Leander sat on the chair three meters away from the bed and watched the sleeping woman. He didn't know how long he was staring. His back started to ache. Her breathing was labored even with the oxygen mask, and a couple of IVs were connected to her wrists.
He looked at his phone and the screen went dark. That was the third missed call from his grandfather. Taking in a deep breath, he called him back.
The call connected immediately. Leander stood up supporting with his hand.
"Grandpa... ah!" a grunt escaped his lips as he couldn't bear the pain in his shoulder. He shouldn't have used that hand for support.
"Did you get the one who did this?"
The voice from the other end was deep and had a tremble of an old man. But it had the usual gentleness he always had for him combined with his authoritative tone. Leander smiled from his heart.
"They checked the footage, Leander. The dog Evander raised…The-the Cane Corso he picked up from the street...?"
"Yeah?" Leander's eyes unconsciously ended up at the sleeping woman on the bed.
She did not! Did she really…
*Bang* *Bang*
Leander closed his eyes as he heard a series of gunshots on the other end of the call and a whimper of a dog.
"If only we had i-it we-we could have saved his…" Peter coughed. "That demon…"
Leander's heart skipped a beat hearing his grandfather's pain. His grandfather is sick and his sickness is getting only worse over time. And during this time, he needs to go through this trouble.
"It can't be just one… She must have been working with many-"
"I don't want the details, Leander. I want each of them to pay. Broadcasting it everywhere…heh! Evan is very broken and is refusing to eat or drink."
"I'll find them, grandpa."
"Alive, Leander!" Peter's voice got serious. "Bring them to Evan, alive. He wants to punish them. Especially her… he said she had the eyes of a demon…"
Demon?
Leander rubbed his chest and stopped by the bedside.
"Okay, grandpa. I will."
Peter cleared his throat. "And… I heard you were wounded too?" he asked. His voice softened considerably.
"It's nothing, grandpa. Just a simple flesh wound…"
He lied. His grandfather does not have to worry about him too.
"That's good. I need you to lead the charge in this war, Leander. We cannot show ourselves to be weak now. We should not rest until we bring them down. It must be them…Those Palatini hyenas!" Peter grumbled and started to cough again.
"Don't stress yourself, grandpa. Have some rest. I will find them and bring them to you."
Leander waited for the call to end and then threw his phone on the bed. It bounced twice before ending up at the edge of the bed.
"Who sent you?" he sat beside Viviana and gripped the blanket covering her chest.
His fingers trembled a bit as he realized that underneath the blanket was her bare skin. She was not wearing any clothes. He was disturbed but he didn't relent his grip.
He stared at her face for some time.
Something took over him and he slowly pulled the blanket down. His eyebrows flinched as he watched the edge of the blanket slide over her smooth skin revealing her neck, her slender shoulders, and collarbones.
Her skin was pale, and she almost looked lifeless. The liveliness he saw on her when she was on the ledge was gone. His fingertips were touching the blanket covering her chest and even through that, he could hear the murmurs in her chest.
He pulled the blanket down further.
The twin little peaks on her chest were so pretty at one glance. His eyes got drawn to the distinct mole under her left breast right above her heart.
He couldn't help but take another peek at her firm, round twins. And without knowing, his hand hovered above them. They were not enormous, and they definitely were not small. They were just enough size to fit in his…
He gulped and retracted his hand. But his eyes were lingering.
He could see why his brother was so besotted with her enough to lose his manhood in her hands.
Her hands…
He picked her hand and placed it over his. They were so small. This woman is so petite and weighed almost nothing.
He placed his hand over her chest. Although her face looked peaceful, he could sense that she is struggling to breathe.
She is very sick.
His hand on her chest trembled at that thought. He let out a deep breath as his shoulder was throbbing with pain. She might be small, but she is strong and to pull everything, she must be very smart.
Or she might have someone with a strong background supporting her.
"What besotted me..?" He mumbled. "Joe…"
That common name coming from her mouth… He must be the one who is helping her.
'Leo…'
Her soft voice uttering that name caused flutters in his heart. It was something so intense, something so novel, a little painful, yes, and yet he didn't hate that feeling. He wanted to feel it again.
He shook his head to stop himself from thinking further. He still doesn't understand why he did what he did.
He covered her with the blanket, properly tucking her in.
His long bony fingers reached for her cheek. She was cold to the touch. He leaned closer and he could hear the small gurgling sound from her throat.
"Maybe… Maybe if you tried to swim out of the river, I would have let you disappear and forced myself to forget your existence… but you…"
His thumb traced over her eyelashes. "Demon's eyes, huh? If so, why did I see…"
Her eyebrows flinched a little and her eyes rolled inside her closed eyelids. He observed every little movement on her quaint little face.
Her face was so small he thought he could squish it with his hands and end her life. He grabbed her jaws. He tried to squish her face, but he could only clench his jaws. His hand didn't move.
He snorted and bent to her ears. His deep voice vibrated on the pillow as he whispered in her ear.
"Live, woman… I have to bring you to my family. Evander has to…"
He buried his face in her long wavy hair that was sprawled on the pillow. She smelled like chemicals, or it could be the smell of medicine.
He closed his eyes and his lips rested on her hair.
"Live," he said, his voice shaking. It was not something he planned to say to her.
It was the voice of his heart that slipped through the high security of his rationality; something that he couldn't control even with all the strong defenses he put up around his heart all through his life.
His heart wanted her alive.
He didn't know why. But that's what he wanted.
And this crack in his defense shook his entirety. He stood up and walked away without turning back.
She is dangerous!