“He’s right. You deserve it all but he also deserves the same in return.” I see the way he looks at her, like they have a secret that no one else knows and to be honest it pisses me off. I start to stand, make myself heard when Tino pulls away from her and turns to face me. “Ania isn’t real.”
“Yes she is!” Tessa screams before grabbing at her head. She has to have one hell of a headache. The machines beep and a nurse comes rushing in. “I’m fine!” She snaps when the nurse moves toward her. She looks to me and I give her a nod letting her know that she can go.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Tino’s a liar!”
“I doubt that. Valentino?” His eyes look sad and hurt. He doesn’t want to betray her but he’s going to.
“When everything happened to her…to Tessa, she lost herself. She went someplace dark and that’s when Ania was born.”
“What do you mean?” I ask not sure I’m understanding all of this.
“Please, Tino. If you love me, you won’t do this!” She yells once more.
“I do love you, Tessa but so does he. Whether he admits it right now or not, I know he does. He needs to know.”
“Tino!” I snap louder this time catching his attention.
“She got lost in her head. We didn’t know how to help her but then she made it all about Ania. Everything that happened to her, happened to Ania. I think she used that to block out what truly happened to her.” I can hear the strangled cry leave Tessa as I scrub my hand over my face. This…I wasn’t expecting this.
“What do we do? How do we fix that?” I ask not sure what I’m supposed to be doing right now.
“You can’t fix me, Lorenzo! I’m not fucking broken!” I look over just in time to see her yanking the blood pressure cuff off her arm and ripping the IV free. She throws her legs over the bed, swaying on her feet when I move. Grabbing her around the waist, I hold her steady while listening to her breathe.
“No, you’re not broken, Tessa. You are far from broken. You are lost though and I need to help you find your way back. Don’t you want to be back?” I whisper against her ear. She sobs once more as I lean down and brush my lips over her neck. “I won’t lose you.”
“I’m already lost,” she cries harder. Her body trembles as Tino nods his head and turns to leave the room. I watch him go as she breaks down. Spinning her so that she’s facing me, I grab her face in my hands.
“You might be lost. You might be hidden from the world but I can still see you. You can’t hide from me,” I tell her.
“Is he right?” she asks as I swipe the tears on her cheeks.
“About what?”
“Do you love me?” That’s a loaded question. Loving someone would require things that I wasn’t sure I had in me. Or maybe I just didn’t want to see it but I feel it. God, with her I feel it.
“I do. I love you, Tessa.” Her eyes dance between mine as my heart leaps into my throat. I’ve never said those words to anyone before. When I lean down to kiss her, she beats me to it. Her lips crash into mine before I can even think about it. I let her take what she needs from me because after today I will be controlling her. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
“I want to go home,” she whispers against my lips.
“You need to rest.”
“I mean it; I want to go home.”
“Where is home, Tessa?” Her eyes tear up and it breaks my heart for her. I can see the war in her eyes. “With me, Tessa. Your home is with me.” She smiles and that’s all I needed. Wherever she called home before is no longer hers. She’s mine and everything I have I will give to her.
“Then take me home, Enzo. I don’t need to be here to rest,” she says sliding her hands down my chest. My cock hardens and I know it’s all from her touch.
“Do you really think I’ll let you rest at home?” I slide my hand down the front of her stomach and lift the gown. I nearly growl when I feel her soft flesh under my fingertips. Her breath catches in her throat as I slowly drag my fingers over her skin. This isn’t the time or the place for this but when I pull my hand away, she whines.
“Please. Take me home.” I nod my head and move to lift her in my arms, grabbing the blanket off the bed that Tino brought for her. Tessa quickly pulls it around her body, resting her head on my chest as I stalk from the room. My men are stationed outside the door and they move to follow as I head down the hall.
“What are you doing?” Gaia snaps when she sees us coming.
“Taking her home.”
“Do you have to be all caveman with her?” She asks raising an eyebrow.
“She likes it. Shut up and press the button.” Tessa giggles in my arms and Gaia moves to press the button. We all pile into the elevator in silence. IT’s a strange, yet peaceful silence. That is until Switch speaks.
“He’s still out there.”
“As I very well know but Tessa is in no shape to go after him at this point,” I inform him. I don’t miss the gasp that escapes Tessa’s lips either. I look down at her where she peers up at me. “Did you think I’d leave you out?” She grins and lays her head back on my chest when the doors open.
“Leaving so soon?” Tino stands there with a smirk on his face.
“The Queen has spoken. She doesn’t want to stay here and I think we can provide the same level of care, if not better at home. Don’t you, brother?” I feel Tessa’s hand tighten around my shirt at my words.
“That is right, indeed.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tessa
The headache from hell has lasted longer than they thought it would. It drives me insane but I’m feeling better every single day. Gaia has been the best friend that I’ve had as far as females go. No one will ever be able to take Tino’s place though.
“Tessa. We need to talk,” Enzo says walking into my room followed by Tino, Switch, Preacher, Gaia and Hugo. This can’t be good if they are all here. I look between all of them hoping to catch a glimpse or anything that could tell me what this is about.
“What’s happening?” I scoot up Enzo’s bed and lean against the headboard watching them all intently.
“There is something we need to discuss and I don’t think you’re going to take it well,” Enzo says coming to sit next to me. The rest stand there and watch as if I’m about to break apart. I don’t know what else could be said. Enzo has forced me to talk to a shrink of all people about the ways I cope with things, more so with the way I made up Ania in my head. She is real to me. So very real and trying to come to terms with the reality of her not being real has been hard for me. I think Enzo was right though. I needed someone else to explain things to so that they could help me learn to cope. Enzo does his fair share of that though too. He has been amazing to me.
“Are you going to spit it out or stand around staring at me?” I ask looking around the room. That’s when Tino steps forward.
“I can tell her, Valentino.” That came from Enzo but my eyes are glued to Tino. Whatever this is it needs to come from him.