She said my name again, her fierce whisper somewhere between a plea and a prayer.
My full focus honed on her, and I gathered her up in my arms to cradle her close to my chest. “I’ve got you, kitten,” I promised, my voice hoarse from the inhuman noises I’d been making for the last several hours. “You’re safe.”
Her gray eyes tightened with strain, and she lifted her hand with considerable effort, her fingers twitching as she forced her muscles to comply with her demands.
“I need your knife.” Her thick tongue stumbled over the words slightly, but my furious pet was determined.
I freed the wicked hunting knife from its sheath at my belt, pressing the hilt into her palm.
“I can kill him for you, Carmen,” I offered, even as I firmed her grip around the weapon by closing my fingers over hers.
Her pale eyes glinted with the sharp steel I’d always so fiercely admired. “No. I need to do this.”
“All right, kitten.” I shifted her to a more comfortable position in my lap and started working her cramped muscles with my fingers, helping her to regain her coordination after the electric shock from Miguel’s Taser.
The sounds of warfare that ravaged the estate above echoed down the stairwell through the open doorway, but we were safely removed from the firefight. I kept one hand near my pistol just in case, and I split my attention between soothing Carmen and eyeing Miguel’s shuddering, broken body. He was too badly mutilated to move, and the stench of his impending death already permeated the dank space.
But I was prepared to wait down here as long as necessary until Carmen got closure. This monster had been the cause of her nightmares for over a decade. She’d been surrendered to his sadistic torment all those years ago because of my callous actions. I would never be able to atone for the pain I’d caused her, but I would ensure that she witnessed his death in whatever gory way she wished.
The gunfire above began to dissipate by the time Carmen’s fingers flexed around the knife handle, holding it with her own strength. She gave me a tight nod and shifted in my arms.
I allowed her to maneuver as she wished, providing support without encumbering her. She managed to balance her weight on her knees, and I braced my arm around her waist while she glowered at Miguel.
Blood bubbled from his lips, and whatever plea or protest he might have offered was lost in a wet cough.
Carmen stared down at her tormentor, her eyes glinting with righteous rage. “Never again,” she hissed, nicking his artery with the razor-sharp blade.
His body convulsed, his eyes rolling as the terror of his certain death consumed him.
Carmen broke her intense glare and focused on me. “Let’s go.”
“You don’t want to wait?” I asked, awed by her ferocity. I’d assumed she would want to watch the light leave his eyes.
“He can die down here alone in the dark.” She lifted her chin, the knowledge of his pitiless end bolstering her considerable strength. “Take me home, Stefano.”
Home. My brave pet wanted to return to our penthouse. The place where I’d caged her had become her home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Whatever makes you happy, kitten,” I swore.
I would do absolutely anything to ensure Carmen’s complete contentment and security.
Chapter 24
Carmen
I winced at the sight of the mottled purple bruises that marred Stefano’s torso, painful reminders of the bullets he’d run through to get to me.
“These look really bad.” I lamented his injuries, limiting my touch to the gentlest caresses around his shoulders.
“Don’t worry, kitten. I’m not scarred forever. I’ll be just as mouthwatering as ever once the bruises fade.” His dark eyes glittered as he teased me.
Despite the pain he must be experiencing, he’d been in an ebullient mood ever since we’d returned home from the slaughter at Miguel’s estate. Judging by the hungry edge to his words, he was more than capable of shifting his weight onto me and fucking me in our bed if I gave him the slightest invitation.
I fixed him with a level stare. “You know that’s not what I meant. Stop stalling and take the painkillers Dr. Holloway prescribed. I’ve promised you that I’m not hurt at least a hundred times now. You’re the one who sustained significant injuries today, not me.”
His playful smile dropped, his eyes drawing tight with renewed strain as he cupped my cheek in his big hand. “Like I said, my bruises will fade. I’m not worried about myself, kitten. I know he hurt you.”
He rested his palm over my heart, the pressure of his steady touch mitigating the sudden ache that assailed me. I clutched at his hand, holding him tight against me.
Miguel hadn’t caused any lasting damage to my body, but facing my nightmare had left my psyche ravaged. Stefano had gotten to me before Miguel had time to force himself on me, but I still felt deeply violated. All of the dark memories of what I’d suffered at his hands had been ripped to the surface of my consciousness, each awful detail of my imprisonment brought back to sharp relief.