Wait. Am I dead? Is this heaven?
I force my eyes open, just a crack. Light stabs into my brain like needles.
"Oh my God!" Vittoria gasps. "Lorenzo, she's awake! Sophia's awake!"
My vision swims, shapes and colors bleeding together. Then I see him.
An angel.
Yes, this must be heaven.
Lorenzo leans over me, his face inches from mine, and he's... smiling? His eyes shine with something that looks like tears.
I blink, trying to focus. His hand finds mine, warm and solid and real.
"Sophia." His voice breaks on my name. "Thank God. Thank fucking God."
I try to speak, but my throat rebels. Only a rasp comes out. I swallow, tasting copper, and try again.
"Lorenzo." It's barely a whisper, more breath than sound.
He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering against my skin. His other hand strokes my hair, gentle like I might shatter.
"Don't try to talk, tesoro. Your throat—" He stops.
But everything crashes back. The memories slam into me.
Daniil's hands around my throat. The knife sliding into his flesh. Marina with the gun. Marina bleeding on the floor.
Marina.
"Marina." The word tears from my damaged throat. "Where's?—"
"She's alive." Lorenzo's thumb traces circles on my hand. "She's recovering. Surgery went well. She's going to be fine."
Relief makes my eyes burn with tears I don't have the strength to shed.
A man in a white coat appears moments later, reaching for me with a stethoscope.
"Don't fucking touch her." Lorenzo's voice drops to something lethal. "Get out."
"Mr. Sartori, I need to examine?—"
"Out." The word could cut steel. "Both of you. Now."
"Lorenzo," Vittoria protests.
"She needs me. Just me. Get the fuck out."
The doctor backs away, hands raised. Vittoria hesitates, then squeezes my foot through the blanket before following him out.
The door clicks shut.
Lorenzo's shoulders shake as he brings my hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle.
"I thought I lost you." His voice is raw, stripped of all pretense. "When I found you, when I saw him with his hands on you—" He breaks off, pressing his forehead to our joined hands. "I've never been that scared. Never."
I want to tell him about Luna, about what I saw, but my throat won't cooperate. I can only watch as this dangerous man falls apart at my bedside.
