Page 97 of Beautiful Trauma

“I don’t know if I told you, but Callum’s wife, Caterina, is a nurse.”

“The one he kidnapped from a convent?”

With a laugh, Kellan replied, “That’s the one.”

“Does she have experience with spinal injuries?”

“No. But at the hospital where she works, there’s a doctor who’s had amazing results with patients with paralysis.”

“Really?”

Kellan nodded. “I could pull some strings to get him to see Dima.”

I furrowed my brows. “But Boston is enemy territory for him. There’s not only your family, but Father isn’t on good terms with the Bratva leader there.”

“He would need an alias.”

“You think just a change of name will protect Dima in enemy territory?”

“He would be under Kavanaugh protection.”

As I stared at the man before me, I fought to catch my breath. The emotions churning in my chest threatened to explode out of me. “You’d do that for him even though he tried to kill you?”

“Of course, I would.”

“But that could bring a lot of trouble to your doorstep.”

He smiled. “We’re used to trouble.”

“Kellan–”

He reached across the table to take my hand in his. “Let me do this for him.” He squeezed my hand. “And for you.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, I rose out of my chair and scrambled over to close the distance between us. After dropping down in his lap, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you,” I murmured in his ear.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I need to.”

“Then you’re welcome.”

After rising off Kellan’s lap, I went back to my chair with a newfound bounce in my step at the thought of Dima being healed.

“Although you don’t need to thank me, you’re welcome.”

After bestowing a kiss on his cheek, I rose out of his lap and started back to my chair with a newfound bounce in my step for Dima’s healing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: KELLAN

After we stuffed ourselves with delicious Thai food, I had the planetarium specialist come back in, so Mila could work the telescope. As I sat back and watched Mila’s interaction with her, I couldn’t help smiling at the way she appeared to be in her element. Gone was the prickly Mila who didn’t play well with strangers. Instead, she had the specialist laughing and even nodding her head in agreement.

Fuck me, it was an amazing moment.

The fact that I had brought such happiness to Mila sent my ego into overdrive.

Once she was able to work the telescope on her own, Mila became so engrossed that I feared I might have to pry her off of it at the end of the date.

After making small talk with the specialist about the shows the planetarium put on, Mila was still engrossed, so I began scrolling on my phone. I’d just checked in onBandiawhen she called my name.