Inferno's Kiss (47 page)

Effortlessly, she threw Dante’s sword to him while preparing to fight the Praetorian. The Dominus stopped the minute she lifted her sword. A malicious sneer on his face, he snorted with dark laughter then extended his hand in a sharp gesture. The air whooshed out of Cleo’s lungs as an invisible force crashed into her chest. She was certain an elephant sitting on top of her couldn’t have been any more painful as she hit the ground hard.

A loud oath from Dante pulled her out of the pain, and she jerked her gaze to see him attacking the Dominus with one vicious blow after another. Surprised by the strength of Dante’s attack, the Praetorian retreated several steps. As Cleo staggered to her feet and stumbled forward, she saw the Dominus find an opening in Dante’s defensive stance.

His smile vicious, the Dominus drove his sword into Dante’s thigh. As Dante released a growl of pain, the Dominus twisted his blade in the wound, forcing Dante to his knees. With his free hand, the Praetorian landed a hard punch to Dante’s jaw, and Cleo watched in horror as Dante hit the ground. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she blocked out her pain and ran forward.

The Dominus jerked his sword out of Dante’s leg, and just as he thrust downward, Cleo threw herself in front of Dante. Both men were surprised by her action, and as her back pressed Dante into the ground, she glared up at the Praetorian as his sword pierced her shoulder.

“Fuck,” she cried out in renewed pain before anger ripped through her. “You are
really
beginning to piss me off, asshole.”

Her fury added force to the kick she landed in the Dominus’s crotch. The minute he bent forward in pain, Cleo rammed her sword up into the man’s chest, straight through his heart. Astonishment forced the Praetorian’s mouth open in surprise before the light in his eyes flickered out. As he fell forward, Cleo used both feet to push him away from her and withdraw her sword at the same time.

The daggerlike pain in her chest renewed with each breath she tried to take.
Christus
, the
bastardo
must have driven one of her ribs into a lung. She rolled off Dante to curl up on the ground and tried to control the pain battering her body. Her shoulder was on fire, while a tight band had wrapped itself around her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

A strong hand gently rolled her onto her back, and she moaned as pain spread its way into every inch of her body. Anguish, and a small bit of anger, darkened Dante’s features as he bent over her.

Was the anger in his gaze for the Praetorian or her?

Cleo wasn’t sure she wanted to know, because if he was angry at her, the last thing she could handle at the moment was an argument. Besides, she’d done what any Sicari would do. She’d protected the heir to the Sicari Lord title. It wasn’t just that. She’d been willing to give her life for him because she loved him. With a sigh, she closed her eyes.
Deus
, she was a fool.

Chapter 26

AS Cleopatra’s eyes fluttered shut, panic became a red-hot iron burning its way into Dante’s chest. A quick examination of her shoulder wound showed she was in no danger from the injury, but he couldn’t find any other open wounds on her. That worried the hell out of him as he recalled how the Praetorian Dominus had sent her flying through the air like a sack of flour. The sound of her harsh wheezing made his gut knot up with fear. She probably had several broken ribs, and if one had punctured a lung, it would account for her difficulty breathing. Even worse, she could have a lacerated liver.

“Goddamnit, Cleopatra, why didn’t you listen to me?”

“Instead of yelling at me, do you think maybe you could say thank you?” she rasped. Her eyes were still closed, but relief swept through him at the obvious irritation in her voice. He gently probed her side, and pain slashed across her beautiful face. “Fuck a Praetorian. Are you trying to break another one of my ribs?”

“Stop complaining,” he bit out. “I told you to stay out of it, but you didn’t listen, did you?”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a cough, and the sarcasm in her voice made it clear she wasn’t happy he’d not acknowledged her sacrifice.

“Thank you,” he growled.

Dante didn’t need a reminder that she’d saved his life. She’d almost gotten herself killed doing it. And if he didn’t get her to a healer, she still might. From the way she’d just responded to his touch, there was a strong possibility she had some internal bleeding. A shadow blocked out the moonlight shining on Cleopatra’s face as Atia reached them and knelt at her daughter’s side. The
Prima Consul
carried Cleopatra’s hand to her cheek.

“
Carissima
, what were you thinking?” she breathed as she stared down at her daughter. With her free hand, she brushed her fingertips across Cleopatra’s pale cheek and met Dante’s gaze. “I saw what the Dominus did to her.”

“I’ll be . . . all right.” Cleopatra coughed hard as she squeezed her mother’s hand. “I’m . . . sorry, Mother.”

“Hush,
bambina
. I’m the one who’s sorry.” Atia pressed her mouth to the back of her daughter’s hand. “I should have told you about your father a long time ago.”

Another cough wracked Cleopatra’s frame, and a look of fear flashed in Atia’s gray eyes as she met Dante’s gaze. He shook his head.

“She’s going to be fine. I just need to get her to Noemi. I’m pretty sure she has some broken ribs and possibly a punctured lung,” Dante rasped. He glanced down at Cleopatra, who opened her eyes to look up at him. He grimaced.

“I’m not dying,” she wheezed. “Now help me get up so I can walk to the car.”

“You’re not walking.”

“And I suppose you’re going to carry me on that sliced-up leg of yours?” Another coughing spasm made her face twist in pain. Dante swallowed the knot of fear lodged in his throat.

“
Just shut the fuck up
, and let
me
worry about my leg,” he snapped viciously.

He ignored Atia’s expression of astonishment as he got to his feet. The pain in his thigh was excruciating, but he knew he could get down the hill with her in his arms. Another shadow appeared over his shoulder, and he glanced up to see Marcus as well as the Praetorian called Draco join the circle around Cleopatra. Both men were bleeding, but they were still standing. Behind them was the body of the Dominus, Alessandro. He barely acknowledged either man as he bent over to lift Cleopatra up. Lysander suddenly appeared next to Atia and gently pushed the
Prima Consul
aside.

“Here, let me carry her.” A single green eye met his gaze, and Dante glared at him.

“
I’ll
do it,” Dante rasped. His half brother arched his eyebrow slightly as he stared at him for a long, drawn-out second then nodded.

“Okay, but at least let me help you get her up off the ground,” Lysander said quietly.

It was an offer Dante was more than willing to accept, as he’d known picking Cleopatra up would have put even more stress on his leg. With an abrupt nod, he straightened and watched as his brother carefully lifted Cleopatra up off the ground.

She cried out in pain, and Dante quickly stepped forward to gently take her from Lysander. As he turned to carry Cleopatra to the car, Dante met Marcus’s astute gaze. It was easy to read the curiosity in his mentor’s eyes, and he didn’t miss the Sicari Lord’s quick look at his wife. Dante released a small oath beneath his breath and started down the hill, keeping his tread as steady as possible. Cleopatra moaned softly, and when he glanced down at her, she was staring up at him. The connection between them was as strong as ever, and he entwined his thoughts with hers.

“Am I hurting you?”

“Not any more than someone else would. I could have walked, and I don’t understand why you wouldn’t let me.”

“
Christus
, you are one hardheaded woman.”

“And you’d be dead if I wasn’t.”
The intensity of her annoyance swept through him like a wildfire as she closed her eyes again.

“You’re right. Thank you.”

He kept his mental response gentle as he looked down at her. Cleopatra’s expression softened with satisfaction. He had no doubt that if she’d not thrown herself between him and the Dominus, the Praetorian’s sword would have sliced him open.

“And
you
didn’t think I was up to the task.”
Bitterness lightly tinged the thought, and he glanced down at her pale face.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Shall I quote you?”

She coughed and her wheezing increased, but her emotional pain lashed at him like a whip. He clenched his jaw, knowing he was responsible for her mental anguish. A small dip in the ground made his stride jerky, and Cleopatra uttered a sharp cry. Remorse rolled through him, and he stopped for a moment.

“All I wanted was to keep you safe,
dolce cuore
. I love you.”

The instant he shared his feelings, she shut herself off to him. Frustrated, he released a harsh sound of anger, and a tense silence settled between them as he carried her toward the car. It didn’t take long for Lysander to catch up with him, and he helped get Cleopatra settled in the back of the SUV. When his brother offered to drive, Dante nodded and slid into the vehicle beside Cleopatra. As Lysander carefully shifted into gear, Dante saw Marcus and Atia hurrying to the other vehicle.

“Someone needs to call for some sweepers to clean up that mess,” Dante said quietly.

“Marcus already took care of it.”

“Good.” His gaze fell to Cleopatra’s lovely face, and he brushed a stray hair off her cheek.

“Cleo’s like a sister to me.”

Lysander’s quiet statement made Dante look up into the rearview mirror. He stared into his brother’s steely green gaze. It was clear Lysander was putting him on notice not to hurt Cleopatra. The sudden snort of laughter from Cleopatra followed by a spate of coughing and wheezing startled him.

“Tell the dumb
bacciagalupe
that I don’t need him protecting me.”

“She said she doesn’t need you
or
me to protect her.” He met Lysander’s gaze in the mirror again, and his brother glared at him.

“I didn’t hear her say anything.”

There was an unspoken question in Lysander’s observation that Dante didn’t want to answer. Instead, he just shrugged and returned his gaze to Cleopatra. Her eyes were open, and she was staring up at him with an emotion that took his breath away before it vanished. Dante reached out to touch her cheek, but with a grimace of pain, she turned her head away from him. For the briefest of moments, he thought he heard her whispering something in his head, but it was too faint a thought for him to know what she’d said.

IT had been more than forty-eight hours since the battle at the Tarpeian Rock, and Dante was determined to settle things with Cleopatra. He was going to make the woman admit they belonged together. Dante quietly entered Cleopatra’s apartment without knocking. She already knew he was here.

The closer he’d gotten to her suite, the stronger his senses had reacted to her close proximity. Her response had been equally strong, but by the time he reached her door she’d erected a mental shield between them.

He waited for her in silence. Seconds later, Cleopatra emerged from the bedroom. As always, she took his breath away. Her dark hair was a black cloud of silk that tumbled down over her shoulders. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Today she was dressed in blue jeans and a plain long-sleeved shirt. She’d rolled up the cuffs to expose her forearms, and although she looked completely relaxed, he knew she was anything but. A bird fluttering in its cage at the sight of a cat wasn’t half as frantic as Cleopatra was at the moment. It was the only thing he could sense with the mental barrier she’d erected between them.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” she said in a cautious tone. “A little sore around the ribs. Noemi was weak, and I made her stop the
Curavi
when I knew I was able to finish healing on my own.”

“Good,” he said then immediately shook his head. “I mean I’m glad you’re better. You took some hard knocks the other morning.”

“I’ve had worse.” She shrugged.

If he hadn’t known her well enough, he would have missed the haunted look that flitted across her face. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. In its place was a deep regret.

“I’m sorry about Cornelia.”

The unexpected reference to his
Praefect
made him start, and he jerked his head to acknowledge her sympathy. “Thank you.”

Cornelia’s death was something he’d kept buried in the back of his mind for days now. His friend’s
Rogalis
had been carried out the night after he’d brought Cleopatra home. As Tribune and her friend, he’d performed the duties of Orator, but his guilt had made the task almost unbearable.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Cleopatra’s statement made him stiffen.

“You’re wrong.”

It was definitely his fault. In his efforts to keep Cleopatra safe, he’d interfered with Cornelia’s attack. The death of his friend illustrated why he never should have taken Cleopatra with him that day. He’d lost a friend, and he’d almost lost the woman he loved.

“I’m not wrong,” she replied sharply. “Cornelia made her own choice. She didn’t obey your orders, and it got her killed.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yes. It is.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “You gave a command, and Cornelia chose to ignore it. You could just as easily blame me for her death.”

Shocked by her declaration, he shook his head. “How in Jupiter’s name could I blame you for Cornelia’s death?”

“You said my lack of skills could get me killed. They didn’t, but Cornelia’s dead because I didn’t have the ability to keep Ignacio from taking me hostage. Doesn’t that make me responsible?”

“Sweet mother of Juno,” he rasped. “I said that because an entire Sicari installation had just been wiped out. Fighters
with
skills were all dead. You could have had the skills of a goddamn Sicari Lord, and I still would have ordered you to stay behind. Taking you into a situation like that scared the hell out of me. The thought of losing you scared me even more.”