Chapter 9 - The Aftermath
I woke up to the rhythmic, comforting sound of a heart monitor beeping in a pristine, brightly lit room.
The overwhelming smell of antiseptic and expensive flowers told me I was safely inside a high-end medical facility.
I slowly opened my heavy eyes, wincing as a sharp ache radiated from the thick bandages wrapped securely around my torso.
Luca was sitting in a chair beside the bed, his head resting in his hands, looking completely exhausted and shattered.
He was wearing a fresh suit, but his dark hair was a mess and heavy shadows hung beneath his bloodshot eyes.
“You are awake,” he breathed out, immediately leaning forward and taking my small hand gently in both of his.
“Is Leo safe?” I whispered, my throat feeling like it was lined with broken glass.
“Leo is perfectly safe and sleeping upstairs in the heavily guarded nursery,” Luca assured me with a soft, emotional smile.
He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss against my pale knuckles.
“The bullet went straight through your side, missing your vital organs by an absolute miracle,” he explained softly.
I squeezed his hand, feeling an overwhelming wave of relief wash over my tired, broken body.
“You saved my life, Avery,” Luca confessed, staring at me with a profound reverence that made my heart race.
“I couldn't just let him shoot you,” I admitted, blinking away the tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.
Luca leaned over the hospital bed, pressing his forehead against mine in a gesture of pure, unguarded intimacy.
“I am completely terrifyingly in love with you,” he whispered, declaring his feelings with the fierce loyalty of a mob king.
I smiled, realizing that despite all the chaos and bloodshed, I felt exactly the same way about him.
“Then you better stay alive to prove it to me,” I replied, my voice gaining a small measure of strength.
Luca kissed me deeply, pouring all of his protective fury and immense gratitude into the lingering embrace.
He finally pulled away, his expression hardening back into the ruthless leader of a powerful crime syndicate.
“I have to go finish the Romano family tonight, and I might not come back until dawn,” he said seriously.
He kissed my forehead one last time, turned around, and walked purposefully out of the secure hospital room.
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A few minutes later, the door clicked open again, and a nurse wearing a surgical mask walked quietly toward my bed.
She locked the heavy door behind her, pulled a large syringe from her pocket, and smiled at me with dead, terrifying eyes.
