89 - See You Soon

**Aurora POV**

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

What is that incessant annoying sound? Can't a girl get some sleep? I squeeze my eyes tighter when I realize there is a soft glow of light trying to penetrate my eyeballs.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

Ugh! I try to move my hand to turn off the blaring alarm only to realize how heavy my limb feels. My head feels heavy, and a tapping pain is starting to register in my temples.

I try to move my body, but it also feels so heavy. Soreness like I just ran a marathon.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

I slowly start peeking my eyes open. It takes me a few minutes to fully open them. I could feel the crust around the edges of my eyelids. I am not in my bed at home. The
ceiling is white, the walls are white and there is a sterile smell.

*Beep Beep Beep*

I look to my left and see some machines. One machine showing my heartbeat - *Beep...Beep...Beep*. I notice a few more machines with tubes and wires coming down and follow them to my body. My arms are bandaged in thick white sheets.

My mind is still foggy as I slowly register I am in a hospital bed. The light thankfully is not harsh on my eyes as just a lamp was turned on in the corner, and the window across the room had the curtains drawn closed.

I look to my right, and I swear my heart would have stopped if that machine wasn't telling me it was beating.

Laying down on a cot, his head, and his face smushed in a pillow, and soft snores of a slumber whistling out of his slightly gaping mouth is Ben!

The latest events flooding my mind. He was shot. I thought he was dead. I was taken. I was isolated for weeks. I was tortured. Dimitry. My father! The dead bodies. The roof. I fought back.

I couldn't help the tears flowing freely from my face and ugly sobs started to leave my lips. Ben stirred and immediately registered the noise. One startled look at me and he jumped up quickly and came over to take my bandaged hand. His free hand caressed my cheek, trying to subtly wipe away the never-ending flow of tears. His touch was sweet and gentle but my cheek felt tender as I winced in discomfort.

"Hey. Shhhh. It's okay sweetie. You're safe. You're safe." He kept whispering. A small smile on his lips. He kept repeating sweet nothings, stroking my cheek trying to keep the tears from staining my face, and kissing my hand he was tightly holding until I calmed down a bit.

"That's my good girl" he teased when I stopped blubbering.

I just stared at his Greek god-like face. "You're alive!" I whispered, another round of tears gracing my cheeks. "You're alive." I couldn't believe it. My heart was so happy in this moment. He squeezed my hand and I squeezed back.

"Yes baby, it will take a lot more than a few bullets to take me down," he gave me his signature smirk and I couldn't stop the big smile on my face, ignoring the tingling pain in my cheeks. "I told you we would find you," he said softly. I only nodded, snuggling my face closer into his big, calloused hand.

"How is Jason? Charlie? Kai? I saw them get shot. And Dimitry? Is he..." I could finish the sentence.

At that exact moment, the door creaked open.

Ben's smirk widened when he looked at the door and said, "To answer your first questions, why don't you see for yourself?" He nodded towards the door and there stood three magnificent tall drinks of sweet nectar juice. Jason, Charlie, and Kai were all staring at me, hope shining in their eyes, those million-dollar smiles on their faces.

We all took a breath and then they rushed over to me, each one of them kissing my face, my hands, touching my shoulders, my face, and my legs gently but they never took their hands off of me, like I would float away if they didn't have physical touch. I notice Charlie has a sleek black cane he is leaning on.

"You're awake!" Jason kissed my lips softly. Water was brimming his eyes.

Then his face turned hard, dominant. That familiar warm feeling in my lower tummy returned instantly. Stop it Aurora, I internally scolded myself.

"You are never going to put yourself in danger again, you hear me?" he said sternly.

I nod at him sheepishly. Slight fear embedded itself in my soul.

"Words baby girl!" He demands.

I swallow and look into his eyes. "Okay…” I whispered. He raised his eyebrows at me with a knowing look. I lowered my head and said, “Yes, Master.” I hear a satisfied “good girl” and look up. I see a mischievous look in his eye.

"Umm.." I bravely say. "Thank you.. all of you, for, um, coming to rescue me," I whisper, looking down again in embarrassment and heat flushing my skin, which I am sure is making me look like a strawberry.

Jason leans over and kisses my forehead. "It was worth it. We will do anything for you; we will gladly burn the world down to have you safe in our arms. Happy Birthday, by the way." He said simply.

We spent the next few hours filling each other in on what happened and Ben snuck some peanut butter cups and vanilla ice cream from the kitchen that we all devoured to “celebrate.”

I was in a coma for about two weeks. My injuries along with malnutrition, dehydration, and blood loss put much strain on my body. The first week was medically induced. I had to have surgery to repair the stab wounds I received and was on two rounds of antibiotics and a blood transfusion for safety measures.

Charlie had a bullet graze his femoral artery, but the bullet shattered causing shrapnel to slice many of his muscles and nerves. He will have a cane and a little limp for a long time. He still looks badass though.

Kai got a shot in the shoulder, but it wasn't anything permanently damaging. He ditched his sling last week but is not allowed to go back to training, which makes him a sour skittle.

Ben had made a full recovery from his attack. Luckily the bullets to his back didn’t hit his spine but was on bed rest for several weeks. Jason walked away with a few bruised ribs and all had minor cuts and scrapes. Draco and Connor, their seconds, got a few flesh wounds.

We had no casualties on our side. Twelve men had some more serious injuries such as some bullet wounds but mostly just bruises and cuts. They killed over two hundred men and captured another fifty.

When I asked about Dimitry they were more hesitant to talk about it. I remembered him raising his gun, but the shot heard was one from a drone controlled by Ben. He shot his hand before the gun could go off and then fell into the fiery burning rubble stories below.

I had blacked out from exhaustion. I hit my head on the pavement right before Jason could catch me in his arms. They used the helicopter to get me and some of the injured men back to the closest city for immediate medical attention.

When I was stable enough, they brought me back to the house. I'm in the medical ward. At least one of them has been with me the whole time, never leaving me alone for even a moment. Grammy was even here and visited often. She had been living in the house the last month to help take care of everyone. I was looking forward to seeing that spicy firecracker of a woman again.

The women and children at the compound were freed and over the last two weeks, the guys have been working tirelessly to locate their families and get them home safely. Those who didn't have families or didn't want to return home were given stable employment opportunities and housing accommodations.

A further sweep of the Marco Compound gave them vital intel into Dimitry's operations, both legal and illegal and recovered millions of dollars of stolen goods among other things.

The doctors came in and did their checks. I was feeling sleepy from the medications and eventually drifted off into a sweet slumber knowing I was safe.

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**Jason POV**

We watched as Aurora slowly drifted off into sleep. She was going to make a full recovery and the guys and I were just over the moon jubilant that she was finally awake and going to be okay. We sat there content for a while watching her sleep soundly.

A small knock on her hospital door took our attention. I headed to the door and opened it to find Draco and Connor. I stepped outside the door and closed it softly. They had a look of concern on their face.

“What is it?” I demand.

They didn’t say anything. Instead, they handed me a single black and red rose that had a white ribbon bow around it. A card was attached to it and had Aurora’s name inscribed in calligraphy on the front. The card read “*Wishing you a speedy recovery. I’m coming back for you Princess. See you soon. – DM*.”

Are you fucking kidding me?