One Smile

42: Cuddles and I Love Yous, Not Glares and Huffs

JAKE POV

God damnit Sam. I look at her as she is awkwardly smiling at me while Antonio stitches her wound. I know she's trying to act tough but I also know that she's high as fuck right now so I can't yell at her.

"You've got a strong one there. We were watching the men get sniped and we're wondering who you had up on the roof," Maximov adds while watching Sam get stitched. Why is he still here?

"I didn't have anyone on the roof. She ran there without telling me. My dumbass thought she got scared when she heard the bullets. I should have known better," she would never do the reasonable thing. And now she's going to get her diploma with a bullet hole.

"She is fierce. Are you sure she's not Russian or Italian? I don't think I've ever seen someone her size take down a tree trunk," he says in his stupid accent. "Although I don't know many Russian black people, yeah? She will birth strong heirs," he adds.

"Why are you still here? And, stop staring at her," I snap.

"We need to discuss moving forward. And an alliance. My help today wasn't free. You'll learn little Ferrari," he chuckles.

I'm about to shove my foot up his ass when Antonio walks up to me.

"She's lucky. It was a clean shot. No major things were hit and she fortunately switched to one hand so she didn't tear the wound when dangling. I swear we need to bubble wrap that girl or lock her up," he tells me. I notice he said it completely seriously.

"No. If you cage a lioness they go feral. And from what I have seen, that is a lioness," Maximov adds. Again, why is he still here?

"She needs to sleep off the drugs but she turned most of them down. So she's feeling it right now. She said she didn't want to be high," Antonio explains.

I'm about to ask why when I hear Sam yell my name. I turn and see her walking, well marching up to me.

"Hey, hey. You need to rest baby," I tell her while reaching for her hand. I am about to take her to her bed when she snaps at me.

"You want to tell me why it took you so long to get your 'love' off a roof. Or why you didn't trust my plan, that worked might I add. Or why you look angry right now. Tell me, did you get shot while dangling above your unhelpful boyfriend? No? Then stop pouting," she snaps.

This girls ass would be so red if she didn't just get shot. Everyone around us is starting at us like we're the craziest thing to be seen.

"I suggest you watch your tone and rest Sammy," I try to keep calm and hope that it's the medicine making her irrational.

"No. You realize that you chose to pout instead of talking to me. Checking on me. You do realize that fucking Ange held me while they removed the bullet. I'm not fucking Ange or telling him I love him so why is he taking care of me while you pout," she huffs.

"Okay. So maybe I gave her a little too much medication. Bella I think you should-"

"Fuck off Antonio. Am I good to travel? I don't want a lecture but an answer," she threatens. I notice that she is gritting her teeth. She's still in pain.

"I think she needs more medicine. She can still feel it-"

"No. You don't get to glare at me while I'm getting a bullet removed that I got from protecting your ass and then be the sweet boyfriend. That's not how this works. I expected cuddles and I love yous, not glares and huffs," she throws her ands up and then winces and groans. What is going on with her? She's never this aggressive.

"I'm staying at the Rossi house tonight so they can monitor me. I was supposed to stay there anyways. I'm glad you're safe and I love you. But I also irrationally hate you right now. Why are there two of you? Cute," she starts giggling. I look at Antonio questioning and he shrugs and mouths drugs.

"I am gonna take Bella to the house so she can rest," Ange announces. I notice he is also glaring at me. Great. The two most dramatic people in the world have their eyes set on me.

"She's staying here," I tell him.

"This is not up for debate. I want drugs, my parents, and sleep. I'm not staying in this house with dead bodies everywhere. I'm tired," she says. I go to argue but a wheel chair is rolled up and she is sat down and rolled away.

"You did completely ignore her after she nearly died in two different ways," my father adds as he walks up to me.

"I told her not to join the fight. This wouldn't have happened if she listened. So yes I am pissed," I groan.

"You can be angry but still show you love her. She's probably freaked out. She just killed people. She was shot. She was dangling from a roof. When she needed comfort from you, you were to busy being angry about her saving everyone's ass. Had she not gone on that roof, this could be a very different outcome. They were slaughtering your men son. Give her some time to cool off and then go to her tonight once she's not on a bunch of medicine. I suggest you express your anger with a lot of love," he shakes his head at me and leaves me there.

How am I the bad guy for wanting her to be safe? I realize I haven't said anything to her since she came off that roof.

"Some advice. Put your ego aside. I'll admit, she saved me twice when I was about to be shot coming out of the car. I owe her," Maximov adds unhelpfully before leaving.

Great. Even the Russian gangster has less male ego than I do.

"I want this house scrubbed. I want updates on how questioning goes," time to suck it up to my stubborn love.