Page 49 of Seduced By the Enemy

“Yes,” the doctor chimed in. “And going by the state you’re both in, you should be seen next.”

Salvatore frowned at the doctor. “She wouldn’t want this.”

The doctor nodded with apparent sympathy. “And when she’s able to tell me that, you can see her. But for now, it’s hospital protocol.” She turned to Leandro. “Come with me, sir.”

Leandro threw Salvatore a triumphant look as he followed the doctor through the overly-bright hospital corridor, leaving Salvatore fuming in the waiting area.

From the moment they’d gotten into Leandro’s car, so Salvatore could sit in the back with Emilia, and driven through the streets of Manhattan to the nearest hospital, Salvatore had felt almost as though he and Leandro were a team. At least, a pair of men engaged in the same mission, determined to help Emilia however they could. Both equally desperate to be assured that she was okay.

But the second they’d crossed through the hospital doors and handed her over to a team of doctors and nurses, the battle lines had been redrawn, with Leandro edging Salvatore out at every opportunity. And unfortunately, given that Salvatore was not a family member, it was an easy thing for Leandro to do.

He swallowed a curse as he strode across the foyer, looking for someone—anyone—to sort this mess out. But how? What would happen? He could make a fuss, but would it work? Undoubtedly not. He’d come up against bureaucratic policy 101. There was nothing for it but to wait.

“You haveto go and get him,” Emilia said, anger with Leandro impossible to fight. After being put through a thousand scans and checks, to be told she had suffered a mild concussion and sprained wrist but was otherwise fine, she came to understand that Leo had used the hospital’s policies to keep Salvatore away from her.

“I’m serious, Leo. Go and get him. Now.”

“Why, Emme? Why do you want him so badly?”

“For one thing, because I know he’ll be worried about me.”

“So what? He worries. Who gives a shit?”

“I do.”

“Why?” Leandro dragged a hand through his hair. “What the hell is going on with you, Emilia?”

“Nothing.”

“So what are you doing?”

“I—nothing.”

“You are messing around with Salvatore Santoro. Do you have any idea what it would do to our parents if they discovered this?”

“I—know it’s not what they would want.”

“Precisely. So why put them through the pain?”

“I’m not putting anyone through the pain of anything. We’ve taken great care to keep this off the radar—the fact you found out was an accident, but it can be the end of it.”

Leandro stood across the room, staring at her as though she’d sprouted two heads. “How long has this been going on?”

It was the first time it occurred to Emilia that she possibly wasn’t in the best place for this sort of conversation. Her brain, usually sharp and quick, wasn’t keeping up.

“Answer the damned question, Emilia.”

She flinched a little. “It’s been—a while.”

“A while? A night, two, three? A week?”

She shook her head then stopped immediately when pain radiated through her whole body. “A month,” she said, finally.

“A month?Cristo.”

“It’s fine,” she reiterated. “No one needs to know. You can forget about it. It’s not a big deal.”

“You honestly think the fact you’ve been sleeping with a Santoro for a month isn’t a big deal? Do you think our parents will take the same view?”

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