Page 75 of Twisted Obsession

‘Penance?’ I moved my head around a little, stretching my neck. I could still see and hear Dante talking, but the words he was saying weren’t penetrating. Parts of my body were screaming painfully, my skin itched, and my throat felt strangely tight and numb. My view was becoming blurry, and I instinctively began to blink over and over.

‘I’m coming to the end of a seven-year penance… Giovanna.’ His voice increased in volume.

‘Seven years?’

‘The army, and now here in Malta.’

Looking down at my body, I could see hives beginning to appear.

‘Giovanna what’s wrong?’ Dante questioned as he took hold of both of my upper arms.

‘Allergic reaction,’ I forced out from my dry mouth.

‘Fuck! It was meant to be non-alcoholic.’ Dante instantly looked worried and his hold on me changed. Suddenly, I was aware I was being lifted with ease, up into his arms. On instinct I snuggled against the hardness of his body and allowed his recognisable cologne to envelope me. After crossing the saloon, he walked up to the couch and placed me gently down on it. Pulling a soft pillow nearer he lifted my head and put it underneath. Then kneeling beside me, he took hold of my nearest hand and kissed it. I watched as longer strands of hair fell forward across his face and once again, as his eyes then found mine, he became the boy I’d once known.

‘I’m sorry, it should have been non-alcoholic… I’ll fucking kill him!’

‘Not your wine.’ I shook my head. ‘I had a drink earlier, with one of the guards… to get off the boat.’ I swallowed, desperately trying to keep my throat from closing over. ‘I put a sleeping pill in his beer.’

‘Of course you did.’ He exhaled sharply by blowing through his mouth. ‘What can I do?’

‘Epi-Pen. It’s in my handbag, a yellow tube.’

Dante moved fast. I heard the entire contents of my bag clatter onto the wooden floor of the saloon. Then he was back with the pen in his hands.

‘In the top of my thigh. Can you do it?’ I grabbed at his arm, as I pleaded with him.

‘I’ve got you, amore mio. Army training.’ He nodded.

‘You caught me,’ I whispered, wondering if he’d remember an earlier promise.

‘I told you I would.’ I heard him reply and smiled to myself.

A click sounded as he released the safety, and I turned my head away so as not to witness the swift downward movement of his hand. Then I felt him lift my dress, and the needle struck home. A feeling of having been punched reached me first, before the sting followed as the precise amount of adrenaline entered my blood stream. Together we waited. Dante sat back onto his haunches beside me, while holding my hand tightly, and tucking the occasional errant strand of my hair back behind my ears. As we anticipated the adrenaline working its magic, I concentrated on steadying my breathing and relaxing, while he reprimanded me for my stupidity under his breath.

And I knew then that he still cared.

Finally, the adrenaline did what it needed to do and after a few fraught minutes of waiting for my body to get back under my control, I fell sleep.

Chapter Twelve

Dante

‘Giovanna?’ I questioned quietly.

Somewhere deep down inside, I knew she’d heard me when she parted her lips as if to speak but nothing materialised. I understood from my army training that the allergic reaction she had been experiencing was beginning to abate, just by looking at the reactions on her skin. The hives looked less prominent and the flush in her cheeks was starting to recede. I cast a quick eye between her breasts to her sternum and found her chest was once again rising and falling with a more regular rhythm. Taking hold of her wrist in my hand, I turned it over and began to check her blood pressure. As I held it, the weakened beat began to feel stronger and I let out an audible exhale of relief. As I’d emptied the contents of her bag onto the wooden floor, I’d comprehended that we’d only had the one chance, as although we could if needed have administered another dose of adrenaline, there wasn’t another in her bag.

How could you be so fucking stupid?

If you were mine, I’d make your arse cheeks red.

I shook my head at myself. I was convinced she was still my wife, but was she still mine?

Shelving my sudden anger, I looked down at her. Giovanna. My wife. The missing part of me.

‘After all this time—how are you suddenly here?’ I wrenched my eyes away from her to take a quick look around the saloon, as though I couldn’t quite believe it was true. Reaching up, I trailed my index finger down her neck, needing to feel her skin against mine.

‘Are you for real?’ I whispered to her sleeping form, as it wasn’t unusual as the adrenaline began to wear off for a patient to fall asleep. Then, as I watched her eyelids flutter in response, I carefully let go of her hand that I’d been holding, placed it beside her and stood up. Checking myself against the feelings my body had instinctively allowed to take flight just as soon as I’d understood she was on the same island as me, I moved over to the window and after using the remote to clear the glass and lifting the blind, I looked out.

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