Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty Nine
Kamari’s POV
Pain was the first thing I felt.
Not sharp…Not sudden…Just heavy. Everywhere my body arched so badly, my head throbbing profously. What on earth happened to me? Did the cat manage to tear me apart?
It sat in my chest, in my arms, along my back like something had settled there and decided to stay. I tried to move and instantly regretted it. My body protested in a way that made my throat tighten.
I let out a small sound—barely a whimper.
“Easy.”
The voice reached me before I could open my eyes. Low…Familiar….Dangerous in a way that felt… safe.
Luciano.
My lashes fluttered as I forced my eyes open. The light was dim, softer than before, and the smell around me wasn’t damp stone or blood or cold iron anymore. It was clean. Sterile. Like medicine and quiet.
Hospital.
He was sitting beside the bed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tightly together. His head snapped up the moment he realized I was awake.
“You’re awake,” he said, like he didn’t quite believe it.
I tried to speak, but my throat burned. He was already moving, lifting a cup with a straw, guiding it gently to my lips.
“Slow,” he murmured. “Just a little.”
The water was cool, soothing, and I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until then. When he pulled it away, I swallowed carefully and looked at him again.
He looked… different.
Not the cold man who dragged me back from the edge. Not the furious one I remembered shouting my name in the dungeon. This version of him looked worn down. Haunted.
His jaw was tight, eyes rimmed with exhaustion, knuckles scraped raw like he’d been clenching his fists for too long.
“You scared me,” he said quietly.
The words hit harder than any whip ever had. I turned my face away, blinking rapidly. “I thought you let her do it.”
The room went very still.
Luciano inhaled slowly, like my words punched the air from his lungs. “I didn’t.”
“She said you knew,” I whispered. “She said you allowed it.” His chair scraped softly as he stood. “Look at me, Kamari.”
I didn’t want to. I was afraid of what I’d see there. Afraid of what it would do to me if I believed him. But he gently cupped my chin, not forcing, just guiding. When our eyes met, something inside his cracked.
“I would never,” he said, voice low and shaking with something close to rage. “Never.”
I searched his face, every line, every flicker of emotion. I was used to lies. Used to men pretending. But this… this wasn’t acting.
“She went behind my back,” he continued. “She used my name to hurt you. And she paid for it.”
My heart thudded painfully. “Paid how?”
His thumb brushed lightly against my cheek, careful of the bruises. “You don’t need to know that yet.”
That scared me more than if he’d told me outright.
Silence settled between us, thick and heavy. My body ached, but the ache in my chest was worse.
“I tried to run,” I said quietly. “I thought if I stayed, she’d kill me.” He nodded once. “I know.” “You found me,” I added. “In the dungeon.”
His jaw clenched. “I found blood on the stairs. I followed it.” The memory made my stomach turn. I pressed my lips together, fighting the tremor that ran through me.
“There was a cat,” I whispered. “It attacked me.”
His eyes darkened instantly. “Shadow.” The name surprised me. “Shadow?”
“My wild cat,” he said. “I rescued him years ago. He doesn’t hurt anyone unless he’s provoked.” I laughed weakly, a broken sound. “Guess I was unlucky.”
His mouth tightened. “You were tied. Bleeding. Weak. That wasn’t provocation. That was cruelty.”
He looked away, anger simmering beneath his calm. “I chased him out the moment I heard you scream.” My chest tightened again. “You heard me?”
“I heard everything.” The way he said it—raw, filled with regret—made tears sting my eyes.
“I kept calling your name,” I admitted. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” Luciano leaned closer, resting his forehead against the edge of the bed. “I will always come.”
That was the moment I broke.
Tears slipped down the sides of my face, silent and hot. I turned away again, embarrassed by how easily he unraveled me. “I hate this place,” I whispered. “I hate what it’s turning me into.”
His hand slid into mine, firm and grounding. “Then we’ll change it.” I scoffed softly. “You can’t change the world.”
“No,” he agreed. “But I can change what touches you.” I looked back at him then, really looked at him.
“Why do you care?” I asked. “You’re engaged. You have power. You don’t need to protect me.” His grip tightened slightly. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
I waited.
“I don’t know when it happened,” he admitted. “Or how. But somewhere along the line… you stopped being collateral.” My breath hitched. “You became mine,” he said quietly. “And I protect what’s mine.”
The words sent heat curling low in my stomach, tangled with fear and confusion. “You shouldn’t say that,” I whispered. “I know.” “But you’re saying it anyway.”
“Yes.”
The door opened suddenly, and a nurse peeked in, clearing her throat politely. “She needs rest.” Luciano straightened immediately. “I’ll stay.”
“She needs sleep,” the nurse insisted. “I said I’ll stay,” he repeated, his tone brooking no argument. She nodded and left.
" Could you believe they wanted to shut me out from seeing you the entire time until I threatened one of the nurses." He pouted looking like a five years old kid who was reporting to his mother about an adult who refused to let him play. " Threatened you mean? Did you grip her neck or what?" I joked staring at him in disbelief.
" I showed her my gun and that is it,"
He sat back down, never letting go of my hand. “Get some sleep,” he murmured. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
My eyes fluttered shut again, exhaustion pulling me under.
And for the first time since stepping into Luciano’s world…
I slept without fear.