Captivated Desires

51

Reign flinched slightly at the sound of the gunshot, his ears ringing in the sudden silence that followed. He looked over at me, a mix of surprise and respect in his eyes. "Well, darlin'... I guess that's one way to end a conversation. Remind me never to piss you off, alright?"

"I guess this is the end of this whole damn thing," I sighed. "Actually if it was Asia's deal, you gotta make friends with the Asian's," I said to Reign.

Reign nodded, his mind already starting to turn over the implications of my words. Making friends with the Asian Mafia would mean new alliances and new business opportunities. But it would also mean navigating a whole new set of complexities and power struggles. "I'll handle it," he said, his voice gruff but firm. "We can make it work to our advantage. But first..." His gaze fell on Azar, a silent question in his eyes.

Azar met Reign's stare for a moment before heaving a deep sigh. He released the now lifeless body of the doctor, letting it slump to the floor. "What do you want me to do?" he asked bluntly.

Reign's expression was hard, his eyes searching Azar's face. "I need you to reach out to them," he said finally. "I need you to make initial contact, feel out the situation. And if..." He paused, his jaw clenching. "If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable. Understand?"

"Also get that body out of here and cleaning things, my children can't come in here with blood everywhere," I ordered as well. 

Azar nodded to my request, his eyes flickering briefly to the now-corpse of the doctor. He was used to dealing with clean-ups, and this would be no different. "I'll take care of it," he grumbled, already moving towards the body. "Shouldn't take long."

Reign watched Azar for a moment before turning his attention back to me. His expression softened as he saw the weariness in my eyes, the aftermath of the whole ordeal clearly taking its toll. He stepped forward and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "You okay, darlin'?" he asked quietly, his voice a soothing murmur.

"Yeah, it is kind of over," I sighed softly. Reign's grip on my shoulder tightened, his thumb rubbing slow, soothing circles. He knew I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. "You've been through a lot today," he said quietly. "But it's over now. We can finally breathe a damn sigh of relief."

He pulled me into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around me in a protective, comforting hold. "And I'm damn proud of you," he murmured into my ear, his voice rough with emotion. "I always am."

"Thank you, baby," I said gently as I nuzzled my face into his chest. Reign's grip around me tightened even further, pulling me flush against him. He rested his chin on the top of my head, his eyes closing for a moment as he breathed me in. "I love you," he whispered, the sincerity in his voice evident. "I don't know what I'd do without you, darlin'."

"I love you too, my love," I whispered. He held me like that for a few more moments, just absorbing the feeling of having me safe in his arms. He could feel my body relaxing against his, my exhaustion catching up with me. 

Reluctantly, he pulled back just enough to look down at me, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "You should get some rest," he said quietly, tracing a gentle finger along my jawline. "I'll take care of things here," he promised. "You just go and relax, okay?" His eyes were soft but insistent, concerned for my well-being above everything else.

A week later, the week in the hospital had been long and tense, but finally, the doctors gave the all-clear for me to go home. Reign was there, waiting for me, a mix of relief and concern etched into his features. When he saw me emerge from the hospital, he quickly crossed the distance between us two and swept me into a tight embrace.

"Thank God," he murmured, pressing his face into the crook of my neck. "I was going friggin' crazy over here, darlin'. You have no idea."

"Is the kids at home?" I asked softly.

Reign nodded, pulling back just enough to look at me. "Yeah, they're at home. Lionel and Levi have been missing you like crazy. And Willow keeps asking when you're coming back."

"They've been trying to keep themselves occupied, but it's not the same without their mama," he added, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Damn, they're gonna be so happy to see you."

"I need to shower first, I haven't been able to shower for a month. I stink," I replied. Reign chuckled softly at my response, his eyes scanning over me with a hint of amusement. "You don't smell that bad, darlin'," he teased, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "But I won't say no to seeing you in the shower."

"My body is horrible right now with wounds," I said gently. Reign's expression softened at my words, the teasing tone from before replaced by genuine concern. He knew I had been through a lot, and that I was still recovering both physically and emotionally.

"Darlin', you're beautiful to me no matter what," he said quietly, gently trailing his fingers down my arm to lace his fingers through mine. "Scars, wounds, whatever. Nothing changes the fact that I love you, exactly as you are."

"Besides," he added, a hint of mischief in his eyes, "It just means I've got more skin to cover in kisses, right?"

"I love your kisses," I said quietly. 

"I know you do, darlin'," Reign chuckled, his eyes flickering with a hint of heat. "And rest assured, the moment you're all cleaned up, I plan on being absolutely thorough in covering every inch of you in kisses."