Michael Part 2

Michael Part 2
“If you do that, I’ll kill her.” He presses the blade to my beloved’s thin neck. Hot blood rushes through my veins with the urge to crush the bastard.
“I don’t want a quick death—I want revenge.” I have his forehead in my sights but don’t shoot, afraid of hitting Hope or him hurting her with the knife.
“Kill him, Michael!” she screams, her desperation unlike anything I expected. Hope isn’t afraid to die, but she wants him to keep talking. He knows the truth about her.
“Hope is my si—” I pull the trigger, hitting a bullet right in the center of his forehead.

His head snaps back, the knife still clutched in his hand slicing down Hope’s neck and shoulder to her forearm as his body collapses to the floor. I drop the gun and run to my wife, cradling her in my arms. A roll of white bandages is handed to me; I wrap them around her neck, stopping the long wound. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep.
“That hurts,” she says, grimacing.

I press the bandage firmly against the wound, wrapping her forearm—the blood stains the white cloth, but only slightly. I breathe a sigh of relief as her green eyes lock on mine. I hold her close, feeling the warmth of her skin, listening to her breathing, smelling her, certain that my Hope is safe and alive.
“Damn it, woman, never scare me like that again,” I say, my voice low, squeezing my eyes shut to keep from crying with relief.

I made it—arrived in time, and nothing bad happened to her. I kiss her sweat-dampened hair. A small cough comes from her; I realize I’ve been holding her too tightly against my chest. Damn, I’m more desperate now that I saved her than I was before—it’s like the floodgates of emotions I’d kept controlled have finally burst.
“I’m okay, love,” she whispers. “Will you take me home?” Her eyes shine with calm.
“Yes,” I reply.

I touch her lips with mine, feeling the warmth radiate. She’s safe, alive, and secure. I am the luckiest man in the world to have her in my arms again.

We rush to the helicopter—I don’t want to wait until the clinic in the complex; the wound hasn’t stopped bleeding, and being on the neck, I fear the consequences. I order we head to the nearest hospital, fortunately in Brooklyn, with a CEO who’s one of our associates. He will ensure everything stays confidential and that Hope gets the best care.

I don’t leave her side for a second. I stay in the operating room as the doctors work quickly to close the long wound. By three centimeters, the neck artery wasn’t severed—otherwise, the results could have been catastrophic. She’s moved to a VIP room, with Daniel and Kai watching closely. I go to the bathroom to wash off blood and soot.

I wrap a towel around my waist and comb my hair in front of the mirror. I hear her calling and run out of the room. I take her hand and sit beside her on the bed; her green eyes barely stay open from the anesthesia. Pale, cracked lips, colorless cheeks. The bandage stretches from neck to shoulder and forearm.
“I’m here.” I gently touch her face.
“Pretty naked,” Kai laughs.
“He was so shocked he forgot to wear clothes,” Daniel teases.

I glare at the idiots laughing even more. A delicate sound catches my attention—my wife is quietly laughing, realizing I ran out of the bathroom when I heard her call me.
“Since you made her laugh, I’ll let you stay alive,” I say.
“Sure, sure,” Daniel mocks.
“Not that he could leave her side anyway,” Kai adds. “Our friend is completely smitten with his wife.”
“More kneeling than a priest!” Daniel jokes.

I get up, ready to punch them, but Hope’s hand holds mine, keeping me seated. I focus on her again.
“Let them be. Will you lie down with me?” she whispers.
“Always.” I kiss her hair. “You have no idea how crazy I went when I heard you were taken,” I confess, ignoring the audience. “Never disappear from my sight again, or I’ll set the world on fire to find you.”
“I promise.” Her hand glides over my back.
“You’re lucky, Hope,” Daniel says. “Michael loves you so much.”
“Have mercy on us and don’t scare him like that again, or our organization might end up in jail for causing world destruction while he searches for you,” Kai says calmly. “Take good care of this man.”
“Come on, I want a snack.” Daniel pulls him out.
“They take good care of you,” my wife says. “I like them for that.”
“We protect each other.” I lift the comforter, lying beside her.

I rest my head next to hers, stroking her skin, certain she’s really alive and next to me.
“You need to be careful with interrogations—those men were part of Samuel’s organization. He’s Benjamin’s son with the old Boston Mafia matriarch.”
“That explains why he said he wanted revenge and was obsessed with finding you. Don’t worry—I’ll handle the interrogations and make sure no one learns the truth.”
“I know. I can trust you with my eyes closed.”
“Sleep a little; you’ve been through so much today.”
“Shall we have dinner together?”
“Of course. I made you a promise, remember?”
“Yes. You’re good at keeping them.”

Her chest slows, showing she’s back to sleep. I snuggle against Hope’s body. Outside, the stars and moon illuminate the city. The clock reads 7 PM. I’ll never break the promises I made to Hope, from the simplest—like eating meals together—to the highest—keeping her family’s secrets away from the entire organization.