“You were shot, Maximo.Shot. I don’t care if it’s just a graze. Sit down.”
He does as he’s told, watching me through his thick, dark lashes. I go into the bathroom and find the first aid kit. Just to be on the safe side, I also call down to the front desk and urgentlyinsist on having Maximo’s doctor contacted and sent up when he arrives.
“I don’t need a doctor,” Maximo complains.
“Yes you do. Look at all this blood.” Gingerly, I peel his shirt away from the wound. It’s a smear of bloody flesh. I can’t tell how badly he’s hurt yet.
Dousing a cotton pad with antiseptic, I begin to clean the area. All the while, Maximo doesn’t flinch or make a sound. His intense stare bores into me as I work on patching him up.
Once the area’s cleaned up, I realize he’s right. There’s a long, shallow gash across his ribs where the bullet grazed him. The flesh is slightly puckered and red where it’s burned. Overall, it doesn’t appear life threatening. I’m actually surprised it bled that much.
I dab the wound with antibiotic ointment before pressing a bandage to it. Sitting back on my heels, I sigh in relief, my gaze meeting Maximo’s.
He smirks.
“What?”
“You look perfect down there on your knees, tending to me like you care.”
I open my mouth to deny that I care about him at all. But we’d both know that’s a lie. Since our honeymoon, not a day goes by that I don’t have this light, fluttery sensation in my chest. It’s almost like… I could be falling in love. With my husband.
He continues, “A month ago, you would have stood back and watched, hoping I might bleed out. That this would be it, and you’d finally be rid of me. Don’t deny it.”
I keep my lips closed, neither confirming nor denying what he says. Of course he’s right. Hell, a month ago I would have been happy to pull the trigger myself. Now… not so much.
Now I’m afraid of losing him. I swallow down the sudden emotion clogging my throat.
“W-was it them?” I ask, whispering as if they might be close enough to hear me speak.
He jerks his chin down. Once. “I believe so. Two masked men shot up my yacht right after my business lunch with Lazaro and Julius. We’ve had that appointment scheduled since before the wedding. I wanted to meet with them after the honeymoon, so I booked a catering company in advance.”
Since before the honeymoon…
His words hit me like a slap to the face. Guilt eats away at my insides, leaving me feeling sick to my stomach. Oh, no.No, no, no.
“What’s wrong?” He eyes me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I wet my suddenly dry lips. This is all my fault. Maximo could have been killed today—all because of me. I’ll never be able to forgive myself. What other information did I send Mrs. Rizzo that she plans to use against Maximo?
I’m torn between saving my own skin from the wrath of my husband, and spilling the truth so that he can better protect himself. My hesitation doesn’t last long. This is my fault and I deserve the punishment. I won’t sit back and let him get hurt.
“What is it,bella? Everything’s fine. I’m going to live.” He mistakes my guilt for worry over him. Though Iamworried about him.
“I—” My voice fails me. I swallow past the tightness lodged in my throat. “It’s all my fault.”
He cups my jaw, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes narrow. “What are you talking about?”
My vision blurs as tears burn their way free. My lips tremble when I speak. “I-I sent information about that meeting, and everything else from your day planner, to Mrs. Rizzo.”
My confession hangs heavy in the air between us. At first, I don’t think Maximo heard me because that worried frown staysplastered on his face. But then the concern in his eyes shifts to confusion, then betrayal, before settling into masked anger.
“You.” That single word holds a world of accusation.
I release a sob. “I’m so sorry. I was so angry with you and?—”
“Tell me.” His touch drops away like he’s been burned. “Tell me the deal you struck with Mrs. Rizzo.”
Snifling, I wipe away my tears with shaky hands. “She approached me. Somehow she knew I wanted to get away from you, to disappear. She was supposed to make that happen in exchange for me feeding her information about you.”
