Page 99 of Deception & Desire

I don’t comment as he leans into me as we make our escape. Dante and Rocco are on either side as we push out of the compound.

The hallways are a labyrinth of chaos. Gunfire, shouting, and the acrid smell of smoke fill the air. Leon keeps me close, shielding me with his body as we weave through the wreckage.

By the time we make it outside, I’m gasping for breath, and the man at my side is becoming a dead weight. It takes all three of us to get him into a car, and my arms barely feel strong enough to grip the wheel as I sit in the driver’s seat.

I manage to turn on the ignition, only to find myself hesitating. “Where am I going?”

Despite how pale and broken he looks, Leon cracks a small smile. “Home.”

When I finally pull up tothe brownstone, I almost don’t recognize it.

The last time I saw it, the building was charred and broken. But now, it looks pristine—rebuilt and restored with painstaking attention to detail. The front steps gleam welcomingly under the streetlights, the door is inviting and warm.

A sob catches in my throat as I stare at it, tears burning my eyes. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see it again.

“You fixed it,” I murmur as we come to a stop just outside.

His lips twitch into the ghost of a smile. “Wanted...you to have it back.”

I get out and rush to Leon’s side of the car, helping him out with one arm around his waist.

Inside, the air smells faintly of paint and wood polish, but the layout is the same. I help him up the stairs, practically dragging him into his room. He collapses onto the bed with a groan, completely drenched in sweat.

With a start, I realize he’s bleeding through his bandages again. I immediately turn to grab the medical supplies, but his hands snatch at my wrist.

“Don’t go.”

“I’ll be back in a moment,” I squeeze his arm gently. “I won’t leave, I promise.”

With that, I race down the stairs, feeling lightheaded when I arrive in the kitchen. Right. Food. Starving for three days.

I inhale a banana and down a glass of water while searching for the medical kit, finally spying it tucked behind the sink. I run back upstairs.

Leon has his eyes closed when I arrive, and my heart surges at the sight of his prone body.

“I’m back, Leon. I’m going to look after you, okay?” My voice catches, but thankfully, he stirs at the sound.

My hands shake as I peel back his bloodied bandages, revealing the splitting stitches across his chest. The sight of it nearly sends me spiraling again, but I force myself to focus.

“Just breathe, Leon. I’ve got you,” I say, dabbing at the wound with antiseptic. “But this is going to hurt.”

I rummage around for a suture needle, but there’s no anesthetic to be found. I contemplate raiding his supply of whiskey.

“Just do it,” he grits out, his eyes half-lidded. “Now.”

I thread the needle, trying to ignore how clammy his skin feels under my touch. The first pass through the torn flesh makes him jerk, his breath hissing through his teeth.

“Leon, look at me,” I say softly, leaning closer. “Do you remember the first time we met?”

His eyes flick to mine, hazy with pain, but he nods.

“You were threatening Teo over something stupid,” I say, pulling the thread through again. “I thought, ‘this man is far too attractive to have more than a couple of brain cells spare’.”

A faint smirk touches his lips despite the sweat beading on his brow. “You were...infuriating,” he murmurs.

“And you were smarter than you looked,” I reply, my voice trembling slightly as I work on the next stitch. “I’ve always…liked that about you. Even when I shouldn’t have.”

His hand weakly grasps mine, his fingers tightening as I push the needle through another torn edge.

---