I'm With The Billionaire

Chapter 31: Jake

[JAKE]

A week later

Victoria and I were both recovering from our injuries smoothly. Ariana regularly redressed our wounds and helped us get acquainted with our new surroundings. We were normally confined to our room as we healed but as the week had gone by, our recoveries had started. We were free to walk around a bit and explore.

Victoria was sitting on the bed and was attempting to run a brush through her hair without pulling on her shoulder. Ariana or Mia usually did it for her, but Victoria had insisted that she had to at least do this for herself.

With a sigh, I settled behind her. She made a noise of protest as I took the brush from her and gently brushed out the tangles in her hair. She sighed in contentment as I smoothed her hair down and took her scrunchie to tie her hair into a ponytail.

"Thank you," she said as I set the brush aside.

"It's nothing," I told her, smiling as she looked up at me. She was dressed in a red button down today and black shorts. She had complained about the outfit but I had reminded her that it was to stop her from pulling any stitches when putting on the shirt.

"We have to meet everyone today, you aren't dressed," she reminded me. I looked down at myself, taking in my grey sweatpants and then looked back at her.

"I'll go put on a shirt," I said.

She quickly stopped me. "You better change your pants too."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I don't need all the women here seeing you like that," she grumbled. I let out a laugh and agreed to change into black sweatpants.

After I was changed, we both stepped out of the room and made our way toward the living room. I made sure she sat down first before taking a seat next to her. I casually draped my arm over the back of the couch so that she would lean against it.

A total of thirty three women and another eleven children—of which four were little boys—stood in front of us, cautiously taking us in. Ariana and Mia waved at us from the crowd. I waved back.

Margaret stepped forward and stood in front of us. "Everyone, this is Jake Santiago. We let him in as a favor to Victoria Hale. You all know what her mother has done for us. It was only right to do this to repay the favor."

Victoria sat up straight, a smile gracing her face. Even with no makeup on, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

"Hi. I haven't been to any safe house for the past few years. I'm happy to see that you are all thriving even though my mom hasn't been here to guide you along. I hope that I can help you with anything you may need in the future. I'm sorry for intruding on you guys, especially when I know how adamant my mother was about men being in the compound. But please understand that he's only connected to this because of me, and I couldn't think of any other way to protect him. So if you're angry about this, which you have a right to be, please be angry at me. I can promise you that Jake will not disclose any of this information to anyone." She gave me a pointed look.

I let out a cough and nodded. "I will take this with me to the grave." Looking at Victoria, I steeled myself for her reaction as I spoke. "And if it's okay, I would like to add on to your funds over the course of my life. It's to thank you for taking me in even though it meant possibly compromising your safety and because you guys deserve to have the safety that a lot of us take for granted." Victoria's eyebrows shot up as she heard what I'd been wanting to say since I'd gotten here. I turned to the women in front of me and gave them a nod. "Thank you for taking me in."