Page 108 of Power & Punishment

“The fact that your ego survived blunt force trauma is honestly more impressive than all of your wounds put together.”

Leo laughs. “You really know how to kick a man when he’s down. I admire that, Tesoro.”

I bite my bottom lip, not sure what to say.

“I just came down here to make sure you are okay, and now that I know you’re alive enough to be annoying, I’m going to go.”

“Fuck, you’re exhausting, Emilia,” he groans.

I tilt my head to the side and narrow my eyes. “Excuse me?”

“I know you’re mad⁠—”

“That’s an understatement,” I spit, feeling the underlying anger burst to the surface all over again. “And what am I mad about, Leo?”

“I guess we’re doing this,” he says, his tongue tracing over the cut on his bottom lip. He attempts to push himself to a seated position with his good arm, but slips, almost crashing down on the shoulder he dislocated. Ignoring the imaginary boundary I put up, I catch him at the last second.

Our eyes connect and that unforgivable jolt of electricity pushes us together.

I try to snap myself out of it and pull away, but he stops me, grabbing my wrist.

“Scream at me, hit me, threaten me. Do whatever you need to. Just don’t run away. I’ll take your anger over your silence any day.”

My breath snags, getting lost in the sincerity in his eyes. I pull my hand away and sit on the edge of the bed. “You had no right.”

My voice starts to shake, and I can feel myself losing control. “Do you understand that? None. You don’t get to fuck up the only steady thing I’ve had in my life just because you’re scared,” I say.

Leo turns his head, shifting uncomfortably. “I know I crossed a line.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” I scoff.

“What do you want me to say?” he asks. “I saw a way to keep you out of danger, and I went for it without any hesitation. I’ll never be sorry for trying to keep you safe.”

“Bullshit. You did it because men like you always think they know what’s best. You call it protection, thinking I’ll be grateful, when in reality, I’m the one stuck dealing with the fallout.”

He drags a hand down his face, his lips flattening into one solemn line.

“I know. I took that decision away from you,” Leo says.

I shift my position, the entire bed creaking under my weight. “Your fear isn’t an excuse to have ownership over me,” I say.

“I know,” he says, dropping his gaze and seemingly admitting defeat. “I know what I did was wrong. I knew it when I did it and fuck, I did it anyway because the thought of losing you makes me feel absolutely insane.”

That familiar aching returns just looking at him. He looks as wrecked as I feel.

“You can’t manipulate me like that.”

“I’m not asking you to excuse it,” he says, inching forward even though I know every movement must be excruciating. “I’m asking you not to shut me out when we’ve made so much progress.”

I look away, attempting to keep my heart and my brain from clashing together.

For the first time since I met him, Leo apologized to me, and I thought I’d feel victorious—not depleted.

“I know you can take care of yourself, Mia. You’ve proven it to me more times than I can count,” he exhales, ramping up for his next confession. “I was an idiot and let fear control my actions because ever since I met you, I don’t know how to function in a world without you. Even just a day was painful enough.”

Last night flashes through my mind. The memory of blood and bruises swirls around. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest.

I’m not sure when Leo DeLuca joined the short list of people I couldn’t stomach losing, but he was there.