Page 104 of The Worst Pucking Deal

“It’s not about my safety,” Sy says firmly, picking the conversation back up. “I already told you I didn’t want to live without you. We’re a team, baby. You don’t just get to pick and choose when that suits.”

“And you don’t get to tell me off for saving your life,” I wheeze. The words don’t come out as firm or bad ass as I wanted them to. Not when I’m constantly feeling like I don’t have enough air in my lungs.

“Shh, don’t worry about any of that now.” Sy strokes my cheek gently. “Just focus on getting better, bunny.”

Looking up at him, I try to recall what happened. Like, the events themselves. But it’s… all a blur. “Where’s Fabian?” I ask, suddenly feeling panicked.

“He’s… not here,” Sy assures me. “He’s gone and he can never hurt you again, baby.”

I try to nod, but drowsiness settles in. “Why are we in the hospital?” I ask, even though I feel like he’s already told me, or like I should have figured it out myself.

“You had surgery.” Sy’s tone is clipped, but when I look at him I know it’s not from anger at me. “You had a collapsed lung and a few other things. But it’s all fixed now, and they said you’ll recover completely. You just need to rest. Nothing else matters.”

The words sink in slowly, like pebbles dropped into a pond, sending ripples of confusion and fear through my mind. But just as my eyes are about to close, I remember something else. Sy was going to leave me. He wouldn’t even look at me, that’s how angry he was.

“You were going to leave me,” I accuse, or try to. “… wouldn’t even look… and you…”

“Sleep, baby,” he murmurs. “We’ll talk more when you feel better.”

The first three days after I was attacked, they wanted to keep me for observation. Something to do with the chest tube, residual air, pleural something, and whatnot. Honestly, I gave up listening. All I heard was that I needed to stay, and Sy was completely useless, refusing to support me in getting out of there.

I don’t remember much from the time I woke up, high on the morphine after the surgery. But ever the dick, my husband made sure to record some of the shit I said. Though I bitch about that, I secretly like it. I love Sy more than I thought I could ever love someone, and having him do little things like that makes my day. I like the more playful side of him, and I’m so excited to see what our lives will be like now that there isn’t a deadline ruining our lives.

“Have you had enough air?” Sy asks, kissing the top of my head.

We’re in one of the lavish gardens outside Remus’ home. We’ve been out here for hours because I want to soak it all in one last time. “Not yet,” I murmur, loving the way the sun kisses my face and the wind plays with my hair. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Sy shrugs. “I mean, yeah. But it’s like a museum where you can’t touch anything.”

“You want to touch the naked statues?” I giggle playfully, poking him in the side. He huffs in reply. “You can touch them if you want to. There’s actually one just a bit further ahead that has a crack in its leg because Remus threw something at it when he was a kid.”

This is the first time I’ve ever told anyone that. Back when it happened, I was terrified someone would find out. I was supposed to be watching over him, and took my eyes off him for just a few minutes. Guess that’s all it takes to break a piece of history.

“I have to ask, what’s with all the wolves?” Sy asks, scrunching up his nose.

Laughing, I point at the statue of a wolf with two small boys suckling on her teats. “That’s the original Remus and Romulus,” I say.

“The who?”

I begin to weave the tale, my voice soft yet filled with passion. “Remus and Romulus were twin brothers,” I explain, my words taking on a rhythmic cadence as I recount the ancient legend. “They were abandoned as infants and left to die, but fate had other plans for them. They were rescued by a she-wolf called Lupa, who nurtured them as her own, and they grew to become fierce warriors.”

Sy listens intently, his eyes locked on mine as I continue to speak.

“Eventually, Remus and Romulus founded the city of Rome together,” I say, a sense of wonder coloring my tone. “But their bond was tested when they disagreed over where to build the city’s walls. In the end, Romulus became the first king of Rome.”

I pause, allowing the weight of the story to settle between us. “It’s a tale of brotherhood, loyalty, and the enduring spirit of perseverance,” I conclude, a wistful smile gracing my lips.

“Hmm, so the wolf-crest is like a tribute to them?”

Taking a moment, I consider his question. No one has ever asked me that before, so I’m not sure how to answer. To me, it just is, always has been and always will be. But putting that into words is harder than I thought.

“It’s more who we… they are. Whether you want to claim the Russo family is Mafia or a secret society. Maybe both? Or neither? But the family is linked to Rome in ways that stood the test of time.”

“I like it,” Sy says, pulling me closer. “But to me, you’ll always be my bunny.”

Smiling up at him, I let the words wash over me. Hearing him say he loved me the day after my surgery is one of those memories I’ll always treasure. During the trial, or whatever you want to call it, I was so sure things were over between us. So learning Sy wants me around forever makes everything worth it. All the heartache, pain, and suffering I’ve ever felt led me into the arms of Sawyer Perry, the single best place in the world.

“Am I interrupting?”

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