Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
He actually listened to her.
He protested about dinner and, while I was showering, spoke to Aldo. Just after Aldo and Vi left, another man appeared, young and eager.
“I brought your food, Mr. Costas,” he said and set up the bedside tray. “What else can I do?”
“Did you bring the other items?”
“They’re in the car.”
“Get them,” he ordered, then met my eyes. “Ah, please, Connor,” he added.
“Sure.”
Connor reappeared with two larger bags and set them on the floor by my chair. He left after making sure Roman didn’t want anything else.
I tried not to laugh when I saw the pillows and soft blankets Roman had made him deliver.
I opened the food, inhaling the delicious scent, suddenly famished. I twirled some pasta, shoving it into my mouth, almost groaning at the taste. Roman chuckled.
“Eat, Effie. It does my heart good to see you eat.”
I perched on the edge of his bed, alternating feeding him and them myself. The pasta was perfection, the chicken piccata melting in my mouth. We didn’t speak, but our eyes met several times, and the tenderness in Roman’s gaze was as thrilling as it was new.
After I put the dishes back in the insulated bag and wiped his face and my hands, I curled back up in the chair, watching him drift into sleep. Dr. Sims said he would need time to recover from the blood loss and surgery. The bullet had done some damage that had to be repaired, and Roman was going to have to be patient.
But I was looking forward to going home. I was tired and I hated hospitals, even though this was the nicest hospital room I had ever seen. It was quiet as well, and the men outside kept us safe, although I knew we were far safer now than we had been before the events at the cemetery.
I kept seeing Marianne’s face. Hearing her voice. The way she talked about hating me. How often she’d tried to get rid of me. The pure pleasure on her face as she shot at me.
My arm and head ached, although I was certain Roman was in more pain than I was. He was concerned about me, though, watching me all the time. Wondering what was going through my mind.
I looked over to see his eyes open, a frown on his face. I stood. “Are you in pain, my love?” I asked. “Should I get the nurse?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Don’t be brave, Roman. Please.”
He touched my cheek. “It’s only been a few hours since my last pain pills. I’m still fine. Except you are too far away in that chair.”
“I can’t get it any closer.”
He shifted, lifting his good arm. “Our injuries are on opposite sides, so you can fit here.”
“I don’t think they’ll like that.”
“They’ll like the new wing I’ll add to the hospital to shut them up.”
I didn’t argue. I didn’t want to. I carefully climbed up beside him, fitting into his side. He was careful to slide his arm around me, and I rested my injured one on top of his. He sighed. “So much better.”
“Yes,” I hummed in agreement.
He pressed a soft kiss to my head. “I never want to be without you again, Effie.”
“Me either.”
“When we go home, we’re going to talk and make plans. Together.”
I nestled a little closer to him. “I like the sound of that.”
“I’m going to make some changes. More than I planned before.” He drew in a long breath, letting it out slowly. “I never want you in danger again.”
“She’s gone. Aldo said—”
He held me tighter. “She is,” he assured me. “He made sure her body was buried. She will never harm you again.”
I told him what she had said to me. How she admitted she’d tried to injure me when I was younger. He was quiet until I finished.
“I wondered when you told me about some of your incidents,” he admitted.
“She tried to hurt me, then saved me for the attention it got her. I recall people making a fuss over her for being such a great sister. No one paid extra attention to me since I wasn’t hurt. She was the star. I never saw it.”
“No one did. Someone watched over you all those years,” he muttered. “How she didn’t kill you… Jesus, how no one saw…” He became quiet. “She was a danger to you for your entire life.”
“Not anymore.”
“No one will ever harm you, Effie. I will not allow it. You were meant to be mine so I could protect you. And I will always do so.”
I let his words soak into my head. Let his warmth soothe me. His determination was clear, his promise real. I was safe with him. I always would be. He would surround me. His love would surround me.
I looked up, meeting his gaze. The fierce tenderness raged in his eyes. His love was on display, and even if I only ever saw that when we were alone, it was enough.