CHAPTER 28
ROMAN
I sit in the chair beside Tessa’s bed, my eyes tracing the bruising on her skin as the weight of the last forty-eight hours presses down on my shoulders.
It has been two days since I carried her out of that room, bloodied and broken, and I haven't been able to sleep because every time I close my eyes, I see her terrified face.
The doctors told me she has a severe concussion along with fractured ribs and a twisted wrist, but the clinical list of injuries does nothing to ease the terror I feel knowing how close we actually came to losing her.
I rub my face in exhaustion because I haven't slept more than a few minutes at a time, and I am consumed by the guilt of knowing I wasn't fast enough to save her from the pain she endured.
A soft groan breaks the silence, snapping my attention to her face just as her lashes flutter against her pale cheeks.
She blinks, fighting the fog of medication, until her gaze locks onto mine with a clarity that stops my heart.
"Oh," she whispers, her voice raspy. "You came here to finish the job?"
I can’t help the small, dark smile that touches my lips. "No. Why would I heal you, bring you to my best doctors, and guard your bedside if I still wanted to harm you?"
She blinks, processing my logic. "You’re Mafia, after all."
I sigh, leaning forward to rest my hand near hers. "I don’t know how to apologize for that reality, but I am incredibly sorry for what happened to you."
Her eyes fill with tears, and she tries to lift her hand to wipe them away, but her arm trembles and falls back to the bed with a wince. Without thinking, I reach out and gently wipe the tear from her cheek with my thumb.
"Please don’t cry," I whisper. "I can’t help it," she sniffs. "It hurts."
"I know." My heart feels like it's being squeezed. "I’m sorry. I’m a dick." She laughs, and it sounds like music. "Yeah. You really are a dick."
"At least you still have your sense of humor," I murmur, barely suppressing a smile.
"How’s Iris?" she asks, the humor fading instantly. "She hasn’t wanted to talk to anyone for two days now," I admit, watching her expression fall. "She’s upset and scared, but she’s been asking for you constantly."
"I’m worried about her," Tessa whispers, closing her eyes. "But it hurts, Roman. I swear to God, I’ve never been so scared in my life." Determined to fix at least one thing, I stand up. "Let me move your bed closer to the window so you can feel the sunlight; maybe it will help."
I carefully wheel her toward the glass, and as the golden light washes over her, she breathes in the warmth. "Roman?" she asks quietly after a moment. "Why do you care?"
I look at her, taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"You barely know me. I’m just some random girl caught in your mess, so why do you care so much?" I don't have the words to explain that she hasn't been "random" to me since the moment I saw her. "I don’t know," I say finally. "But I do."
Our moment is interrupted when Kirill walks in, destroying the peace instantly.
"How are you feeling?" he asks. Tessa stares at him in cold silence. "So you’re going to give me the silent treatment?" Kirill asks, annoyed. "Because we had a childish argument when you were being kidnapped?"
"A childish argument?" Her eyes narrow dangerously. "You kidnapped me. You and your brother shot at us. You thought I was a man and insulted me the entire time, and now you want to chat like nothing happened?"
"I didn't shoot at you," Kirill defends himself. "The only person I was shooting at was Ilay."
"Oh, well, that makes it so much better," she shoots back with sarcasm. "Kirill, not now," I warn him. He looks at me, ignoring her. "And by the way, shouldn’t you go deal with the Ilay problem? He’s tearing through our contacts to find Iris, and Dad wants you to handle it."
I stand up, conflicted about leaving her side. "Go," Tessa says, seeing my hesitation. "I’ll be fine. Go handle your mafia stuff." I nod. "I’ll be back soon." Kirill and I leave the room, and as we walk down the hallway, he glances at me. "You like her," he says, smiling sideways at me.
"Shut up."