Page 85 of Last First Kiss
“I don’t like you, Monroe,” Joey said, dragging a chair across the room and placing it next to the bed across from Rocco.
“Well, you’re not my favorite either.”
After some time of silence, Rocco spoke. “Any word on Julio?”
“Jax is here too. He and Ben are down at the police station now figuring it out. We’re going to try to see if extradition is possible since it was during the filming. The likelihood isn’t promising.”
“But he’ll serve time here, right?”
“Yes.”
Rocco felt a small squeeze around his hand and quickly looked down.
“What happened to your face?” A raspy whisper came out of Annie’s lips and Rocco’s standoff with her brother was put in the back burner.
“My fist,” Joey replied.
She turned, her eyes hazy and her look confused. “Where am I?”
“You’re at the hospital, kid. You were shot.”
She turned her head to look at Rocco.
“You took a bullet for me, crazy.”
“That’s what badass bodyguards do,” she said in a low, barely there voice.
“You had to have surgery on your shoulder. You’ll have to be in badass bodyguard R&R for about six weeks.” Rocco said.
She looked back at her brother. “Why did you punch him?”
“Because he got you hurt?”
“You can’t go around punching my boyfriends. And he didn’t get me hurt,” she said, and the fact she still wanted to be with him even after everything set his heart beating wildly.
“I don’t know if I even want to say this, since I don’t want to encourage you getting hurt, but you did a real good job, kid. Proud of you. You scared the ever-loving shit out of me, but you did good. Julio’s in jail and no one died. That’s always a good day.”
“Thank you, Joey.”
“I’ll leave you two alone. I have to go to the police station and deal with Mata. I also have to call Ma. She’s worried sick.”
“Okay. Thanks, Joey.”
“I love you, Annabelle.”
Her eyes watered. Her brothers never said things like that. “I love you too, Joey.”
Once they were alone, Rocco sat back and rubbed his throbbing cheek. “When you feel better, I need some good instructions on how to do a right cross like Joey’s.”
She laughed but then winced.
“Am I forgiven for calling your brother?”
“Probably not.”
He took her hand in his and carefully moved some of the stray hairs off her face. “I was so scared. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Annie. I know it’s fast, but I’ve never felt more alive, more complete in my life than since I met you. And if to have you it means that I have to deal with your job, I’ll deal. I promise to never bring it up again. It’s really one of the reasons I fell for you. Your strong confidence. I love you, Annie, and I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
The tears came out faster now.
