“Tatum.”
I felt his warm hand cover mine, and it instantly comforted me, knowing he was there at my side.
“How are you feeling?”
How was I feeling? I wasn’t sure. “What happened?”
He sat down on the bed next to me. “You fainted.”
“Fainted?”
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
I glanced up at the roof, my mind jumping around, trying to grab hold of a memory.
“Um…I remember breakfast.”Bacon. A knife against my throat.
“What else?”
I closed my eyes. “Ricardo.”Red. Death. Revenge. Relief.
I opened my eyes and looked at Castello. He stared at me wide eyed as words softly hummed through my mind.“Killing you won’t save me…but loving you will.”
Did he really say that? Did Castello Fattore tell me he loved me? Surely that couldn’t be true. I knew there was some sort of connection between us, but love? How could what started out as a sick, twisted vendetta turn into something as sacred and innocent as love? It wasn’t possible. I must have dreamed hearing those words come out of his mouth.
Castello placed his hand on my shoulder before pulling his fingers through my hair. “What happened when you fainted?”
“I’m not sure. I remember feeling dizzy, sick to my stomach, and then…nothing.”
“Doc reckons it’s stress, exhaustion. I don’t know what fucking else.”
There was a clear tone of worry in his voice, and the way his eyes searched every part of my face was as if he was trying to convince himself I was fine.
I took his hand as it reached the ends of my hair. “I’m fine, Castello. I’m sure Doc is right. I just need some rest.”
He leaned down and placed his lips hard against my forehead, kissing my skin. “You scared the living shit out of me, Tatum.”
I smiled. “Don’t tell me you were worried about me…sir?”
He scoffed. “That is not even remotely funny.” He got up from the bed, straightening his jacket, once again wearing the confidence of a Fattore man. “I’m going to arrange for some food to be sent up, and then I don’t want you to move from this fucking bed. Is that clear?”
The thought of food made my stomach churn. “I’m really not hungry.”
“Don’t even think about it. You’ll eat every goddamn morsel of food I’m having sent up.”
I gagged a little.
“I’ll send Doc up to check on you.”
I watched as he walked out the bedroom, closing the door behind him. My body felt achy all over, my head pounding against my skull. I had no idea what happened. I’d never fainted before in my life. Maybe Doc was right. Maybe, after everything that happened, my brain finally decided to zone out. After all, I was kidnapped, beaten, almost raped and murdered. I also witnessed my father getting killed by a man I now despised most.Vico.Surely my body and brain deserved a few seconds of not…functioning.
I turned on my side and nestled deeper into the pillow when a surge of nausea suddenly burst through my gut. There was no way I would have made it to the bathroom in time, and my stomach decided the plush white carpet was the perfect place to empty its contents—which wasn’t much.
Every muscle inside my body tensed and strained as I mostly dry-heaved with a violent urge to throw-up. The more I gagged, the sicker I felt to my stomach.
“Miss Linscott!” Doc came rushing in. “Are you okay?”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling—and probably looking—like shit.