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He nods, leaning forward to press a kiss to my belly before sitting forward, carefully hugging me to his chest. His breath whispers against my ear, “We’rehaving girls.”
“I love you.” I blink, the words quiet. “I love you, Remy.” Louder this time, his jaw works, as he leans in to press a kiss to my lips.
“Ti amo più della vita stessa.” I love you more than life itself.
For the first time in a month,I let myself cry.
I’d been so determined to stay strong in that house with Gavino, been living each day in a fog, that I never let myself feel the emotions of each day. I clung to Remy as I cried a mixture of happy and sad tears. His lips pressed to my hair, to my forehead, his hands wiping away the tears that dripped from my chin and stained his shirt with wet dots. I breathed in his vanilla and bergamot scent and justlet go.
Sweet nothings and reassurances were whispered against my skin until I cried my last tear, my breath coming in soft shudders as I calmed. Remy’s eyes flickered over my face, the deep circles under them showing just how tired he was. Carefully scooting over, I gripped his shirt in my hand, wordlessly asking him to lay down. He obliged my silent command, snuggling up next to as carefully as he could, burying his nose in my neck and settling his heavy palm on my stomach.
Just as I feel the vestibules of sleep gripping me, I speak up, “Swear it.” I swallow, throat scratching past the lump threatening to suffocate me. “Swear, you’ll make him pay for this.”
His answer rumbles against me, the promise in his words seeping into my pores. “On my dying breath,coure mio, I swear it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
GAVINO
My heart is racing watching her sleep.
I waited with bated breath to hear the news. I almost didn’t believe it when they told me that she lived, that Beverly hadn’t died in my driveway when I’d run off like a coward. Swallowing hard, I shift closer to the bed, my eyes flickering over her. I hadn’t meant to leave her, but after I heard Remy’s voice on the line, I panicked. I knew he would have killed me on sight if he had found me there.
So I did what I had to do to save myself.
Even now, my skin is pebbling with gooseflesh, my senses running off of adrenaline as I creep closer to her bed. Remy left twenty minutes ago to speak with our father, and I took the opportunity to give the guards false information about my whereabouts so that I could sneak into the doctor’s house. I have one last chance to make Beverly mine and I’m not losing it.
Not again.
My fingers run along the edge of Beverly’s arm, her body starting to stir from sleep. They must have had her IV removed earlier because it’s gone now. The only evidence of it is the bandage taped over her forearm. The late setting sun shines on her face through the window, her freckles glowing and beautiful under the light. I crouch next to the bed, my fingers rising to brush the hair from her face.
“Beverly.”
Her eyes shoot open at my voice, her body recoiling. The reactionhurts.My hand slaps out to cover her mouth, my voice low, “shshshsh it’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you.”
She fights below me, her movements hindered by her chest wound. Her nails scratch at my arms, the heart monitor still attached to her beeping wildly. Eyeing the door, I reach out with one hand and rip the cords off and shove the monitor so it unplugs from the wall.
Beverly manages to jerk away for a moment, a strangled, “Help!” screaming past her lips before I cover it back up.
“Stop it!” I hiss, barely managing to grab the duct tape from my jacket pocket. Struggling, I tear a piece and slap it over her mouth. Breath whooshes from my lungs as she lands a solid punch to my chest, but I fight through it, grabbing her arms and wrapping the duct tape around her wrists. She screams against the tape, her legs kicking out at me, but I dodge them.
I know that my men should be nearly done swarming the building by now and the bindings aren’t necessary, but I don’t want to hear the vile things I’m sure she has to say. I stand back from her, watching her heave on the bed.
“You know I didn’t shoot you, right?” I ask exasperated, my heart aching at the venom in her glare. “I never would have done that to you.”
I step forward, stopping just out of reach of her kicking leg. My hand falls to my chest. “I love you, Beverly.”
She screams beneath her bindings and anger settles in my gut.
“You’ve always been ungrateful of my love.” My hand reaches for her arm but she wiggles, fighting me. Anger simmers below my skin at her rejection and my hand slaps out, smacking her face so hard her head whips sideways. Her movements momentarily still, her cheek bright red and my palm stinging.
“Stop this.” I swallow. “I won’t let you get away again, Beverly.”
Her face turns to meet my gaze, the light shining in her hazel eyes from the window making them look a brilliant green.
“We’re getting married.”
BEVERLY
