He shakes his head sternly. “Goodbyes are permanent. Until we meet again.”
“Until we meet again,” I echo softly. He gives me a warm smile and leaves The Donati Famiglia home unscathed and as a new business partner.
And I’m left with only Constantine and Carina. I await my fate. Whatever it is, I'll accept it. Rico’s safe. He’s alive. I can die peacefully knowing that.
“You still betrayed our trust,” Carina says. “How will we know you won’t do it again?”
“I’ll make an oath before you that I will not betray you.”
“An oath bound in blood?” Constantine asks me.
“An oath bound in blood that if I am to betray The Donati Famiglia again I will die by my husband’s hands. I swear it.”
Constantine pulls a knife from his inner pocket and gives it to me. Biting down on my bottom lip I slice my palm. I then form my hand in a fist and squeeze out the blood.
“You have now sworn a blood oath to The Donati Famiglia,” Constantine announces solemnly.
“Let’s give her some time alone with Rico. She must be jet lagged from the flight.”
I smile gratefully at Carina. Constantine agrees with a nod of his head. But before they leave he turns and says, “Thank you for saving him.”
“Always,” I promise.
I feel like I can breathe again when it’s finally just Rico and me.
Grabbing tissue from the box on the nightstand I stuff it against my hand to stop the blood flow. I didn’t cut deep, just enough to prove I meant my oath.
Uncaring of protocol I scoot on the bed next to him. I clasp his hand in mine and bend down to press a kiss against his lips.
A tear slides down my cheek and lands on his.
Gently I swipe it away and press another kiss to his bruised cheek.
Just wanting to be near him even if we can’t hold one another I slide down and lay on my side.
The toll of everything weighs down heavily on me. My body is beyond the point of exhaustion. I’m struggling to even keep awake. But there is this irrational fear that when I do close my eyes I’ll wake to him not here.
And so I fight the wave of tiredness that wants to pull me in under.
“I love you, shadow.”
I long to hear him say it back. For him to say anything to me. But the pain medications the doctor administered will conk him out for quite some time.
I close my eyes and begin to drift. And I dream of him.
CHAPTER 47
Rico
My muscles are taunt and stiff as I try to move. The pain reverberates up and down my whole body. My mouth pries open in a silent agonizing scream.
A nauseating churning persists in my stomach until bile burns at the back of my throat threatening to come out.
Something tugs at my hand and through heavy lidded eyes I see an IV hooked to me.
The antiseptic smell of a hospital doesn’t fill my nostrils, but the scent of lilies does.
Imogen.
