Page 72 of Unraveled

Gian hated that.

“Hey.”

Cara let out a soft sigh. “Hmm, what?”

“Bella mia, look at me.” Gian carefully pulled the dress over Cara’s head, and then turned her to face him. Her emotionless expression only hurt him more. “I’m sorry for today, Cara.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Technically, it probably was.

He didn’t have to pull the trigger.

“The cops were in questioning me,” Cara said, running a hand through her messy curls. “They only got more annoyed when I couldn’t give them what they wanted. In case you’re worried, I didn’t say—”

“I’m not worried about that at all, mon ange,” he interrupted quickly. “I was worried about you, nothing else.”

“Still. I didn’t have much to tell either way.”

“Chris mentioned you … blanked a bit after the gunfire stopped and whatnot. Like you were frozen on the ground.”

Cara shrugged. “It could have been that day in Chicago all over again, because that was all I saw. I could hear Lea asking me to help her, not Chris. My mind is broken that way, I think.”

“Or you’ve got a touch of PTSD. An event like that is difficult to get over, Cara.”

“I just …” She trailed off, frowning.

“What, love?”

“I feel like something important happened—or I saw something important—but I can’t remember it because all I see is Chicago.”

“Whatever it was, it’ll come back, if it’s important enough. Otherwise, don’t stress on it. Certainly not tonight, anyway.”

Gian’s gaze was drawn to the bruises on the joint of her shoulder, and he had all he could do to quell the rage that suddenly boiled like hot lava inside his gut. With gentle strokes, he let his fingertips ghost over the marks. Chris’s attempt to get Cara out of the way as fast as possible had left her with a dislocated shoulder from the force of hitting the ground, and awful bruising around the joint.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Cara said.

“That’s a matter of opinion.”

It seemed he was saying that a lot tonight.

“You look pissed.”

Gian chuckled dryly. “Because it pisses me off that you have any marks. The only marks that should ever be on your body are ones I put there when I fuck you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Cara smiled, but it didn’t come off as entirely true. “You don’t have to stay tonight. I’m sure you have other—”

“I have nothing to do but sit here with you.”

And that was just what he did.

The bathtub practically overflowed with lavender-scented bubbles by the time Gian decided it was filled enough. Steam was already starting to rise in the room as he helped Cara step into the hot, soapy water. He waited for her to get settled in before he pulled a chair from the kitchen into the bathroom, set it beside the tub, and pulled his book out to read.

Out loud, of course.

She liked it.

Cara leaned over and rested her head against his thigh, and Gian sifted his fingers through her silky hair as he read along.