Taken In

Chapter 35

Javier's POV

Leaning back into the chair next to her bed I watch Breo sitting silently with her bear, paying attention to the show on the TV in the corner of the room. She looks at me for a moment, giving me a halfhearted smile before turning back to her show, the last few days have been rough for her.

After the cops questioned her I made sure the entire Siete started searching for the fucker who hurt her. I can't just count on Gabriel right now- time is not a luxury we have. The longer we take to find him, the longer we give the pigs a chance to catch him too, and I'd rather get locked up and get my lick back than see that pendejo alive in jail. I think back to the empty shell of a human Breo turned into when they did that rape kit on her- and how she stood with her hospital gown unravelled, tears endlessly streaming down her face while the cops took pictures of her body for evidence. Hell isn't hot enough for that piece of shit asshole.

It's hard seeing her like this- she barely eats or sleeps, not that I blame her. It's hard enough going through what she did without having injuries as a constant reminder of what he did. Maybe things will be better when she heals up, but processing all that shit mentally is probably fucking her up too.

Even though I have questions, I haven't brought up that night or her baby at all, I would be an asshole to make her relive the whole night just to get some answers. Apart from her injuries sometimes it feels like she never left, I thought we wouldn't be as close as we were before but that isn't the case at all. Maybe I was wrong about why she went away, maybe she didn't see what happened between Santi and I, or maybe she got hurt so badly she doesn't remember.

Honestly I'm surprised she still trusts me, she only seems to feel safe in my company, and I'm the only person she wants to talk to. I've been staying at the hospital as much as I can, and when I can't Pedro fills in for me since they seem to get along.

I wish she could understand how much I appreciate her trust in me, and how happy it makes me to be there for her, considering the circumstances. I've been trying to stay level headed and focus on her but I can't slow down the feelings I have for her, or maybe I just don't want to. For a while I wasn't sure what I felt but now I know for sure that I love her. When I think about her I don't just feel concern or worry. I wanna be there for her, see her smile, watch shows with her and her bear, hear her adorable laugh again, everything. There isn't a thing about her that doesn't make me happy, I just want to take care of her.

Sitting up in my chair I sigh, trying to get a grip on reality. She doesn't and probably never will reciprocate how I feel, and I don't expect her to, even though deep down I know if I keep going it's going to kill me.

I notice her move and instantly glance towards her, seeing her waving to get my attention. "You okay gorgeous?" I say with a smile, turning to her a little more. I watch her eyes gleam as the word 'gorgeous' passes my lips, she's so adorable when she's shy.

She points to her note pad and I read the words, 'Are you okay?' in her perfect handwriting.

"Yeah I'm okay, just thinking, how about you, you hungry?" She waves at me frantically and I laugh, it's been a thing she's done recently when I ask too many questions and she doesn't have enough time to write an answer.

'I'm okay, not hungry.'

"Okay that's good, you'll let me know if you are right?" I question, knowing she should eat more but I know how shit it must be while her jaw heals, I don't want to push her too much. She nods and I smile at her again, standing up to pull her closer to me.

For a moment we just stay there while I stroke her full curls, feeling her get comfortable in my chest, before I feel her hands tap my arm.

"Yeah?" I pull away from her to give her room to write. She picks up her pen and places it on the notepad, hesitating before placing it down and picking it up again. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?" I reassure her, as she starts to write again.

Looking away I give her some privacy, part of me anticipating that she wants to share something about her asshole ex, or maybe her baby- but I'm definitely wrong about both.

'Why did you kill the man outside your house?'

She moves the notepad away from her so I can read it clearly, as she avoids eye contact with me. She thinks I killed Santi?

I sit back down in the chair next to her bed, pulling it a little closer so we can talk but far enough to give her some space.

"Bre I didn't kill that man." I start, trying to be as straight forward as possible but I have a feeling this is going to be hard.

"You saw me hurt him?" I question, trying to understand how much she saw before explaining myself further. She nods and I take a deep breath before asking my next question.

"You think I'd hurt you?"

I almost don't look up in fear of seeing an answer I'm too scared to face. My heart sinks when I see her shrug her shoulders, tears now falling into her lap- I instantly place my hand on hers and I leave it there for a moment, thankful she hasn't pulled away from me.

"Breo I would never hurt you." I continue, knowing she's probably heard this shit before, how do I expect her to believe me?

"That guy outside my house? His name is Santiago, I've known him for a while." I watch as Breo holds her bear close, silently hiccuping through her tears as she listens to me explain myself. "You know how I told you my Mom died?"

She looks up at me and nods immediately. "Well he said something about her that was disrespectful and I lost my-" I feel my demeanour change and my voice increase in volume as I try to make a case for myself and pause immediately. I don't want to scare her, I just want her to believe me.

"Breo I shouldn't have done what I did that night, we got into an argument and I took it too far, but I didn't kill him, he's okay I promise."

'Okay like me?'

Her words cause a lump to form in my throat and I instantly regret everything, but I know I do for the wrong reasons. I'd do what I did to Santi a million times, no doubt about it, but I'd do anything to stop Breo from seeing what happened. She should've never seen me like that, I'm not that guy when I'm with her.

"I'm sorry Bre." I say with a sigh, placing my head in my hands, on the surface I know she has every right to be scared of me, but deep down she shouldn't be, I'd never lay a finger on her. I look back up to see her wiping her tears, looking into my probably very red eyes before looking at the pen in her lap.

"Are you scared of me?" I question, wanting to know how I can fix this, if I can fix this. "You can be honest with me I won't be mad at you." I continue, I'd help her to the ends of the earth even if she hated me.

'No.'

A wave of relief falls over me but it crashes as soon as she turns a page to write again.

'Please don't hurt me.'

My chest feels tight and I look at her notepad once more.

'Even when you're angry at me.'

"Baby I would never." I say as I lift her chin gently to look into her eyes, I feel mine start to sting but make no effort to blink any tears away, I don't care how I look right now, I just care about her. "I promise you with all my heart I would never, ever hurt you." My voice breaks on the word 'ever' causing it to come out in almost a whisper. I didn't think I could be this vulnerable with anyone.

She raises her right hand, sticking out her pinkie finger gently. I let out a tear coated laugh, wrapping mine around hers slowly.

"I pinkie promise baby." I say while placing another kiss on her forehead.