Page 18 of Stained Honor

The darkness disappears.

The anxiety disappears.

The fear disappears.

I drift somewhere peaceful and weightless, and for the first time in an entire month, I fall into the deepest sleep I’ve had since leaving him.

***

The sound of a car pulling into the courtyard drags me out of sleep. Even with the heavy curtains blocking most of the sunlight, the glow slipping through the edges tells me it’s morning, and judging by the way my body feels, I slept through the entire night without waking up once.

Well… almost.

I vaguely remember Carlo forcing something into my mouth sometime between sleep and consciousness and making me drink every drop of sweet juice before pulling me back against him and ordering me to go back to sleep.

I glance at the clock. Nine in the morning. I’m still sprawled naked beneath the satin sheets. A lazy, content smile spreads across my face as I stretch my arms and legs before sitting up. The first thing I notice is the breakfast tray waiting beside the bed with a handwritten note resting on top of it.

“Eat breakfast first, then take a shower. That’s an order, baby.”

My smile deepens instantly.

I grab the glass of juice and drink it down before finally taking a shower. But the second I look into the mirror afterward, a startled gasp escapes me.

Jesus.

I was right.

My eye’s almost swollen shut from the bruising.

I dry my hair, pull on a sleeveless blue dress that falls to my knees, and step out of the bedroom. I haven’t even reached the stairs yet when a familiar burst of laughter freezes me in place so suddenly I almost think I’m hallucinating again.

But then I see Gabriel in Carlo’s arms, laughing uncontrollably, and every thought disappears from my head.

I fly down the stairs two at a time without stopping.

Gabriel still hasn’t noticed me when I snatch him out of Carlo’s arms and crush him against my chest. I bury my face against his warm skin and breathe him in desperately, kissing his soft little head over and over like I’m trying to make up for an entire month all at once.

I don’t even care when he starts squirming and whining in my arms.

I just hold him tighter.

Until my son finally decides to rescue himself from the prison I’ve built around him and smacks his tiny hand straight against my bruised eye hard enough to make me wince in pain.

Carlo immediately reaches for Gabriel, takes him out of my arms, and sets him down on the floor before pulling me closer against him.

“You okay?” he asks, concern tightening his voice while he checks my eye again.

I laugh softly despite the pain. “I’m fine. I just look like a pirate now.”

But unlike me, Carlo doesn’t smile. He keeps studying my bruised eye carefully before saying, “I made you a doctor’s appointment for today. I’m sure it’s nothing serious, but I wanna make sure.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Gabriel suddenly making a run for it, but before either of us can grab him, Brando appears out of nowhere and lets out a loud growl that instantly sends Gabriel spinning back toward us in a fit of giggles.

Laughing loudly, Gabriel stumbles toward me on his unsteady little legs while calling out, “Mommy!”

The second he reaches me and hides behind my legs, I run my fingers through his soft hair and look up at Carlo with teary eyes.

“I thought maybe he forgot me.”