Page 74 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

He rested his head on my shoulder, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. “Besides, you should see the other guy. Let’s just say he won’t be chasing any cars anytime soon.”

Angelo stopped and cast his gaze over Dimitri. “Do you need me to help you carry him to your room, Gianna?”

I could feel Dimitri stiffen beside me, his muscles coiling like tightly wound springs. Even in his battered state, he was fighting to prove himself worthy, to show no weakness. My heart ached at his stubbornness, equal parts frustrating and endearing.

I shook my head, my voice firm but gentle. “No, I’ve got him.” I carefully draped Dimitri’s arm over my shoulder, feeling the weight of his body against mine. The scent of blood, both his and the wolf’s, clung to him like a secondskin. “I think all he needs is a nice warm bath and a good night’s sleep.”

Angelo’s eyes flicked between us, his face an unreadable mask. He shrugged, the movement almost imperceptible. “Suit yourself. Enzo, watch to make sure they get into the house in one piece. Jacques follow me, we need to talk.” With that, my brother vanished through the back door, leaving a vacuum of tension in his wake.

I called after him. “Angelo, don’t hurt him. He’s family.”

Angelo responded with a grunt. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but hopefully, it meant that Jacques would only receive a tongue lashing.

Jacques bowed his head and reluctantly followed my brother inside. I just hoped Angelo only gave him a tongue lashing and didn’t beat him to a pulp.

Enzo’s gaze remained steady on us as we moved, his eyes calculating. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, assessing Dimitri’s strengths and weaknesses. Hadn’t Dimitri proven himself to them already? The injustice of it made my fangs itch beneath my gums.

As Enzo opened the back door for us, I felt the subtle tremors running through Dimitri’s body. He leaned into me just a little more with every passing second, each step clearly a battle against pain. A soft grunt escaped his lips as we passed Enzo, and I silently prayed the enforcer wouldn’t notice. To my relief, if Enzo picked up on Dimitri’s condition, he kept his observations to himself.

We tackled the stairs one by one, each step a small victory. I could hear Dimitri’s unnecessary breath coming in short,controlled bursts, feel the tension in his body as he fought to maintain his composure. My Dimitri had been through hell today, all for me. The thought made my chest tighten with a mixture of love and guilt.

Finally, we reached my room. I pushed the door open with my free hand, guiding Dimitri inside our sanctuary. Once past the threshold, I pressed a soft kiss to his lips, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood. The familiar taste, usually exciting, now filled me with concern.

The familiar surroundings seemed to offer a bubble of safety, a respite from the chaos of the day. “I think we both could use a moment of peace.”

“I won’t argue with you on that,” he mumbled.

I guided Dimitri to our bed, his weight heavy against me. As we reached the edge, he sat down with a barely suppressed groan, his face contorting in pain for a split second before he masked it with his usual smirk.

“Easy there, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice strained despite his attempt at levity. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

My hands trembled slightly as I helped him peel off his jacket. The fabric stuck to his skin in places, tacky with drying blood. The metallic scent hit me like a wave, making my fangs ache beneath my gums. I swallowed hard, pushing down the instinctive hunger.

As I carefully lifted his shirt, Dimitri hissed through clenched teeth. The sound made my heart clench. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying to be as gentle as possible.

When the shirt finally came off, I couldn’t hold back agasp. Deep claw marks scored his chest, the flesh angry and raw. Bite marks peppered his torso, each one a testament to the ferocity of the fight he’d endured. The wounds, though already starting to heal with vampire speed, looked painful and deep.

“Oh god, Dimitri,” I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion. My fingers hovered over the injuries, afraid to touch and cause more pain. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, a mix of guilt, anger, and overwhelming love threatening to spill over.

Dimitri caught my hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. “Hey now, don’t look so worried. It’s just a few scratches.”

I shook my head, a watery laugh escaping me despite the gravity of the situation. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He winked, though I could see the pain behind his eyes. “It’s part of my charm.”

I leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” I murmured against his skin. “Then we can work on healing these scratches of yours.”

As I stood to fetch some warm water and towels, I couldn’t shake the image of his wounds from my mind. Dimitri had faced down a wolf shifter for me. The least I could do was patch him up and keep him safe while he recovered.

Let them try to hurt him again—they’d face a fury they’d never forget. They’d learn why vampires were at the top of the supernatural food chain.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Dimitri

Gianna had been fussing over me like a mother hen, wiping blood off my chest and back. Each touch sent waves of pain through me, making me hiss like a cat in a bathtub. That furball had put up one hell of a fight. Being an enforcer, he knew exactly how to hurt a vampire, even without his oversized toothpick of a sword.

At the time, rage had been my copilot, and I hadn’t felt his love bites or scratches. My only focus had been on protecting Gianna. Now? I felt like I’d gone ten rounds with a woodchipper. And lost.

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