“Marissa,it’s me.” Dominic entered, his sad but sweet smileletting her know he’d already spoken to the doctor.
“Maris,”she reminded him. Changing her name had felt right.
He’dchanged his surname to Scarnato, so he should understand, but he’dyet to call her by anything but Marissa.
“Bellamia, I am so sorry there is nothing new.” He took her hands andkissed each one. “Perhaps I should find a different doctor.”
“No.”She smiled to soothe him and hide her excitement over the first signof movement. “We can barely afford this one.” Nor did shewant to explain her signum to another doctor. As it was, she knewthis one didn’t believe her story about an ex-boyfriend beingan experimental tattooist. She tugged off the gown and pulled hertunic over her head.
“Thingsare about to change for us. You’ll see.” He helped herdress the rest of the way, gently lifting her legs and easing theminto the loose linen pants she’d adopted as her new uniform.Beige wasn’t white, but it wasn’t much color either. Oldhabits died hard.
“Why?”She looped her arm around his neck as he picked her up. She leaned into inhale his spicy scent. Instantly, it calmed her. He placed hercarefully into her wheelchair, but she held on to his hand. “Whatare you working on?”
“Justa few new serums. Nothing special, but enough that I should be ableto employ someone to help you soon.”
Shegrabbed his hand, the softest clanging of an alarm sounding in herhead. “What kind of serums?”
“Justa few things that will make us some money.” He gave her a winkas he went to open the door. When he came back, he kissed the top ofher head, then stepped behind the chair to push her out of the room.
Hisrefusal to explain made her stomach twist. She wished she could seehis face and read his eyes. Keeping her voice low as he wheeled herthrough the small clinic, she whispered, “Please, Dominic,don’t do anything dangerous.”
Anurse glanced their way. He laughed unconvincingly and gentlysqueezed her shoulder. “Tesora, what is danger after what youand I have been through?”
Itwas everything that appealed to him and everything she was trying toavoid. At least until she had a plan and was healed enough to fightagain, because there was no chance she’d get her daughter awayfrom the comarré life without spilling blood. It was a realityMaris had already accepted.
Evenif the blood required was hers.
Meet the Author
KristenPainter’s writing résumé boasts multiple GoldenHeart nominations and advance praise from a handful of bestsellingauthors, including Gena Showalter and Roxanne St. Claire. A formerNew Yorker now living in Florida, Kristen has a wealth of fascinatingexperiences from which to flavor her stories, including time spentworking in fashion for Christian Dior and as a maitre d’ forWolfgang Puck. Find out more about Kristen Painter atwww.kristenpainter.com andon Twitter @Kristen_Painter.
KristenPainter. Photo © Kevin Roberts, Intimate Images.
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