’s a good idea to lay low and make sure there’s no fallout from the bust,” he said, not specifying where the threat was coming from.



“Yes, sir, I figured my guys earned some time off. Plus, your men did some work to help clean up from where we were attacked by Ivan’s men the other day. They’ve really stepped up for us, Mr. Mayor, and I don’t know how to thank you.”



“First off, you can stop saying thank you every few words. It’s pathetic. Once is enough. I understand you guys were struggling for a while, but now you’re in good hands. As long as you continue to take care of me, you won’t have to worry about anything else for a very long time,” he assured me. “At least as long as I remain in office,” he added with a laugh.



I thanked him again and let the call disconnect.



The next few days were long. I watched my sleeping love on the bed and waited. I stayed close to her side, only leaving when the nurse was present and I could leave Julia in her care long enough to grab something to eat or take a shower.



It was a nightmare, but I had hope. It looked like it could turn into the Lisa situation all over again, but the fact that she was resting peacefully in my bed meant that it was just as likely that she would pull through and be okay. I sat through the monotony and waited for her to wake up.



“Please wake up, Julia.” By the third day, I was talking to her. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I know that if I had been completely open and honest with you from the start, things wouldn’t have happened the way they did. If you wake up and come back to me, I will be open and honest with you from now on. There will be no more secrets or lies. That’s not how I want to build a relationship with you. That is not how we will build a successful future together.”



I held her sleeping hand while I talked, hoping that she heard what I was saying to her. I’d read somewhere once that sleeping people could actually comprehend what was being said in the room around them. The concept came up again and again when talking about subliminal messages and ways to influence people without them being able to notice what was being done. I hoped that I remembered what I had read correctly, and that it was working on Julia while I sat at her bedside.



I laughed at one point while talking to her sleeping figure. “I’m going soft thanks to you,” I told her. “You’ve got me getting all teary eyed over here. You’ve got me so worried and stressed, Julia, hoping you’ll be okay. I’ve shut HQ down until you come back around. I’m not leaving your side,” I assured her.



“The guys have all stopped by,” I told her. “Ricky brought you flowers, and the knuckleheads, Chase and Juarez, the ones who beat Dimitri so badly, brought by some sweets for when you wake up. They also sent a sympathy card from both of them. Talk about a bromance,” I chuckled. “You’ll understand when you meet them again. They aren’t horrible guys, but they’re really good at doing the horrible things I need them to do.”