Page 147 of The Crowned Garza

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WHEN I MAKEit back to the guest suite, Saint is awake.

“I didn’t leave.” I rush to the bed. “I only went down to the kitchen for a little bit.”

He chuckles quietly, shaking his head. “I woke up thinking it was fifteen minutes later. But apparently it’s a whole new day.”

“Yeah, you’ve been out for quite a while.” I sit on the bed, taking his hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Not like someone who’s been asleep for almost twenty-four hours.” He looks me over and tugs at the oversized shirt I’m wearing. “Whose clothes are these anyway?”

I glance down at the baggy gray sweatpants. “No idea. Lorenzo threw them at me after they forced me into the shower yesterday.”

“Hmm,” he grunts with displeasure. “Ana here was just about to help me shower. I told her you probably wouldn’t like that very much.”

Ana? I slide a glance at the pretty brunette nurse who seems to have taken a sudden interest in the floor tiles. “Howsaintlyof you to save her life.”

He chuckles but stops abruptly with a wince. “Don’t make me laugh. The painkillers haven’t kicked in yet.”

“Come.I’llbathe you.”

IN THE SHOWER,I try to keep a calm expression even though rage is boiling under my skin from seeing all the bruises on his body. His artful, impeccable body.

Those bastards.

“Hey…” He slides a finger under my chin, tipping my face up to meet his eyes. “I’m fine. Promise. Papa gave me worse beatings than this as a kid.”

“You aren’t allowed to take their calls until they apologize to you,” I tell him. “As a matter of fact, they better comecrawlingback to you and begging for forgiveness. You don’t need those asswipes.Theyneed you.”

He smiles, as if he thinks I’m cute. “I made a commitment to Red Cage.”

“No, you made a commitment toTorin Garza. The rest of them can go stick their heads in a meat grinder.”

When he merely continues to smile down at me, water spraying on our heads, I narrow my eyes at him. “I mean it, Saint. You’re banned from talking to them or helping them in any way whatsoever.”

I’m expecting him to give me another patronizing smile, completely disregard me. But, slowly, his face clears, as if in understanding that this is important for me, and then he nods. “Okay,regina. Where the Garzas are concerned, you call the shots. I’ll follow your lead. You handle your family how you see fit, and I’ll handle mine.”

“Thank you.”God, I love this man. “Thank you, Saint.”

“Do you think I’ve been calling youreginajust for the hell of it?” He sweeps his thumb across my cheek. “Tu sei la mia regina. You wield more power over me than you know.”

“Hmm… How much power exactly?”

“That’s something you’ll have to discover on your own as we go.”

I ogle his throat, his broad shoulders, his inked chest, my tattoo above his heart… Every bone in me wants to bend for him. “I wanna hug you, but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

He hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me flush against him. “You’re the only one allowed to hurt me from now on,regalità.”

And I never will. I rest my head against his chest. “Will Iseppa try to hurt you?”

“Yes and no,” he answers. “She has no access to the Luciani funds. Don Moretti is who’s secretly financing her right now. Without enough capital, her coup will fail. A leader with an empty pocket can influence only so many. Her first order of business would be to gain control of everything I’ve built. I’m guessing her plan is to use you as a bargaining chip. Force me to relinquish everything in exchange for you.”

Iknewthat damn woman’s a psycho. “You have a plan, though, right?”

“I had one, yeah. One that would’ve prevented things from getting this messy. Was well ahead of her, but…”

“My brothers screwed it up, didn’t they?”