"But—" He starts to argue, but I'm not having it. I know for a fact he doesn't need to expose her entire torso to do this surgery. Her shoulder area is enough.
"She stays clothed," I say again, this time more forcefully. He quickly nods and works on her shoulder. He disinfects the area before using a scalpel and cutting into her flesh.
I'm highly attentive, following his every move.
"The bullet is lodged in the scapula," he says at some point, using the tip of the scalpel to dig the bullet out. "It's made a mess of her muscle. I'll need to fix it," he continues, and he seems to expect me to step aside.
"Go ahead." Rooted to the spot, I continue to watch carefullyeverythinghe does. He works on connecting the tissue before finally closing her wound.
"I'm done with the wound, but she's lost too much blood. You need to take her to a hospital. She needs a blood transfusion."
My brows furrow in consternation.
"Can't you do it here?" I ask, looking at his medical kit.
"I don't have any blood with me."
"Use mine," I answer immediately, holding my arm out for him.
"W-what?" he sputters, his eyes bulging. "That's not how it's done! I need to know her blood type first, and you'd need a blood test—" he continues to ramble, looking at me like an idiot who doesn't understand science.
"We're both O negative. It's fine." I'd found that tidbit of information at the hospital, and now I'm glad for it since it might just save her life.
"But—" he begins, and my patience is running out. One glance at Allegra's almost lifeless body has me feral in my answer.
"I'm clean. See? No problem. Now,do it!" He must understand the unspoken threat, because he rummages through his kit, removing a tube and customizing it so it's double-sided. He quickly makes some adjustments before sticking a needle in her arm and then doing the same to me. He fumbles with the controller until I see my blood slowly leaving me, traveling down the tube and into her body.
The intimacy of the act astounds me, a primal instinct awakening inside me as I watch her accept my blood, thereby becoming one with me.
Mine.
12
ENZO
The boat moorsin the port at Gozo. The doctor gives me a list of drugs to administer to her, including antibiotics.
I’m very careful as I move her to the car that takes us to thepalazzo. The whole ride, I keep monitoring her pulse, alert to every move and sound she makes.
She willnotdie.
There are only a few hired staff at the palazzo, and they spend their time there year-round, keeping the estate clean and running.
When we reach the gates, I take Allegra in my arms and carry her to the main suite, where a master bedroom stretches over one thousand square feet. There’s a king-sized bed in the middle of the room, and I slowly lower her onto the duvet.
The doctor told me to expect fever, chills, and even delirium. I’m not exactly psyched for any of those, but I’ll make sure she’s warm and comfortable in the bed.
I force myself to leave her side for a moment, and I call in soldiers to guard the estate. Then, I gather the staff and give them their tasks. I ask one woman to go shopping for a varietyof clothes for Allegra, and then I entrust the cook with a long list of liquid foods that Allegra will be able to ingest.
When I’ve given everyone in the house something to do, I head back to the bedroom. Checking on Allegra again, I’m happy to see she’s not running a fever. Grateful for a moment of peace, I head to the shower to wash the blood off my body.
As the water clings to my skin, I can’t help but replay the events of the day.
Such a close call…
She could have died. That little idiot could have died, and for what? To save me? I almost laugh at the absurdity of the situation, even though for some reason it feels good.
I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone do that for me unconditionally. Sure, my father’s soldiers would protect me with their lives, but only because I’m the Agosti heir and, by extension, their boss. It’s nothing more than tradition and a disparity of power. They would never do the same for a stranger.
