You know what, it is not our choice to make. Let a judge figure it out.

You know what, it is not our choice to make. Let a judge figure it out.
Michael

I tried to get Violet to go to the hospital. The lump on her head was huge, the kind of swelling that made my stomach turn. What if something was wrong inside? What if her brain was hurt? But she would not hear of it. She said an ice pack and some basic pain medicine were all she required.

The two security men called for the hotel manager. He was a big man with red hair, a lot of it gone on top, and his skin was covered in freckles. I have to say, the guy handled things well. He treated the whole mess with the seriousness it deserved. Maybe it was because he knew my name, because he understood I spent a great deal of money in this place.

He immediately told his men to hold Manfredi, who was just starting to wake up and make noise. The bastard passed out again when they wrenched his arms behind his back to cuff him, likely from the agony of his destroyed elbow.

Someone produced a laptop with the security video, and we watched the whole thing play out twice before Banks and Pelino got there to make the arrest. Seeing that piece of shit yank Violet off the machine by her hair made me want to put my boot through his face. But there was no fucking need. My Princess had handled it herself. The way she drove her heel into his groin… that fucker should be pissing blood for a week.

I did not mind seeing her destroy him a third time as the two state troopers watched the footage after they arrived. Banks looked irritated that they would have to take Manfredi to the hospital before processing him. They already had a warrant for his arrest, and now he had a fresh assault charge added to the pile.

Violet gave her story again, but with the video evidence, she was spared a trip back to the police station. The hotel manager, full of apologies for his hotel’s failing security, offered us a free night in the suite we were already using, plus a dinner on the house.

I took Violet back up to the penthouse. I told her to sit down and rest, but she wanted to be outside on the balcony. I brought out a chair and pillows, making a comfortable spot for her. I filled a bag with ice, wrapped it in a cloth, and gently placed it on her head. Then I gave her a glass of sparkling water with more ice. She took the glass and looked at me with a question in her eyes.

“Why are you doing all this?”

“Doing what? Looking after you?”

She gave a slow nod, her eyes wide and full of confusion.

“Because you are a wonderful, interesting, amazing woman, and you deserve to be looked after.”

“But I can handle myself, you know.”

I smiled at her and pulled another chair close so I could sit beside her. “I saw the proof! Did you see that video? That was some seriously bad-ass work.”

Finally, a small smile touched her lips.

“Just because you can handle yourself, does not mean you have to, not all the time. I love taking care of you. And I know for a fact that Richard also gets a lot of happiness from making sure you are safe and content.” I reached for her hand, stroking her knuckles with my thumb. “It is called compersion.”

“I know that word,” she said, leaning her head back against the chair. “Finding your own happiness in someone else’s joy.”

I was not surprised she knew it, given her work. “Exactly. That is what makes this work, for me, and you, and Richard. That is why I do not feel jealous of him. Or, at least… not too much. Because when I see that Richard makes you happy, it gives me pleasure. And I do not just mean a nice feeling.” I turned her hand over and drew a line across her palm. “I think that is why Richard and I have always wanted a relationship like this. It adds something incredible.”

I brought her palm to my mouth and pressed a kiss into its center. “You have added something more than incredible,” I said, curling her fingers closed around that kiss. I wanted to tell her she was the one, the piece we were missing, the perfect center of everything we could ever need. “I love you, Violet. Richard loves you. I know you have been through hell, but we are here for you. Let us hold you up. Let us help you through all of this.”

Her eyes grew bright, and she blinked several times. I bent forward and kissed her temple, being so careful not to bump her head.

Just then, Richard burst through the front door. I called out to tell him we were outside. He came straight to the balcony and dropped to his knees in front of her, laying his head in her lap. Her hand hovered for only a moment before her fingers sank into his short, blond hair.

When he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes were raw. “Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze moving over every part of her face.

She gave him a soft smile. “I am fine,” she said, her voice low. “Just a bump on the head and a headache.”

“I am so sorry.” He rose up on his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in a tight, clumsy hug. “Is there anything we can do for you? Anything you need?”

She rubbed at her eyes, as if she could push the tears back in, but they escaped anyway, tracing lines down her cheeks. “I am fine,” she said, but her voice was choked. “I just… I am ready for all of this to be finished.”

She pulled her hand back and turned to look at me. She smiled, but it was unsteady and fragile. “I am so thankful… that I am not alone.”

I wanted to promise her it would all be over soon, but that would probably be a lie. This would likely drag on for months, maybe even years in the courts, especially once Quantum Pharmaceuticals was pulled into the light.

Richard got to his feet and leaned against the balcony railing. “I just got off the phone with Nash. And with Bentley. They picked up my dad a little while ago. Bentley thinks the District Attorney will offer him a deal, a shorter sentence, if he agrees to testify against Quantum.”

I did not know how to feel about that. He was my father. He was also a criminal. I could not make the two ideas fit together in my mind. As his son, I wanted things to be easier for him. As a man who saw what he did to Violet, I wanted him to feel real pain. I pushed the war inside me away. “You know what, it is not our choice to make. Let a judge figure it out.”