Page 118 of Maddest Temptation

I drove like my life depended on it because it just might. “Open your eyes for me, Principessa,” I ordered.

She did but it was clear she was being pulled under. “It hurts.” Her voice was weak. “I feel so cold.”

“It’s going to be all right, Principessa.” I grabbed her hand and kept my thumb on her pulse, it was becoming fainter by the second. “If you die on me, I swear to God, I’ll never forgive you.”

A tear ran down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes fluttered.

“Principessa,” I warned. “If you die, I die.” Simple as that.

She closed her eyes and wouldn’t open them again.

I sat by her bedside and looked at all the flowers that I had bought over the last three days. Because when she woke up, I wanted Francesca to be surrounded by her beloved tulips.

My brother and his wife were in the waiting room, where they had made camp since I brought Francesca here. They had barely left my, or her side.

I hadn’t left either, not being able to be separated from her. Parting with Francesca was physically painful. Watching her being taken to the OR had been a test of my patience and self-control. As much as I knew these people were here to help, knowing I wasn’t there to make sure they didn’t screw up was terrifying.

“You should get something to eat,” Marie said as she walked into the room and sat by my side.

In these past three days, I have learned to appreciate her. She had been here every moment, leaving only when Vitelli forced her to.

“I need to be here if she wakes up,” I said and quickly corrected myself. “When.”

Marie placed a hand over Francesca’s forehead and looked at her friend. “Vitelli wants me to go home for a bit, I’ll be here tonight.” I nodded. “He said Luciano is here in case…”

I nodded again not knowing what else to say.

I just wanted my principessa to wake up. I’d give anything to have her with me again. Everything!

When it was only the two of us again, I did something I hadn’t done since I was a boy. I got on my knees and prayed. I promised God that if she woke up, I would make Francesca mine forever and would never give her reason to doubt that I loved her.

I broke up with her once, to protect her. When Bella and my father died, I wanted to follow them. I closed myself off to the world and to all notions of love. I thought I was doing the right thing, but the truth was, I had been afraid. Afraid to love. Afraid to lose. Afraid to feel. So, I pushed Francesca away because she had been the most precious thing in my life. Letting her go was my biggest mistake. I thought it was the right thing but, in the end, it hurt us both.

So, I prayed that I could keep her forever. If God gave her back to me, I would never let her go.

A week later she was still unresponsive. I sat by her side, her cold hand in mine. I had taken to praying every day, but God must have forgotten me.

I stared at her lying on the hospital bed and pulled at my hair. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t lose her. Despair was eating me away in large quantities. I needed Francesca to wake up. I needed her here beside me, and I didn’t care if I was selfish for needing her so much.

“Please, Principessa, please wake up.”

I had just entered the room bringing her a new bouquet of purple tulips; I was placing them on the vase like Francesca liked, two weeks had gone by, slipping through my fingers. That’s when I heard my name.

It came in a soft whisper, and it was the most beautiful sound I ever heard in my life. I turned around and saw Francesca’s big sapphire eyes watching me.

She tried to sit up and I raced toward her. “Hey, slowly.” I helped her. When she was slightly raised up, I watched as she regarded her surroundings. All I wanted to do was kiss her senseless, but I let her adjust first.

“What happened?” I went still.

“What do you remember?”

Francesca frowned and then looked at her shoulder. “They were going to shoot at you.”

After everything happened, I was furious at her, a part of me would always be, but how could I blame her for wanting to save me when I would have done the same to save her?

“Don’t ever do that, Francesca, do you understand?” I took her hand in mine, enjoying the warmth—she had been so cold before. “I know why you did it, but if you had died, I would have followed, so your heroics would have been for shit.”

She smiled weakly. “I can’t live without you.” A single tear fell. “I was so scared.”

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