Protecting You ("The Shadows" Series: Book I)

Bonus Chapter ( I.)...

Ryan's POV

"Where are they?" I asked as soon as I made my way into the office. It had been a few months since Lily's discharge and I had kept my security on their toes. I didn't want any harm coming her way until I'm sure that I've tied all the loose ends...if there were any left that is.

"They will be arriving in an hour. Don't worry, I'll get them settled, but you might wanna give Lily a heads-up. She wouldn't not want to be in the meeting." Evan's words made me sigh, knowing it was true. Lily was now the boss of her gang and it would be wrong of me to do this without her. She was a capo just like me.

"Fine. I'll go and get her ready while you go and get things checked again. I don't want any mistakes to be made by anyone." He nodded before I left the office I had just walked in not even a minute ago.

I felt like I was being all over the place with how things had been lately. But I was content with the fact that the storm had passed and Lily was safe with me in the mansion.

Reaching our room, I knocked before entering and found Lily fast asleep in the middle of the king sized bed. It was pretty hard how long it had taken for her to get over her trauma and sleep peacefully like the way she was doing right now, but she still woke up from nightmares one or other night...which made me more reluctant to wake her up now. But like Evan had said, she wouldn't want to miss our meeting. So with reluctance, I went and sat down beside her in the bed and started caressing her hair that lay under head over the pillow like a halo.

Fuck!!! She is an angel!!!

"Regina...Baby...wake up." I kept caressing her face and hair as I tilted down and placed soft kisses on her face. I heard her grumble and pushing lightly at my chest like a cat before her eyes opened to meet mine. One of my brows raised as I saw her giving me a glare that made her look way adorable than she would've liked to know.

"Go away...I need my beauty sleep Ryan." Grumbling through her sleep filled haze she tried to crawl to the other side of the bed. Keyword being tried.

Pulling her body to me, I laid down beside her on the bed and let her rest on my chest. She rubbed her face with her delicate fingers before burying her face into my chest making me smile in adoration.

"You're already beautiful mia regina. And that's an understatement." I said while massaging her scalp. She moaned in contentment making me chuckle.

"There's something I wanted to ask you and you can say no. Okay?"

I felt her wiggle a bit and then situate half her body on top of mine. I slipped further into the bed to make her comfortable. She rubbed at her face again before planting her chin over my chest and looking at my face.

God!!! I almost forgot how to breathe there for a few seconds!!!

"Is it important?" I nodded to which she sighed and looked at me expectantly. I ran my fingers through her hair as I started.

"When we got you out of there...we had taken help from a few people outside our gang." I said softly, trying not to let her mind wander away from my words and to that dark place. Her breath hitched when she realised I was talking about her kidnapping, but I kept caressing her hair and lightly kissed her lips, making her reciprocate. I felt how vulnerable she still was when I brought the subject so I decided to finish and explain everything to her as quickly as possible. I didn't want her mind to dwell in a dark place again.

"I had contacted a friend of mine who is an assassin. He used to work for us for quite some time and my dad and some of the elder members had taught us how to use weapon...so he is as good as me...if not better now." She nodded, her eyes now much focussed, curiosity shining in them.

"I needed a few snipers to be there for the rescue mission and someone who could lead them if I and Evan weren't able to contact them in time. When we made our plan I had given him the reign over our snipers because I trusted him with my life. He had seen me at my worst and vice versa." I took a deep breath and let her process everything.

"So he helped you in the mission." She stated making me nod as I let my fingers drag up and down her back, keeping her relaxed in my embrace. She started drawing patterns on my chest for sometime before she nodded for me to continue.

"You can meet him if you want. He is visiting here within an hour. If you're not ready it's okay." I let her decide as she pondered for a while. I didn't stop caressing her body wherever I could reach while she debated in her head.

Throughout her stay in the hospital I had seen her wake up screaming time and time again because of nightmares. We had discussed about her going to therapy and she had started her sessions as soon as she had gotten discharged. I was told that she might have PTSD just like Alex since they both had gone through so much. It wasn't the physical pain but the emotional trauma of seeing each other battered as hell with no means to help each other.

After a long interval, I heard Lily sighing, her warm breath hitting my chest as she clutched me a little tighter, making me pull her closer than ever. She looked at me through her lashes as she tilted her head.

"Might as well get this over with. I owe him my life too." Her words like a whisper in the wind landed in my ears to which I frowned.

"You don't owe anyone anything Lily. You shouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place. Besides, he owed me a favor. So you are not in any debt. Get this through your head. An amazing one at that." She chuckled at my words making me smile at her. Reaching up, she grabbed my face in her soft palms that still had cuts and bruises before giving me a kiss that conveyed her gratitude. I kissed her back passionately making her moan breathily.

"I love you."

And then she smiled that beautiful smile of hers that I had missed for so long. The smile that made the room light up around us and nothing else mattered to me in this moment then to keep her smiling and content just like she was right now.

"I love you more." She replied making me raise my brow. I shook my head.

"Impossible." She chuckled before leaning again to kiss me. I met her halfway, kissing her soft plump lips with all the love I could pour through that one kiss.

"You should've told me sooner though. How am I going to get ready in half an hour?" She asked softly against my lips, her lips opposing her complaints as they kept pecking mine.

"Want me to reschedule?" My voice turned hoarse as I began kissing her neck, turning her breathless as she writhed above me. I was enjoying this way too much.

And...I wasn't going to complain.

"Nope. But if we don't stop then I'll have to take up that offer of yours so..." She pushed at my chest and turned her head down, heaving with a blush that made her glow while the sunrays hit her face. Her hair had made a halo around us now as her chest heaved above mine in sync.

"Fuck me..."

Her melodious laugh filled the room as she pushed herself away from me with a shake of her head and stood up from the bed, while also slipping away from my hands that were on her hips, not ready to let her go.

"Just wear something comfortable. I'll wait outside for you." I said as I walked upto her and pecked her lips making her hum against my mouth before going inside the bathroom.

Now to check the arrangements for the meeting...

Should I still try and change her mind...It wasn't too late...we still had time...

I turned around and went inside the room with a mischievous smile. Time to please my Regina...

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Here's a Bonus Chapter for all you Lovelies!!! It's been a long a hectic time for me and took me a lot more time to decide on this bonus chapter...all those who have been with me through this journey...I love you all with all my heart and appreciate you reading this book...can't wait to tell you what I have decided for my next venture...or should I say...next book...

Stay tuned for the next bonus installment before I reveal the news...stay healthy and happy...✌️

All the love!!!💜

-R