when we’re ready, I’ll call him. I figured we would return to Tuscany and decide what to do then.”
“I wonder if my house is still standing.”
Bates shrugged. “The security team was still on site.”
“Or they were there…”
“I haven’t checked in.”
“What about Mother?”
“I got her out of there hours ago. The guys took her to Greece. I talked to her a while ago, and she’s fine. She’s worried about you. And Siena had me alert Landon to go into hiding.”
Everyone who mattered seemed to be safe and sound. “That could have been a lot worse.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” Bates warned me that something was wrong, but I brushed it off. We could have taken care of this much sooner if I’d just valued his opinion.
“It’s okay. I shot your woman. We’re both idiots.”
“Yeah…I guess we are.”
Bates looked at the clock on the wall then turned back to me. “It’s getting late. You should get some sleep.”
“You don’t have to stay here with me, Bates.”
“Yes, I do. If an asshole walks through that door, I’m prepared. So just relax. I got your back.”
Days later, the doctor finally discharged me from the hospital.
My vitals had improved, and I was given pain medication for the road. I was stable, but I still hadn’t returned to my former strength. It would take me a long time to get back to where I used to be. My broken ribs would take the longest to heal—and they caused me the most pain.
I walked on my own two feet as I left the hospital and got into the car Bates brought to the entrance. I sat down in the passenger seat and then we drove through the streets. It took me a few seconds to figure out where we were. I knew we were in the UK, but I didn’t know exactly where. “London?”
“Yes.”
“One of my favorite cities.”
“Maybe the three of you can enjoy it another time.” Bates drove to the apartment and parked in the underground parking garage. We rode the elevator to his floor then stepped inside the apartment.
Siena clearly hadn’t been expecting me, judging by the shock on her face. She was on the floor with Martina, who lay on a blanket playing with some colorful toys. Tears sparkled in Siena’s eyes instantly, and she got up so quickly she almost fell forward. She righted herself and came to me, the tears freely streaming down her cheeks. “You’re out…” Her arms opened to hug me, but then she changed her mind and grabbed my wrists instead. “I don’t want to hurt you…”
“This doesn’t hurt.” My hand slid into her hair as I kissed her in the living room. My fingers felt the soft strands that I had gotten used to touching every single day of my life. I kissed her slowly on the lips, taking my time as I appreciated this woman’s love. Our mouths moved together slowly, and my heart ached for the sacrifices she’d made for me. I might be dead right now if it weren’t for her.
Her tears rolled over our mouths, but that didn’t stop her from continuing the kiss. She kept her hands on my wrists and refrained from touching my chest or my stomach. She was delicate with me when she used to be hard. “Cato, I love you. I love you so much.”
I rested my forehead against hers and didn’t hold back. I’d never wanted to tell her the truth for fear of what it would do to me. I couldn’t share my power. I couldn’t trust her. But now I knew I could trust her more than anyone else in the world. So I told her the truth…something I should have said a long time ago. “I love you too, baby. More than anything in this world.”
She pulled away so she could look into my eyes and see the emotion that matched hers. “Cato…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
“You didn’t have to… I always knew.”
My private jet picked us up in London then took us back to Florence.
I experienced pain pretty much every moment of my existence now, even with the painkillers, but I tried to seem normal in front of Siena. She was heartbroken at the sight of me, and I didn’t want her to feel worse than she already did. She carried my pain the way I carried hers. When they’d dragged me away so she could give herself to Damien, my mind had snapped. She must have felt