CHOSEN BY A SINNER (Completed)

Chapter 27

makes me cry harder. He stands up again, then leans closer and locks eyes with me. "Daddy's here, baby-girl."

"Hold me," I sputter, trying to reach for him.

Dad carefully pushes his arms beneath my back, and gently lifts me to his chest. The moment I get to bury my face against his shoulder, I allow myself to break down.

"I love you, printsessa." He peppers my hair with kisses. "I'm so fucking sorry you got hurt."

I nod against his shoulder, then whimper, "I was so

scared."

"Christ, baby-girl," he groans. "I wish I could trade places with you."

Dad holds me until the wave of emotions passes, and I manage to calm down. He gently lays me back against the pillows and wipes the wetness from my cheeks.

Then Mom comes in, and the wave of trauma hits all over again.

From pure exhaustion, I drift off into a dreamless sleep.

When I wake up again, Luca's on a call, murmuring, “Let me know the minute you have eyes on Kastrati or Tinaj." He listens to something, then glances in my direction. Seeing I'm awake, he says, "Hold on. Mariya just woke up."

Luca comes to press the phone to my ear. "It's Viktor."

"Hey." I say.

"Hey, little sister. How are you feeling?" Viktor practically coos over the line, which makes me smile.

"Like road kill. They did a number on me."

"Don't worry. The fuckers you killed are worse off," he

mutters. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." I let out a chuckle, but the sudden movement hurts like a

bitch. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts.”

"Sorry. I'm just tracking the bastards behind the attack, then I'll come to visit. Want me to bring anything?"

"No."

"Love you, little one," he murmurs.

"Love you too."

Luca tucks the phone away, then gives me a quick kiss. He sits down in the chair next to the bed and smiles at me. "You look a little better."

"I don't feel it," I mutter. Lifting my right arm, I look at

the thick bandage around my hand and wrist. I swear I can still hear the drill.

"Just keep resting. You'll be back on your feet soon

enough," Luca tries to encourage me. "What did the doctors say?" I ask as I rest my hand back on the covers. "How bad is the damage?"

Luca leans closer and brushes his fingers over my forehead. "You have a shattered femur from the gunshot, but with a little rehabilitation, you'll be good as new." He tries to give me a comforting smile. "The broken ribs should heal in a month or so. Just take it easy and let me cater to your every need."

I almost chuckle but catch myself in time. "I like the sound

of that." His eyes caress my face, then he admits, "I've never been

so terrified in my life."

"Me too." Terrified is actually an understatement. I don't think there's a word for what I felt. There were a couple of

times I really believed I was going to die.

Luca kisses the back of my left hand, then takes something out of his pocket. I watch as he slips the diamond ring back onto my finger. His thumb brushes over it, then he kisses my hand again.

He rises from the chair, my eyes following his every

movement.

I'm so thankful I didn't die, and I got another chance with this man.

Luca sits on the side of the bed and braces a hand next to my head, so his face is closer to mine, then he says, "I always thought I'd have all the time in the world." He shakes his head. "Turns out I was wrong. We're not guaranteed a tomorrow."

That's something I realized as well. This attack was one hell of a wake-up call.

Luca's eyes turn so freaking serious it makes my heartbeat speed up. He stares at me for a moment. Anticipation fills my chest because it feels like he's about to tell me something really important.

I hold my breath, my eyes glued to his.

"I have to come clean about something," he admits.

My stomach tightens into a tight ball.

Please don't tell me you want an annulment. Not now. It will break me. I can handle being tortured but not losing you.

"I wasn't drunk."

Huh?

What is he talking about?

"On your birthday, when we got married," he explains. "I knew exactly what I was doing."

The air wooshes from me, causing a sharp ache in my chest.

I'm not sure what it means.

Luca's fingers caress my cheek. "I've always wanted you,

Mariya. You were drunk, and I did nothing to stop you. I took

advantage of the situation."

Luca married me because he wanted to?

My mind tells me I should be angry, but my heart refuses to tolerate the emotion.

His features soften with such tenderness, it soothes the blow of the news. The intensity of his attention focused only on me wraps me in a hopeful bubble.

My heart stutters.

My breaths stall.

"I love you so fucking much, and when you came up with the idea that we should get married, I grabbed it with both hands."

Holy shit.

It takes a moment for the words to sink in, then I burst out in tears as intense relief hits.

Carefully, Luca wraps his arms around me, holding me so gently as if he's scared I might break. "There was a moment I thought you wouldn't make it. My biggest regret was not

telling you how I felt about you. Especially because I knew you loved me. I tried to show you how much you meant to me, but too late, I realized I never said the words." He kisses my temple, then the heat of his breath warms my ear. "Ti amo tanto."

I recognize the words from when he said them to me

during sex.

Luca.

I lift my left arm and grab hold of his side as I try to

breathe through the magnitude of this moment.

I never thought it would happen. I hoped but never

believed.

"So I'm not letting another day pass without you knowing there is no one more important than you," he continues. "Everything I have, everything I am, is yours, Mariya."

All I can do is cling to him as the words I never thought I'd hear settle deep in my heart.

Thank you, God.

Thank you for not letting me die before I could hear these

words from Luca.

"Bastard," I whimper. "I thought you hated me."

"I love you."

I slap his side, sobbing, "You should've told me sooner."

"I love you."

Happiness bursts in my chest, and I sob like a baby in his arms. Finally, free to say the words I've kept secret for so

long, I cry, "I love you... so much... it hurts."

Luca peppers the side of my face with kisses and bathes me in his love.