Page 245 of Kissing the Villain

I brushed Alex’s hair off her forehead and pressed my lips to her skin. No matter what condition, I would always want her.She was my girl from the moment I laid eyes on her. Beautiful and pure, I had dreamed of all the ways I would break her. But I never anticipated that she would change me. I never expected her to make me feel again.

“Drea,” I whispered into her ear. “Wake up, baby girl.”

I stroked her cheek with my knuckles, and she stirred. She rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball.

“Luca,” she breathed with her eyes closed.

“Yeah, baby. It’s me.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly as if she were having a panic attack.

“You’re safe now,” I whispered. “I won’t let anyone touch you ever again.”

Her eyes were bloodshot and watery. “Luca,” she sobbed. “Luca, they…”

She couldn’t even get the words out.

“I saw, baby.” I swiped her hair behind her ears. “I know what they did. They will pay. I promise.”

“I want to do it,” she muttered.

“Do what?”

“I want to kill them.”

I tipped my head back and laughed.

“I’m serious,” she fired back.

“You need to eat something first. Can you sit up?”

She propped herself up on her elbow, her eyes on me. I gripped her shoulders to help her, and she groaned as if my touch branded her skin.

“What hurts, baby?”

“Everything.” She slumped against the couch, then shoved the blanket from her thighs.

My mouth fell open at the sight of her skin. It looked much worse than what I saw in the video from Cal. She had deep cuts starting at her inner thighs, the gashes long and bloody,spanning down to the ankles. She had black and blue marks around her wrists from the restraints. I lifted her shirt to appraise the bruises covering her ribs and stomach.

“Jesus,” Marcello said from behind us. “That fucking bastard.”

“You’re seeing a doctor,” I told her. “Your ribs are so bruised you might have broken them. At the very least, you need X-rays and bloodwork.” She frowned as our eyes met. “It’s non-negotiable. I can’t have you dying on me in your sleep from internal bleeding.”

She lay her head on the couch. “I’ll survive, Luca.”

“For now, maybe. It’s not up for debate. You’re seeing a doctor when we get home.”

“You’ll get your revenge, Alex,” Marcello said calmly. “We tracked down Cal’s men. It won’t be long before we have Cal, too.”

She looked up at him. “Is Cal the one with the skull tattoo?”

He nodded.

“He’s mine,” she said in a murderous tone that thrilled me.

Marcello dropped to his knees beside the couch. “Whatever you want, princess.”

She leaned forward, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. “You saved me again.”

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