Page 59 of Thorns of Blood

I did that.

“You’re okay,” he murmured. “It was just a dream.”

It wasn’t just a dream—it was a nightmare, a twisted mosaic of devastation, the ghosts of past sins, and the sharp sting of loss.

My eyes squeezed shut, trying to shove the images away. Shut the door on them and move on. I had to forget about it all.

“Lia, open your eyes for me.” Giovanni’s compelling voice penetrated my broken mind. “Come on, let me see them.”

And I did, although my body refused to stop shaking.

“Husband,” I said through clattering teeth, desperate to get myself together. I didn’t like anyone to see me this way.

His green eyes looked up at me and he smiled. “That’s right.”

I inhaled a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. We stared at each other, all my demons and sins out in the open for him to see. Yet somehow, it didn’t seem to matter.

Giovanni sat on his haunches, regarding me with a deep frown. His eyes held mine, panic and ghosts clawing at my chest. I fought it, determined not to let them win, but lately, they seemed to triumph effortlessly.

During the day, I thought progress and victory were mine, but at night… it was a different story.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he offered, my eyes locked on the blood on his neck.

I shook my head.

“Let me clean up the cut,” I said and he nodded.

We walked into the bathroom and he pulled out a first aid kit, then handed it to me. I placed it on the counter and examined the contents.

As I reached for the peroxide and a Band-Aid, I murmured, “I’m sorry.”

The words were foreign on my lips. I couldn’t remember the last time I apologized to anyone.

“Not necessary. You had a nightmare.”

His warm palm came to rest on my shoulder, something reassuring in his touch. And it was only then that the realization sunk in. I was growing comfortable with Giovanni’s touch.

Tabling that revelation for now, I cleaned out his cut, but when I opened the Band-Aid, I paused. It wasn’t the plain one I was accustomed to seeing, but a colorful kind that had little… I pulled it closer to see better… footprints on it.

“They’re dog footprints.”

I shot him a questioning look but just shrugged. Maybe Giovanni was fond of dogs. It wasn’t as if I knew a lot about him.

Placing the Band-Aid on the cut, I examined it clinically.

“Go ahead, you can laugh,” he offered, his eyes twinkling suspiciously.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “Why would I laugh?”

“Because I have a toddler’s Band-Aid on my neck.” He grimaced. “I must look especially irresistible now.”

My mouth twitched and I found myself relaxing. “Are you fishing for a compliment?”

He let out a strangled laugh. “Maybe.”

I shook my head. “I slice your throat and you want a compliment.”

He flashed me an irresistible smile. “Priorities.”