Page 90 of Sin and Redemption

“He’ll be fine,” I assured her, but I had to admit it was strange to see my father helpless. He’d suffered many injuries in his life. I had stitched him up on more occasions than I could count, but he’d never been incapacitated like this.

He stirred, and his eyelids dragged up. He looked at Mom and gave her a small smile.

I considered giving them privacy, but then he looked over at me.

“Sara?”

“She and the baby are safe too. Primo is at the house, trying to catch the dogs that ran off, but he’ll visit you later today when I take his place.”

Dad nodded. “What happened after I lost consciousness?”

Mom gave him an apologetic smile. “I unleashed the dogs. I know we said they should never have to fight for humans again, but I didn’t see another way.”

“You did the right thing. You and Max saved us.”

He glanced down his body. “My leg?”

Mom exchanged a look with me. I cleared my throat. “They had to amputate it up to the knee, Dad. But we’ll get you the best prosthesis money can buy, and you’ll be running in no time.”

Dad’s face remained stoic, but I could see in his eyes how much the news bothered him. Dad was used to being strong, but he’d have to rely on others for a while until he could be strong again.

“Once you’re used to the prosthesis, you’ll probably be even quicker on your feet,” Mom said. “I’ll help you with the physical therapy.”

Dad’s lips pulled into a smirk. “We could start now.”

Mom flushed and gave Dad an indignant look.

I shook my head with a grimace. “I’ll head back to the shelter so you can do whatever you want, all right?” I waved as I stepped outside. Dad making this kind of innuendo was a good indicator of how well the painkillers worked, but it also gave me hope that things would be back to normal soon.

After a long day of cleaning up at the shelter and a short meeting with Luca, Matteo, and Amo, I returned home to Sara’s and my apartment around midnight.

The two bodyguards in the hallway nodded at me, and inside waited Valerio. He was stretched out on the sofa, a bag with chips on the floor beside him and the newestFast and Furiousmovie playing on the TV.

He had been the only one who could watch Sara tonight. Everyone else had their own wives and children to protect. She had insisted on sleeping at our place and not at her parents’. I wondered if she wanted to protect them or if she finally saw this place as her home.

Valerio swung his legs off the sofa and shoved to his feet. “There you are. I have a date.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t even know what time I’d be home, and it’s midnight now.”

“I’m worth the wait,” Valerio said with a wink before he walked out, leaving the chips bag on the floor and crumbles all over the sofa. I picked the bag up and cleaned the crumbs off the sofa. I knew how much it bothered Sara if the apartment wasn’t clean when she woke in the morning.

She never said anything, but I could read her expressions. The exasperation in her eyes when I left my clothes somewhere or dropped a wet towel on the bed had quickly made me adapt my actions.

I went into the primary bedroom, surprised when I didn’t find Sara in bed. The bathroom door was open, and she stood in front of the mirror with closed eyes, caressing her belly.

“I love you so much, little one. So very much. I can’t wait to hold you. I’m counting down the days until you’re safe in my arms.”

In her nightgown, the bump was clearly visible, and it filled me with an intense sense of protectiveness. I’d caught her doing her nightly ritual a few times before, but I’d always quickly retreated because it had seemed like something very personal, something she didn’t want to share. But today, I wanted her to know I was here. After tonight’s events, I wanted to share a moment of peace with her.

I approached her. I didn’t try to be stealthy, but Sara was so focused on herself that she jumped when I wrapped my arms around her from behind and put my palms over hers. She met my gaze in the mirror, her eyes questioning. “How long have you been listening?”

“From the start. It’s not the first time either.”

She flushed. “I’m talking to Ambra.”

“Ambra?”

She flushed even more and gave a small shrug. “It’s not the name we have to pick. It’s just that in my head, in my dreams, she always has your eyes, so I started calling her Ambra in my thoughts. I know it’s stupid. It’s just a feeling I have.” She looked uncomfortable that I’d caught her. Did she worry I’d ridicule her need to talk to our baby? That I’d be angry because she called her by this beautiful name. Knowing that Sara imagined our daughter having my eyes made me proud.

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