Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
His skin looks tight in places, shiny where it’s healed badly, and when my gaze moves higher, my stomach drops even more.
Burn scars stretch over his forearm, cutting through his Godfather tattoo. The ink is still there, but parts of it are warped beneath the damaged skin.
My eyes dart to his other arm, where I see more scars and burns.
A distressed sound escapes my lips as my eyes fly to his face. “What happened to you?!”
Enzo shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
When he moves to get up from the chair he’s sitting on, I snap, “Don’t tell me it’s nothing! What happened?”
A smile spreads over his face, throwing me for a loop, then he says, “Fuck, I missed hearing you take that tone with me.”
“Enzo,” I groan, brushing my palm over his forearm. “Tell me.”
The smile fades as he looks into my eyes. “When I got to the fortress, it was just a pile of burning rubble. I thought you were buried alive, so I dug.”
My lips part as my face goes slack from shock. “You dug through fire? For me?” Once again, I take in his arms. My God. My voice is nothing but a croak as I say, “The pain you must’ve felt from the burns.”
My heart breaks knowing Enzo was hurt because of me.
“No, Rosie.” He grips hold of my chin with his other hand and moves to sit by me on the bed. “Don’t do that. I would’ve removed every fucking block of concrete with my bare hands if I could. I’d burn the skin from my body for you. Don’t blame yourself.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “Besides, I think it looks badass.”
I trace a pink line with my fingertip, then ask, “Does it still hurt?”
“No.” Enzo leans closer, and when he presses a kiss right beside my mouth, a breath catches in my throat and my heart skips a beat or two before scampering off at a wild pace. His tone is deep and filled with something I’ve never heard before. “Everything is better now that I have you back.”
Don’t read anything into Enzo showing you affection. He’s just relieved you’re not dead.
When he pulls back, I can’t make eye contact. It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with the butterflies he gives me, and I’m not at full capacity to keep my heart on a leash.
I glance down and notice I’m wearing Mom’s clothes, the soft pink sweater I always tried to sneak out of her closet and comfy yoga pants.
My eyes widen, and panic shoots through me as I almost shriek, “Who changed my clothes?”
If it was Enzo, I’m screwed if he saw the tattoo.
“Your mom,” he replies, and the relief hits instantly.
Thank God.
“Where are my parents?”
“They went to eat something. They should be back soon.”
Throwing the white covers back, I get out of bed, and it has Enzo asking, “Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom so I can shower. I feel like roadkill.”
“You don’t want to wait for your mom to come back so she can help?”
I shake my head. “I’ll be quick.”
“What about the IV?” He rises to his feet, coming closer to me.
“I’ll manage.”
“Let me help you with getting the sweater off.”
Even though I appreciate it, there’s no way I’m letting Enzo help. I can’t risk him seeing the tattoo. I’ve just survived one hell and can’t face losing him as a friend. That would be the blow I won’t survive.
I quickly shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
Just then, Dr. Milazzo comes into the room, and when he sees I’m out of bed, a smile spreads over his face. “You are the best patient I’ve ever had, Miss La Rosa. I wish all the others would eat and sleep the way you do.”
My eyebrow shoots up. “I ate?”
“You were out of it for the past three days,” Enzo explains. “But you ate every bite I fed you.”
“Three days!” My left eyebrow joins the right one real fast in my hairline. “You fed me?”
“And you ate everything.” A grin tugs at his lips, and it might be my imagination or the knock I took to the head, but I can swear his voice is seductive as he says, “Like a good girl.”
Rattled, my gaze flicks between the two men, then Mom and Dad come into the room.
We move at the same time, the IV line tugging on my hand and almost making the stand topple over, but Enzo catches it quickly and brings it closer. My legs feel shaky as I slam into my parents, wrapping an arm around Mom and another around Dad.
We all talk at the same time, so happy to be reunited, and when I burst out laughing, they look at me as if I’m some miracle.
I suppose I am, seeing as I’ve basically returned from the dead.