Page 149 of Angelic Vengeance

I couldn’t have moved even if I tried to.

She spoke again, after catching her breath, “I’m so sorry… I should’ve told you I loved you. Now you might never know and it’s all my fault.” Her hand took hold of mine. “I think I hate myself more than you hated me or I, you. I wish you could forgive me.” Her body shook as her tears soaked into my side. “I miss you. Please don’t leave me.”

“You love me?” I rasped, wrapping my arms around her.

Maria jumped, looking at me like she’d just seen a ghost. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained with mascara. Hair ruffled and lips raw from her biting them.

She was so beautiful it hurt.

I’d missed looking at her and having her look back at me without stone-cold eyes.

But then she was scrambling off the bed. “I need to get the doctor!”

I grabbed her and pulled her back, a lot closer than before.

“Zach, I need to–”

“You love me?” I interrupted her, palming the back of her neck.

Nothing about me was gentle.

I’d waited too fucking long.

Fucked up too much.

Lost her too many fucking times.

I needed to know.

I needed to know I’d never have to watch her walk away from me again.

Switching between her eyes, I sternly scanned her face, almost expecting a sign of doubt.

But there wasn’t. Her eyes softened; so much I thought she couldn’t possibly be looking at me like that.

“Yeah…” Her hand went to my neck as she leaned in, kissing my forehead. “I need to get the doctor–”

“They can wait. I fucking did for three years.” And with that I pulled her in, smashing my lips on hers. I kissed her like a man starved, forcing my tongue through her parted lips and devouring her. “I love you,” I groaned against her lips, breathing her in.

“I love you.” Her lips brushed mine. “Always have.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

A dark sound of satisfaction rumbled in my chest and I kissed her harder. When she moaned in my mouth, I knew I was about to make her ride my cock in this hospital bed.

“Doctor,” she mumbled. I kept going, making it clear I wasn’t stopping. But then she whispered against my lips, “Please… For me…”

I pulled back, pleased to see her cheeks flushed and lips swollen.

I stood by Zach’s side as the doctor checked him. Matteo, Zach’s brother stood on the other side of the room,talking to another doctor and handling paperwork. Zach had mentioned him before, but we’d never met – until a few hours ago when the hospital called him.

Trevor, Zane, Natalia, and the DeMone siblings had all showed up too; Kali was still on her way, on a flight from Tokyo. They waited outside with me the whole night while Zach was in surgery and I cried in Natalia’s arms. After Zach woke up and saw them for a few minutes, they went home to sleep – at seven in the morning.

There’d been no issue with the police since the scene at the Brooklyn Bridge subway station was crossed off as a terrorist attack. It hadn’t beenKingpin Diablopresent at the crime scene, but billionaire businessman Zachary Di’Ablo. At first, I was worried there’d be issues with the fact I took him to a hospital with four bullets in his chest, but Zach and Matteo were so high up, nothing could touch them.

Zach’s strong arm was wrapped tightly around my waist as if I might disappear if he let go. With my own arms crossed over my chest, I brushed my fingers over his. He wasted no time before interconnecting them.