Page 81 of The One Night Match

“I want to see Cruz,” I say softly.

Lexi drags her bottom lip between her teeth, but her hesitation speaks volumes. There’s something she’s not telling me, and the longer she doesn’t spit it out, the more anxious it’s making me. “He won’t let himself come to see you. I think it’s killing him to stay away, but he’s beating himself up pretty bad. Blaming himself for you getting hurt…again.”

“But it’s not his fault!”

“You know that, and I know that, but it’s taking some time for him to get it through his thick skull.” She squeezes my shouldergently. “He’ll come around. It’s just hurting his very delicate ego to know that he didn’t keep you safe when it mattered.”

I want to argue, want to push the covers off and march into his office myself, giving him no other choice than to see me. But if he needs time, I need to respect that. Even if it hurts not to have him here. Even if my chest aches knowing he’s suffering alone.

“He did get you a gift, though.” She nods to the box on the bedside table.

“He did?”

She nods, a smirk playing on her lips as she pushes herself up and rounds the bed.

I carefully shimmy up the bed until I’m in a seated position with my hands free, just in time for her to pass me the box.

The amusement in her eyes is unsettling, and when I slip the note from its envelope, I’m more confused than I was to begin with.

Kitten,

I promise to add to the collection for every person who has ever hurt you.

Yours,

Cruz

I flick another confused look up at Lexi, who can barely contain her giggles before finally opening the box.

It takes me long seconds to process what I’m seeing, but when I do, a laugh bubbles in my sore throat.

“Is he implying he’s going to cut off the hand of every person who hurts me?” I ask carefully, staring down at the severed hand at the bottom of the box.

“I don’t think he’s implying anything.” Lexi laughs. “I think that crazy motherfucker is going to do exactly as he’s promised.”

In a weird way, the gift settles the anxiety that was gurgling in my chest. Because if he’s doing unhinged shit like this, he’s not pulling away from me.

And if he is pulling away from me, he’d better be ready for me to fight back.

I didn’t let myself fall for Cruz De Luca just for him to break my heart.

FORTY-THREE

CRUZ

Watching Riley open my gift with a smile on her face only proves how perfect she is for me.

Too bad I can’t keep her.

Not when it means she’s in danger.

Not when she could be killed for no other reason than because she’s my wife.

The camera feed in the bedroom plays on the screen in front of me, distracting me from the calls I should be making.

I can’t take my eyes off her, and my chest aches to be close to her.

Making Lexi deliver the news that she couldn’t see me was a dick move, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk away myself.