Page 87 of Stolen Seconds

With a trembling hand, I touched the right side of my face, feeling the soft fabric of a bandage covering it.

“You did this to me.”

Luca shook his head rapidly, bringing my hands to his mouth and peppering kisses across my knuckles. “I’d sooner cut my own hands than ever do that to you.”

“But I heard your voice.”

“The doctors said you were drugged.” Luca might’ve appeared calm, but his tone of voice did nothing to hide his anger. “Believe me, whatever you heard, it wasn’t me.”

A whimper escaped my lips as hot tears scalded down my cheek before it turned into a full blown meltdown.

He didn’t hesitate to climb into the bed beside me, gently wrapping me in his arms as he pressed kisses to my temple, healing my wounds with each one.

“You’ll never be hurt again, Irina. I swear it.”

That only made me cry harder.

His firm body was a safety net for me, and I let myself fall into his embrace again. But this time was entirely different. I willingly showed him this side of me, tears and all.

How could I believe that this was a mistake when it felt as if I was right where I was meant to be?

One day, I’d share the dark parts of me with Luca but for now, this was enough. . . for the both of us I hoped.

When my body stopped shaking and my cries turned into sniffles, I tilted my head to look at him. “How bad is it?”

We both knew I’d be left with scars that would never fade but I wasn’t ready to see them littered across my body.

His tired eyes roamed my face; pupils dilating. “You’re the epitome of perfection, sweetheart.”

Perhaps to him, I was. To me, I’d lost my value. I’d been stripped away from the only thing that brought me security. I knew that made me shallow but when all my life I’d been praised for my beauty and then taught to use it as a weapon, it was hard to let go of that. Who I was before was all I knew, and to me, it solidified my relationship with my father. Now, I was the scraps of my identity.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter now, anyway.” I cast my gaze away from him. “What’s done is done.”

Luca’s fingers made a path down my check, his touch rising goosebumps on my skin until he cupped my jaw, turning me toward him again. “Irina. . . ”

With a trembling hand, I grabbed his wrist as I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to continue that conversation.

“Is Nicolai here?” It should’ve been the first question I asked but if I was found, then I knew my brother got out with me. He had to have.

“He is.”

I pulled back, his curt reply doing nothing to ease the tension radiating off my body. “And?”

“And we can talk about him when you’re better.”

I made a move to sit up when a shooting pain struck me, a hiss escaping me as I clasped my bandaged abdomen.

“Irina.” Luca cursed, gently pushing me back down. “For once, don’t fight me.Please.”

“Just tell me he’s okay,” I whispered, my body fighting exhaustion long enough to hear his answer.

He sighed in defeat. “He’s stable but hasn’t woken up yet.”

My heart thrummed rapidly, a layer of sweat coating my cold skin. Images of Nico’s limp and bloody body flashed across my mind, and it hurt to know I might’ve been the cause of his condition.

He was a victim to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I had no idea who did this to us and why, but he might’ve been left unscathed if he hadn’t come after me.

“This is all my fault,” I choked, pulling at my hair. He should’ve never been there.

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