He had the audacity to look hurt, as if that was a blow he never expected to receive, like Annabella would still protect him even though he’d fucking shot her. Pain was etched into his expression, and he even looked weak once he heard the truth. “It was an accident. I’d rather kill myself then let anything happen to her. She knows that.”
“But you tried to kill me. And in case it wasn’t obvious, she jumped in front of the bullet to save my life, not yours. She loves me, will do anything for me, and I’m the man in her life now. Not you.”
I didn’t mention what happened with Liam to Annabella. When we got home, I would tell her, but I didn’t want her to get upset while still in a hospital bed.
Now she was asleep, taking her midmorning nap after her dose of painkillers. It was too bright in the room for me to sleep, so I continued to stare at her, to keep an eye on her even though she would be alright.
A nurse walked inside, a blonde I’d never seen before. “She must be excited to go home.”
“Yeah.” I was even more excited. “She’s been here long enough.”
She checked all the vitals and made notes in her computer before she walked around to my side of the bed. Nurses never came to this side because all of their equipment was placed on the other side, so it was odd.
I grew suspicious.
She walked behind my chair and grabbed the curtains. “It’s awfully bright in here.”
“Yeah.” Now that I understood her intentions, I relaxed. “But she likes the…”
I suddenly felt a needle slide into my neck and the liquid pump into my flesh. My instinct was to turn around and fight, but I was quickly overcome by whatever was just injected into my body. It was either a sedative or poison, and the world started to spin until my body slumped in the chair. I saw the nurse cross my vision and approach Annabella, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was a powerful dose, more potent than normal because I usually was immune to those kinds of drugs. I wanted to scream, but I was already falling into slumber. My thoughts were incoherent, but I managed to deduce one thing before I went under.
Liam did this.
Sixteen
Annabella
When I woke up, I noticed my surroundings. The large windows weren’t to my left like they’d been last time I was awake. Sunshine didn’t stretch across the room. Now the curtains were closed, and I was in deep shadow. There was no medical equipment near my bed, no blood pressure cuff on my arm. I wasn’t in the hospital at all.
I was in a bedroom I’d never seen before.
Had Damien taken me home? If he had, why wasn’t I in his bedroom? Why was I moved when I was unconscious in the first place?
Why was there this fear in the pit of my stomach?
I looked around and saw the drapes covering the windows. The bed I slept on had a gold comforter. There was a vase of flowers on the nightstand and a few paintings on the walls.
Where was I?
Had Damien taken me to a new location so Liam couldn’t find me?
I got out of bed and opened the curtains. Sunlight splashed into the bedroom, and the view of the Tuscan hillside was gorgeous. Vineyards were visible in the distance, the grape leaves crisp and bright as they were blanketed in sunlight. It was a beautiful summer day, and for a second, I forgot everything that had happened to me.
Then the view started to look familiar…as if I’d been there before.
I turned around and left the bedroom. I was in a shirt and sweatpants, clothing I didn’t recognize. Someone must’ve put it on me because I’d been in a gown for days. Once I entered the hallway, I stilled.
I knew this place.
I kept walking until I reached the end of the hallway. The narrow staircase was there, leading to the first floor. It’d been so many years since I’d been there that it took a while for me to notice the details. It was a small cottage in the Tuscan hillside, hidden well from the road because of the hills around it.
My heart started to slam in my chest. My mind understood I was in immediate danger. Instead of waking up in my home, I quickly realized I had been kidnapped.
By my ex-husband.
I was so weak from my injuries that I couldn’t fight back. Even at full health, I was no match for a monster like him. There was a lamp on the nearby table, so I grabbed the cord and tugged it from the wall before I picked it up. Now I was prepared to kill this man for what he’d done to me. He took me out of the hospital bed and hid me away where no one would find me.