Page 189 of Diamond Kisses

I stepped closer and stroked his cheek again.

He smiled and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “It’s okay, Ily. I’m real. I’m not a ghost.”

Fresh tears wobbled on my eyelashes. “Y-You took a bullet for me.”

“Cool, huh?” He pulled my hand away from his face and kissed my palm. “Pretty heroic if I do say so myself.” He threw a beaming grin at Henri. “Always told you I was the good guy in all of this.”

“I’d say you earned that title fair and square.” Henri chuckled. “I’ll wear the title of bad guy happily.” He sighed. “I honestly don’t know how to thank you, Paavak. Truly. I’m…I’m fucking speechless at what you did.”

“You would’ve done the same thing.”

“I would’ve.” Henri nodded. “For you too.”

The moment stretched, all of us struck with the aching truth that we were bonded in ways that transcended ordinary friendship. We’d seen each other at our worst, our most pained, our most broken, miserable, and terrified.

We’d been treated as toys, barely seen as human, yet we’d survived.

Together.

Becauseof each other.

Rolling his shoulders back as if shedding the stress from the past, Henri said, “So…you came back from the dead. You got shot and survived. I’m beginning to think you were a cat in another life.”

Peter chuckled. “If that’s true, I’m pretty sure I used up nine lives surviving Joyero.” Shifting higher up his pillows, he raked his eyes over Henri. “Speaking of lives…are you alright, Ri?” He cocked his head. “You know…I’m the one who’s just come out of some stupid coma, yet you look like you’ve been in that dungeon until yesterday. What’s up with that?” His brown eyes flickered to mine. “Ily? What did I miss?”

I smiled and sat on the side of his bed. “Let’s just say…Henri’s been a littlebusy.”

“Oh?” Peter quirked an eyebrow. “Doing what?”

Henri scowled. “Doesn’t matter—”

“Oh, it matters.” Peter scowled back. “No secrets between us. Spit it out. What happened?”

Glancing at the door, Henri lowered his voice. “I might have thought Ily was dead.”

“You what?” Peter gasped. “Why?”

I rolled my shoulders. “My heart might’ve stopped—”

“What!?”

“Only for like a few minutes—”

“It was longer than that. Or at least it felt like a fucking eternity.” Henri raked a hand over his face. “Seeing her die, Pete? Hearing her flatline? I…kinda went a little mad. I went on a little hunt. If you know what I mean.”

“Oh, shit.” Peter stiffened. “You went full Rambo on their asses?”

Henri snickered. “Rambo? Nah…I just paid a few men a visit that’s all.”

Peter touched his nose with a conspiratorial wink. “Right. Avisit.”

Henri laughed. “A visit that they won’t forget.”

Peter puffed up with pride. “How many did you…visit?”

“Don’t know.” Henri glanced at the door again. “I wasn’t fully functioning. It’s all a bit of a blur—”

“Thirty-four,” I whispered.

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