Roses & Ruin

Chapter 57 (Lexi)

I groaned in my head when I felt the throbbing pain. Or at least I thought I groaned in my head. But then I felt the shift of someone beside me. My eyes were still closed. "Lex? You okay?" I recognized the voice. Anthony. A smile played on my lips for a simple second before it all came tumbling back in. The horror show that was the safehouse. My eyes popped open.

When I looked around the room I wasn't sure where I was. It didn't look like my bedroom at Vitaly's house. It's no room from Anthony's house. And it wasn't a hospital. So where was I? Anthony saw my confusion and filled me in.

"Your father refused to let you go to a hospital he didn't have a hand in. He called a doctor of his own and you're being treated for bruised ribs, a very bruised chest, but no cracked bones luckily. Your head's alright too. Just a cut but it's been tended to" he told me.

Again I looked around the room and then I looked at Anthony. That's when I finally read the expression on his face. It made me immediately reach out to him. I cupped his face and his palm came over my hand.

"You scared the fuck outta me, Lex. I thought you got shot in the chest. I watched you get shot in the chest" he corrected himself. I could barely take a proper intake of air without everything throbbing inside me. Damn it.

"The kevlar" I remembered. "It's the only thing that saved your life. I failed at saving your life, Lex, I'm so sorry" he cupped my hands in his and apologized. "No, Anthony. Don't. You played a big part in why I turned out okay. You don't need to apologize for anything" I told him.

Ouch my chest. I sucked in a slow shallow breath, guess that's why I have an oxygen tube in my nose to assist that. Anthony looked behind him to a door leading to a hall.

"Your father and brothers will be back soon. That's the only reason why they let me stay. They had to step out and 'handle' some things. They'll kick me out as soon as they get here. 'Here' being the doctor's house" He added at the end.

I don't wanna know what the Petrov men are doing right now because I know it's nothing good.

"Kiss me then. Before they do" I told him. He didn't seem to be expecting it. He did a double take. "Lexi..." he hesitated. "Shut up Rizzo. It isn't Enzo here with me right now, is it? It's you. And you went after me inside that safe house. You. Not him" I huffed then regretted it.

Some husband Enzo's gonna be. I didn't see his face once in all that.

Anthony tackled a man for me. He rolled around and roughed up the man to be sure I could get away. He ripped that man's nose off. I can still see the image of his broken and half bitten off nose. That's wild.

He's an animal, but it didn't turn me off. He did what had to be done by any means necessary. I've never seen anything like it.

I realize now that I would've fought just as hard. I did fight hard. I ran for the kevlar. I put it on after I hid Mia away in safety. I held the gun waiting for those two pig men to come around the corner for me. I shot one of them. Twice. And I took a bullet to the chest like a champ.

I didn't run. I could've left that house completely, and I wouldn't be feeling half as bad as I do right now if I did run. But I didn't. And it's dawned on me.

I don't wanna be a girl that needs saving.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea how badly I wanna take you up on it, but-" Anthony was ready to deny me again until I held a hand up to stop him. "Fine" I ended it. If he wants to fight this he can. But I almost died today and I'm not thinking about what's right and wrong. I'm thinking about Anthony Rizzo's lips.