Page 31 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

Nico cupped her cheek, sliding his thumb over her cheekbone. “Baby, please.”

She shook her head.

“Sofia,” I said. “Kitten,” I began again, deliberately. Her eyes shot to mine, a hint of anger replacing her misery. “The good doctor gave you a safeword. If you need to use it, do so. Otherwise, let him do his fucking job.”

She flexed her hands in her lap. Open, closed, open, closed.

I’d never hated Sergio more than in that moment, for making this beautiful, brilliant creature so uncertain of herself.

“Do you want me to go?” I asked her.

“No,” she said, quickly, loudly. Her eyes widened again, as if surprised by her outburst. “Stay. Please.”

“Can you open up your robe for me, baby?” Nico asked, kneeling before her. She shrugged the robe off of her shoulders, letting it pool at her elbows.

Rage colored my vision red as he gently explored her skin with his fingers, pressing softly, then letting up when she gasped.

“Raise your arms,” he said, and then, “I don’t think any of your ribs are broken. Can you scoot around so I can see your back?”

She turned her knees into mine, her fingers clenched so hard they were white. Unable to bear her pain any longer, I reached for her hands, wrapping them around mine. “Hold on to me, kitten.”

Sofia’s nails dug into my skin as Nick prodded her back.

“Who dressed these?” he asked.

“Lorenzo.”

Nico raised the robe again, settling it over her shoulders. When I let go of her to tie it, she squeezed my hands tighter.

“Baby, I need to wrap your wrists,” he said. Sofia nodded and released me. Quickly, I tightened the robe across her chest and tied it shut. She closed her eyes, as if to compose herself, then held her wrists out to Nico.

He swore softly as he examined them before applying ointment and gauze. Sofia didn’t move a muscle as he worked, didn’t wince in pain, didn’t gasp, didn’t give any hint of the agony she must have been experiencing.

Fucking steel, our woman.

“I need you to lie down now.”

Sofia shook her head as if to refuse, then jerked her eyes up to mine. I raised an eyebrow. If she needed cruelty to get her through this, then cruelty I could provide.

“Right,” she whispered, then awkwardly tried to swing her legs up. When she overbalanced, I swept her into my arms like a bride before depositing her on her back right where she’d been sitting a moment before, with her legs dangling over the edge of the bed.

“Easy,bellamicetta,” I said, the diminutive slipping out in Italian before I could stop myself, gratified to see her eyes widen.

Working quickly, Nick slid the IV into her arm, then hung the bag on the bed frame.

“Baby, I need to take a look at your—” he stopped. “I need to see that gorgeous pussy of yours, all right?”

He knelt between her legs. Sofia turned her face away, and I took her hand, stroking the back softly as she steeled herself for the intrusion.

Nico inched the robe up to her waist, his face grim as he inspected the bruises on her pelvis and hips. When he reached the insides of her thighs, Sofia moved away and slammed them together, a sob choking out of her.

“I can’t,” she said. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“You can,” I said. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

She whimpered, her chest shaking as she held back her sobs.

“Sofia, please,” I said, reduced to begging.

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