Page 75 of Die for You

Her face is black with smoke, and her forehead is bleeding from where I assume she hit her head when she fell. But apart from that, I can’t see any open wounds.

No matter my anger, I’m thankful she’s all right.

Brushing the hair from her brow, I cup her cheek. “Tesoro mio,can you hear me?”

She wets her lips with her tongue. “Le-Lettie.”

And it’s at this moment that I know Valentina isn’t lying.

Lettie is real.

“We’ll find her. I promise. But for now, I need you to open your eyes.”

Her eyelids flutter, appearing to be stuck together, but eventually, I see those incredible blue eyes. They slay me just like always.

My heart returns to a semi-normal pace.

It takes her a moment, but she realizes what happened. “A bomb?” she asks, her voice hoarse.

I nod. “Meant for us.”

She pales. “Who called you?”

“I don’t know, but I heard a nursery rhyme before he said the word, boom.”

“What nursery rhyme?” Her voice quivers, and the answer may be the key.

“‘Ring Around the Rosie.’”

Tears fill her eyes, and I know it has nothing to do with us almost being blown to smithereens.

“Explain why this is important.”

I see her slipping away to a past she’s tried so hard to escape.

But I won’t let her because this time, she’s not alone. We’ll face her demons together, and I’ll slay each one.

“It’s just you and me,” I whisper, lowering my face to meet her downcast eyes. “I’ll keep you safe. He can’t hurt you ever again.”

A tear falls down her cheek.

“Father Merry…it’s what he used to sing when he—”

But she shakes her head, eyes squeezed shut.

She doesn’t need to explain.

I understand.

I understand why she did what she did to that motherfucker.

She crawls into my arms, wrapping herself around me while I cradle her tight.

Sirens sound in the distance, but she never lets me go.

Nor do I.

Father Merry is dead.