AGAIN
She vomited.
On my shirt.
But I didn't give a damn.
I was too happy to be disturbed by the brocks of what appeared to be broccoli or the pungent scent of acid mixed with fermented food. This was the first sign of life she'd shown all evening.
"Cariño, you're safe with me. You're alive. Let it out." I rubbed large circles on her trembling back as she continued to heave. "I'm going to take you home, give you a nice shower, and comb your hair. After that, I'm going to make you something to eat. Something light. Do you like the sound of that?"
The heaving stopped and soulful brown eyes turned to look at me. Confusion and gratitude battled within their depths. Her long stare was magnetic, drawing me in.
Locked in, I ran my hand through her hair, reveling in its softness despite the circumstances, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"You're so beautiful. Even with vomit on your chin."
Her eyes brightened and then she grinned, a glimmer of her former self shining through the haze of confusion. But as I watched, a wave of unease washed over me. Her smile was asymmetrical, one side of her lip lifting higher than the other, and when she blinked, one eye lagged behind the other like a bird with a broken wing.
Worried, I lifted her left arm and then let it drop. It fell to her side like a deadweight, devoid of strength. Carla didn't seem to notice that I had even touched her.
I did the same thing to her right arm, but this time her arm remained in the air.
She looked at me. "What... what are you doing?"
"Taking care of you," I replied, masking my concern behind a façade of reassurance.
She giggled and the sound startled me. How could she laugh so joyfully after what just happened to her?
"That's a weird way to do that," she said.
"It is, isn't it?"
"So weird." Using the same hand that was suspended in the air less than a minute ago, she scratched her face. "Wait, who are you again?"
My eyes narrowed. "I'm your husband."
"Oh, yeah, of course. I knew that." Her gaze drifted to the metal restraints encircling her wrists and ankles, her brows furrowing in puzzlement.
Witnessing her confusion caused my heart to clench.
"What's my name?" I asked gently, sensing there was more going on.
She laughed again, but this time it sounded forced. "Don't be silly. I know who you are. It would be weird to marry someone and not know their name."
"Carla, what's my name?"
Her lashes lifted and worry flitted behind her stare. "Did I do something wrong? Why are you suddenly so serious?"
"Answer the fucking question."
Her lower lip puckered and then trembled. I watched as a well of tears built up in her eyes before freefalling down her cheek.
"Dante. Your name is Dante."
Feeling like a piece of shit, I pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, cariño. I didn't mean to lose my temper. I'm just so worried about you."
"Why?"
"Why? Don't you remember what happened?"
She lifted her arms, studying the chains in bewilderment. "We were playing a naughty game, weren't we?"
The reality of her condition came crashing down like a tidal wave. When I took too long to answer, she frowned.
"Weren't we?"
"Yes, my love. One thing though, I can't remember where I put the keys."
Her eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?"
Before I could answer, the door to the cell creaked open. I immediately moved in front of Carla to protect her.
Vlad stopped short when he saw us.
I sighed in relief. "Vlad. Good to see you're okay."
Carla looked at her bodyguard with concern. "What happened? Why wouldn't he be okay?"
"There was a fight," I said, keeping the story short so I didn't overwhelm her. "How's Schipper?"
Vald shook his head and I knew that Schipper's situation was critical.
Mathias was going to pay dearly for what he did.
In the background, the sound of an ambulance approaching reached us down in the cell. So far, I knew the poison had caused some kind of neurological damage in Carla. Hopefully whatever it was wasn't permanent.
"Bruce said he lifted these off of Eli's body?" Vlad came closer and handed over a bushel of keys. "He thinks they can unlock the chains."
Carla's head snapped up. "Eli? Which Eli?"
A sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. How much should I tell her right now?
"Show me your wrists, cariño."
She complied, turning her hands over to reveal the keyholes. "Mr. Caneos, I know when you are keeping things from me. What's going on?"
I avoided her gaze. "Let's get you out of the chains before the medics get here, okay." I kept my voice low and gentle. "I will tell you everything once you've been seen by a doctor?"
"Why do I need to see a doctor?"
Well damn. This was going to be a long road to recovery and I knew that my patience was being tested because the man who had done this to her was still walking around breathing God's air.
I released the chains from her wrists and then ran my fingers down the side of her face before cupping her chin. She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for answers.
"You were poisoned," I said.
Her eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Oh, hell no. Again?"
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YOU ARE READING
Dinner on Friday
Romance"Trust me to always put you first." He bent his head and whispered near my ear. "Always." ~ Unlovable? Big check! Or maybe not. After all, Carla has an affecti...
