Marry Me

15. Bottle Of Bourbon

Alex Kellen.

May was staring at me as though I was from another planet. It was kind of adorable. And annoying.

"Why are they here? Their families?"

I held up a finger to my lips and stepped out to close the door. "Let's talk somewhere else." We began to walk away from the room, as I led her towards my bedroom.

May was trying hard to keep her pain hidden. The soft wince wasn't lost on me. The second time she winced, I stopped and scooped her into my arms.

"Alex put me down! I can walk by myself."

She weighed next to nothing in my arms. "If you keep walking, you're going to make it worse than it already is. That means I'll have to carry you more often."

That shut her up, though didn't stop her from fuming. Minutes later I deposited her gently on the soft mattress. She winced again. Her right ankle was swollen and turning blue-black.

"Alex?"

"Hold on sweetheart."

Her glare softened at the term of endearment. I hid my smile and called my doctor. May's ankle is probably broken from that fall.

She wrapped her arms around herself and groaned. "Urghh! Alex! Tell me already!"

A deep sigh of defeat left me as I sat close beside her. "Their families sold them off. If I bought them back to them, they will end up with Carlous again. And this time I won't be able to save them."

I watched, fascinated as different emotions crossed her face. Bewilderment followed by shock and finally fury.

"Why would anyone sell their own daughters?!"

"The girls don't have parents. They're all orphaned, and taken care by other kins."

She rubbed her forehead. "That doesn't mean they can be abused like this. So what are you going to do?"

"With the girls?"

She nodded.

"I'll probably send them off to a boarding school far from here. This is no place for young children. It is too dangerous."

May tilted her head slightly to one side, regarding me carefully. "I think its even more dangerous to be away from you." She thought out loud. "They are safer with you. You're like their guardian."

I felt very old suddenly feeling the heaviness of a large responsibility. That's funny. I already had a huge responsibility of running a Mafia. Three girls shouldn't be a problem...right? "Then what do you suggest I do?"

"Let them stay here. You can home school them. And they will be much more safe here than anywhere else."

I stared at her, incredulous that she would come up with such an idea. Stay here?! "May! What am I going to do with three girls? I don't even know how to communicate with them!"

"You'll learn, Alex. And I'll help too."

That stopped me short. "You will?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because I like kids. And you're definitely going to need some help with the girls."

I leaned forward, resting my arms on the top of my knees. Does that mean she'd stay here to help with the girls? I turned around to ask that question and found her staring at me.

"What's is it?"

May shook her head. "Nothing."

I lifted myself off the bed and knelt down in front of her taking her small hands into mine. "Tell me." My voice was soft with persuasion.

She looked away, sighing. "You're so confusing Alex. You are so good to the girls whom you've never met and yet you kill people easily. I can't make up mind if you're good or bad."

"Does it matter if I'm good or bad?"

"Yes it matters." Her voice was low. "I cannot be with someone who is evil in nature."

I felt a spark of anger and lashed out. "Then I guess it isn't going to work out between us then." I dropped her hands and rose to my full height. "Because I am evil."

Her beautiful face was full of shock as I exited the room.
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The doctor arrived almost an hour later. I led him with a black mood to the room where May was. He made a quick examination and pronounced that she broke her ankle.

"Your ankle is broken. Did you fall down or something?"

"Twice." May muttered.

The doctor chuckled earning a glare from me. After that, he made a quick work of the cast, handed her some pain killers and advised May to rest in order to heal faster.

I saw him out and shut myself in
to my office with a bottle of bourbon. Dealing with explosion and men who wanted to kill me didn't drain the energy out for me. But May, dealing with her made me want to pull my hair out. Or kiss her to the ends to earth.

"You're not."

I looked up from my glass of bourbon. The bottle was nearly empty. No wonder I didn't hear her enter the room. "What?"

May walked closer. Or well limped closer. "You're not evil."

I laughed bitterly. "Remember when we met? I was beating up a guy? And a few hours ago? You witnessed me killing a another guy? Trust me May, I have tortured and killed people mercilessly before."

"Okay." Okay? That's all she have to say?

"Come to bed Alex."

Uuh? Why is she so confusing? "I thought we were done?" My tone was rather accusing.

May met my gaze, head on with determination and something else that made my heart race. "You sure about that? Because I'm not."

I reached out from my chair and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders while I buried my face in her chest. She smelled so good, so soft.

"Don't leave me, May."

"If I wanted to leave, I would have already done so. Come to bed, Alex. I don't like seeing you like this. And knowing that it's because of me..." She trailed off.

My arms held her tighter. "You're just making me face reality. Now that I think about it, I really shouldn't have gotten involved with you. My world is already pretty fucked up. And to think that I literally pulled you in this darkness."

I pulled back and stared at her. This is for the best, I convinced myself. I can only bring her danger. "That's just unforgivable. You're better off without me, May."

May glared at me. "You cannot be serious! Moments ago, you asked me not to leave you. And now you want to leave me? What the hell is wrong with you?" She looked around the room and stopped when she caught sight of something on the table.

She was looking at the almost empty Bourbon bottle and then shot me a look of understanding.

Empty bottle of Bourbon...

So...does that meant I'm drunk?