Page 212 of Bitter Poetry
“Can you be serious for once. I have a lot of guilt!”
“No. And you should feel guilty, you fucked up. Now I’ve no choice but to spank you until you atone… How do you feel about masks? Bondage?”
“Not bondage!”
“Just the spanking and masks then.” He’s still grinning. “Get over here.”
‘H-here?”
He pulls on my hand.
“Don’t you’re going to hurt yourself!”
He keeps pulling me closer, and I let him.
“Get on the bed, Carmela. Next to me, where I can feel you.”
“Oh, God! Why?”
“You know you’re hurting me by struggling…”
I huff out a breath and gingerly settle beside him on the bed.
His sigh is full of contentment.
Mine is full of relief. They sedated him when we arrived, saying he would probably sleep. He did, although they came in and out constantly checking on him, and he was roused, but I doubt he remembers it.
He has such a strong personality. To see him so vulnerable, so lacking vitality, destroys me.
He’s holding me. Is this him forgiving me?
“I didn’t get you a drink.”
“Dante will be back in a minute. He can get me one.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“I know. But this is nice. Just take a moment.”
CHAPTER 64
CARMELA
Later that day, Christian is discharged from the hospital. I feel he needs to stay longer. He doesn’t want to, and I can tell from Dante’s tight expression that he doesn’t want him there, either.
I’ve started a war. The Russians have taken Ettore. Amid this backdrop of danger and uncertainty, even a private hospital like this one is a vulnerable location.
I expect them to take us back to Dante’s apartment. So I’m surprised when instead we pull into the grounds of a sprawling Georgian home hidden behind high walls.
“It was my parents’ home,” Dante tells me. “Now it’s mine.”
Soldiers patrol the grounds. The sight of them is familiar, even if the setting is different, and these soldiers belong to Dante and Leon… I’ve not seen Leon since we left the warehouse. I can only presume he’s busy dealing with the consequences of my actions.
The guilt is stifling.
Our car pulling up to a stop offers a source of distraction. Dante helps Christian out of the vehicle. A housekeeper greetsus at the door. Moments later another arrives, greeting Christian and Dante like long-lost sons.
Dante speaks quietly with them before he instructs Christian in the way only an older brother can, to get his ass upstairs before he collapses.
