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He leans into my hand. “I thought I lost you.”
“You didn’t.”
“He hurt you.”
I still feel himthere. My body clenches at the memory of his intrusion. I still smell him on my skin. I think about how it must have looked to Callisto when he found me, what he must have seen, and tears sting my eyes. My vision blurs, and my throat thickens. “He tried.”
“Fuck,” he hisses. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.” His eyes glisten with tears he refuses to let fall.
This man, all hard lines and sharp edges—I’ve never seen him this broken, not even when his father died. He is power and pain. Dark and light. Right now, he’s ripping himself apart, laying himself bare.For me.
I bring my other hand to his face. The all-encompassing energy between us pulses under my touch. “Hey. I’m fine. He didn’t break me.”I won’t let him.
Silence spreads. The air shifts. Something passes in his eyes, a flicker of a shadow, dark and deep. Fury? Regret? Pride? He makes it hard to tell.
He works the muscle in his jaw. “Your mom, Brynn and Ryleigh are outside. They’ve been here about an hour.”How long have I been here?“You weren’t allowed to have visitors.”
I drop my hands and smile. “I suppose the rules don’t apply to you.”
He brushes his thumb over my lips. “Myrules, angel. Always.” He moves his hand away, dragging his thumb slowly, pulling my bottom lip down as he goes. Like he doesn’t want to move but he has to.
My heart stops. “Right.”
“I’ll see if they can come in now that you’re awake.”
My eyes go wide. I panic. What am I going to tell them? They can’t know the truth.
“I told them it was an attack. Random and unpredictable,” Callisto says. Of course, he knows what I’m thinking without me ever saying a word. He always knows.
“Thank you.”
He squeezes my hand, the one without the IV attached. “There’s something I need to do. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” His lips skate over mine. They’re so soft, so warm.They’re home.But he doesn’t kiss me. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He leans his forehead against mine, inhales, then stands to leave.
“Callisto,” I say, my voice catching on the emotions rising inside me. Anguish slips under my skin, slides through my veins and spreads over my heart like a spider’s web. Tears track down my cheeks. Then, rage tears at the web, ripping it apart at the seams. I know where he’s going. I know what it is that he has to do. “Make him pay.”
He rushes back to my bed and grips my face with both hands. I need this, needhim. His lips crush mine. I open my mouth and let myself sink deeper inside his warmth, his security. I let him crash through every unwanted memory, rip away the shame and the fear. Our tongues tangle, teeth clash, lips bruise. The cord between us pulls tighter, stronger. I arch into him, whimpering from the pain but needing more of this connection.
He drags his mouth from mine, his breath harsh. “I should go.” He kisses the top of my head, then walks toward the door.
“Wait,” I call out. “One more thing.” He turns around and I smile. “I love you.”
“I love you, angel.”
A moment later, Brynn walks in. “If you weren’t getting enough attention you could’ve just said so.”
She stops when she sees the belt around my stomach. Her eyes trail a path to the fetal monitor. “Is that—”
“A fetal monitor? Yes.”
She plops down on the bed by my feet. “Holy shit. A baby Italian Stallion. I guess this means no more wine and cheese nights.”
“I’ll just stick with the cheese for a while.”
She grabs my hand. Her expression turns serious. “You scared the shit out of me.”
