Chapter 46
The next few days were some of the worst in my life, watching as my unbreakable warrior lay weak and helpless. My whole body ached for him, and I stayed by his side religiously every minute of every day. I daren’t take a step away in case he needed me, I had to be there. I gave him medical attention, the best I could manage with my limited expertise. However every once in a while a sob would catch in my throat as I looked at his bruised and battered body and realised how close I’d come to losing him forever. That thought crippled me before I batted it away and focused on all the positives. He was alive and back in my arms.
It took a few days for the fluids and other medication to take effect and make Luca slightly more lucid, but once he’d been seen by a few ‘private’ doctors at home he began his road to recovery. He had broken ribs, cuts and injuries that would heal over time, and I took pride in taking care of him and nursing him back to health. I wasn’t sure if the mental scares would linger though but I needn’t have worried. My man was made of strong stuff after the childhood traumas he had experienced.
Freddie, Marco and the others set Luca up with his own private hospital bed in his home with access to whatever we needed. I still wasn’t happy that he hadn’t been into hospital to be properly assessed but this did come a pretty close second.
About a week or so after the nightmare night Luca was sat up in bed wincing as he tried to get comfortable against the pillows with his cracked and broken ribs causing him pain each time he moved.
“Angel,” he wriggled to the side a little to face me trying to hide the pained look on his face, “I love that you came for me but…promise me you’ll never put yourself in a position like that ever again.”
His glare told me he was deadly serious but he wasn’t winning this one.
“Well let me think.” I rolled my eyes with sarcasm, “Errr that’ll be a no.”
He huffed and went to speak but I beat him to it.
“Don’t tell me what to do Luca. You’ll always come through for me and I’ll always do what I have to do for you. It’s who we are. It’s what we do. You can’t change us.” I folded my arms over my chest.
“I know and you’re right angel, I just hate to think of you in danger.”
I knew where he was coming from but I wasn’t about to make any promises that I couldn’t keep. I told him as much and he nodded in agreement.
“We’re a right pair aren’t we.” He laughed then groaned as the chuckle turned to a stab of pain for him and he clutched his side. I stood up to plump his pillows and give him more stability and comfort.
“You can say that again. I’m hoping we get a few weeks off from all the drama, I’m not sure I can take much more of our brand of ‘excitement’!” I joked.
I did feel immense relief that the whole trafficking ring was over though and nothing else was lurking in the wings to come and destroy us linked to that. It was well and truly done, over, finished.
“Nothing exciting about what we’ve been through these last few months.” Luca looked down as he said this, guilt playing over his face.
“Hey…” I linked my fingers through his holding his hand and squeezing so he’d look back at me. “I have plenty of memories that are exciting don’t you worry about that.” I leant over him and gave him a delicate kiss, brushing my lips softly over his then slowly lifting my hand up to stroke his face and run my finger nails down his weeks old scruff to come to rest on his solid chest.
“Are we keeping the beard?” he asked me as I moved back to look him in the eyes. He ran his hand over his chin thoughtfully.
“Hmmm I kinda like you with a bit of stubble,” I tugged his beard down smirking, “but not this much. I’ll get someone in to tidy it up for you…and me.” I winked.
“You’re the one who’s got to live with it. Whatever you want angel.”
He gave me a warm smile and my heart just burst with sparks of love for what we’d finally found together, in each other. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, every one of my dreams was coming true. After so many years of hoping and waiting, wanting and ultimately left hurting; it was all falling into place for us. All the moons and stars were fully aligned in our favour.
“You’ll make a fantastic doctor Chloe. You know I’ll support you one hundred percent through your studies.”
“I know you will, but I won’t be going back to my studies just yet and I’ve been thinking that maybe I could help out more, help you with whatever you need me to do. We’re a team. I want to pull my weight.”
Luca shook his head but I wasn’t about to fall into some role of the little woman at home.
“I mean it Luca. It’s us against the world now so you need to let me do my part.”
He was the one rolling his eyes this time.
“Fine. When I’m back at it I’ll bring you in, but you’re not doing anything in the club during opening hours. I’m not having every low life in the city ogling what’s mine.”
“You’re such a cave man.” I chided.
He didn’t disagree, and he didn’t apologise either, but then if the shoe was on the other foot I’d go into full on cave woman mode myself. We were two peas in a pod and we fiercely defended and protected what was ours; we were a formidable force.
Three months later…