Page 88 of Vicious Redemption

Trying to sit up, I release a pained gasp as my side throbs. And I clamp my palm over the source of the agonized heat radiating through my body.

Leo’s awake and out of his chair in an instant, his hazel eyes troubled as he hovers protectively over me. “Lie back, Tia,” he insists, his strong arms relieving me of my weight as he eases me back onto the pillows.

He reaches down to press a button, and the hospital bed releases a quiet hum as it shifts into an inclined position. “Better?” he asks, adjusting the pillows beneath my back with an astonishing amount of care.

“Yes, thank you,” I rasp and clear my parched throat.

“Water?” he offers, reaching for a cup and straw on my bedside table.

“Thank you,” I say again, reaching for it gratefully.

“The nurse said to take it slow at first,” he instructs before he relinquishes custody.

I groan, my eyes closing as I drag several mouthfuls through the straw, quenching the raw ache in my throat. And when that small exertion leaves me panting, I have to grasp my side once more.

Careful hands ease the cup from my grasp, and I open my eyes to find Leo’s expression stormy. He sets the cup within easy reach, then settles back onto the chair beside me to watch me closely.

“How long was I out?” I ask, trying to piece together why I’m here. A flash of the cliffside behind Leo’s property appears behind my eyes, my mind racing to fill in the blanks. But that can’t be it. So much has happened since then.

“Three days. You were rushed into surgery the first night. Dr. Ellis worked on you for hours…” Leo’s voice catches, and his head drops, his eyes finding the floor.

Tears sting the back of my eyes at his clear pain. But I still can’t recall why I was in surgery.

“What happened?” I ask softly.

Leo’s bloodshot eyes lift to find mine, and his brow buckles in concern. “You were shot…”

Like a trigger word, it all comes back in a flood of memories, and my heart stops. “Is the baby okay?” I ask before he can say more.

My hand flies to my stomach, and I panic when I don’t feel her soft kicks.

“She’s fine. You’re fine,” he assures me quickly, rising from his chair to settle me back against my pillows once again. “You both made it,” he confirms, allowing the air to fill my lungs unencumbered once again. “Doc says the bullet lodged in your pelvis but managed not to splinter the bone or cause damage to any major organs. A minor miracle—his words, not mine.”

Relief floods me in a powerful, tingling wave, and I slump heavily against my pillows.

“And my sisters?”

“All fine. They’re home, safe and sound, with your mother. A bit shaken up, if I’m being perfectly honest, but they seemed pretty good when they left last night.”

“They were here?” I don’t know why that surprises me. Maybe I assumed my mother wouldn’t want to see me after what happened…

“Yeah. They’ve come to see you every day. I send a car to pick them up. But they go home every night to sleep.”

I nod. “That’s good.” And I don’t mention the silent statement that comes with his information. My sisters might not hate me for what I did, but my mother hasn’t come to see me. She won’t forgive me for what I’ve done.

Letting my head fall back as tears blur my vision, I stare up at the sterile white ceiling and face the darker reality of what happened at the theater. “I killed my father,” I murmur, dreading the confession too much to say it louder than a whisper. My tears fall freely now, as I struggle with the conflicting emotions of guilt and mourning.

“You saved my life,” Leo corrects, his warm hands enveloping mine, and he presses a kiss to my knuckles before covering them once again. “You nearly lost your life in the effort,” he adds.

And his tender tone eases the guilt that knots my stomach.

“How could you be so stupid, Tia? So reckless?” Tortured eyes find mine as Leo scolds me softly. “My life will never be worth yours. Do you understand me?” Rising from his chair, he leans in to kiss me passionately, his lips claiming mine with a desperation that tells me just how close he came to losing me.

I feel even more awful knowing how hard it must have been to go through this alone. Just weeks after his father died in a similar situation.

No wonder Leo looks sleep-deprived.

I’d wager he’s refused to leave the hospital at all, knowing how conniving his enemies can be. And while it breaks my heart to see him in such a worn-down state, it fills me with a sense of warmth and safety to know he wouldn’t entrust anyone but himself with my well-being.

---