I stare up at the man I love. “I fought for you.”
His gaze dances over my face, then he presses another tender kiss to my mouth. He shakes his head and starts to look emotional. “I wouldn’t have survived losing you. Thank you for staying alive.” He kisses me again, then says, “You don’t have to fight anymore. I’ll take care of everything. Just rest and get better.”
I hear the door open, and Luca kisses me again before he rises to his feet.
The moment I see Dad, a sob sputters from me.
The intense pain throbbing in my body reflects in my father’s eyes as he leans over me. He presses a kiss to my forehead, then holds still.
I try to take a deep breath of his comforting scent.
Dad sits down on the side of the bed, picks up my left hand, and holds it in both of his.
I’ve never seen my father this emotional before, and it only makes me cry harder.
He stands up again, then leans closer and locks eyes with me. “Daddy’s here, baby-girl.”
“Hold me,” I sputter, trying to reach for him.
Dad carefully pushes his arms beneath my back, and gently lifts me to his chest. The moment I get to bury my face against his shoulder, I allow myself to break down.
“I love you, printsessa.” He peppers my hair with kisses. “I’m so fucking sorry you got hurt.”
I nod against his shoulder, then whimper, “I was so scared.”
“Christ, baby-girl,” he groans. “I wish I could trade places with you.”
Dad holds me until the wave of emotions passes, and I manage to calm down. He gently lays me back against the pillows and wipes the wetness from my cheeks.
Then Mom comes in, and the wave of trauma hits all over again.
From pure exhaustion, I drift off into a dreamless sleep.
When I wake up again, Luca’s on a call, murmuring, “Let me know the minute you have eyes on Kastrati or Tinaj.” He listens to something, then glances in my direction. Seeing I’m awake, he says, “Hold on. Mariya just woke up.”
Luca comes to press the phone to my ear. “It’s Viktor.”
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey, little sister. How are you feeling?” Viktor practically coos over the line, which makes me smile.
“Like road kill. They did a number on me.”
“Don’t worry. The fuckers you killed are worse off,” he mutters. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
I let out a chuckle, but the sudden movement hurts like a bitch. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
“Sorry. I’m just tracking the bastards behind the attack, then I’ll come to visit. Want me to bring anything?”
“No.”
“Love you, little one,” he murmurs.
“Love you too.”
Luca tucks the phone away, then gives me a quick kiss. He sits down in the chair next to the bed and smiles at me. “You look a little better.”
“I don’t feel it,” I mutter. Lifting my right arm, I look at the thick bandage around my hand and wrist.
I swear I can still hear the drill.
“Just keep resting. You’ll be back on your feet soon enough,” Luca tries to encourage me.
“What did the doctors say?” I ask as I rest my hand back on the covers. “How bad is the damage?”
Luca leans closer and brushes his fingers over my forehead. “You have a shattered femur from the gunshot, but with a little rehabilitation, you’ll be good as new.” He tries to give me a comforting smile. “The broken ribs should heal in a month or so. Just take it easy and let me cater to your every need.”
I almost chuckle but catch myself in time. “I like the sound of that.”
His eyes caress my face, then he admits, “I’ve never been so terrified in my life.”
“Me too.” Terrified is actually an understatement. I don't think there’s a word for what I felt. There were a couple of times I really believed I was going to die.
Luca kisses the back of my left hand, then takes something out of his pocket. I watch as he slips the diamond ring back onto my finger. His thumb brushes over it, then he kisses my hand again.
He rises from the chair, my eyes following his every movement.
I’m so thankful I didn’t die, and I got another chance with this man.
Luca sits on the side of the bed and braces a hand next to my head, so his face is closer to mine, then he says, “I always thought I’d have all the time in the world.” He shakes his head. “Turns out I was wrong. We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.”
That’s something I realized as well. This attack was one hell of a wake-up call.
Luca’s eyes turn so freaking serious it makes my heartbeat speed up. He stares at me for a moment. Anticipation fills my chest because it feels like he’s about to tell me something really important.