Accidentally Yours (Merffy Kizzmet) novel Chapter 155

Accidentally Yours

Chapter 155

Lola

She woke to the sound of steady breathing. Not the mechanical kind–real, human, heavy with exhaustion.

Her ribs still ached, skin still burned where gauze wrapped tight, but her head was clearer. Less fog, more weight. She turned, slow and careful, and found him there–Enzo, folded into the recliner beside her bed, long legs bent awkward, head tipped against the armrest. His suit jacket was crumpled on the floor, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, hands still wrapped from split knuckles. Even asleep, he looked carved from stone, jaw set, bruises dark across his skin.

Her chest twisted. God, he looked wrecked. This man who never let himself be anything but iron–cracked, worn down, here.

“Enzo,” she whispered, voice softer than breath.

His lashes twitched. A beat later, his eyes opened–black, groggy, then sharp all at once when they landed on her. The relief that punched through him was so raw it almost hurt to look at.

She lifted her hand weakly, IV tugging, nails bitten down and bandaged knuckles trembling. “Get in here. Now.”

He frowned, confused, until she patted the mattress beside her. “Bed. With me. Broken ribs be damned. I need you close.”

For once, he didn’t argue. He stood, stiff from too many hours in the chair, bones cracking with the stretch, and eased himself down carefully. The mattress dipped, his warmth folding over her, and when she turned into him, the world finally felt right.

They lay there for a while in silence, her cheek against his chest, his heartbeat steady under bruised ribs, the faint smell of smoke and coffee still clinging to him.

Finally, she spoke. “I remember more.”

His arm tightened around her. “Tell me.”

Her eyes stayed on the dark ceiling, voice low. “The blast–it wasn’t fire that hit me first. It was my tattoo table. Got thrown on top of me, slammed me into the wall. I think… I think that’s why I lived. Gotta send that manufacturer a thank–you note.” Her lips curved weakly. “Five stars on Yelp: saved me from Russians.”

Enzo didn’t laugh, but she felt the quake in his chest where he wanted to.

“I remember being dragged. Out of a car, maybe. The cold hitting my skin. Then–red lights. Running toward them. And… Sherry. I swear I saw her, just for a second. But then nothing. Black.”

His body went rigid. “Sherry.”

She nodded against him, tired eyes closing, silver hair spilling across his chest. “I’ll explain later. To all of you. I’ve been running something on the side. Collecting pieces. It’s more than I thought I’d ever find in a couple weeks.”

He tilted her chin up until her eyes met his, sharp and searching. “Lola-”

“I love you,” she cut in, fierce despite the, crack in her voice. “That’s all that matters right now.”

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14:32 Wed, Oct 8

Chapter 155

His forehead pressed to hers, breath shuddering. “You don’t deserve this life.”

Her lips twitched, stubborn. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not living for this life. I’m living for you.”

The kiss that followed was slow, desperate, a breaking and a binding all at once. She clung to him until her lungs burned, then let him pull back only because he had something clutched in his hand.

“Got you something.”

She blinked as he placed it gently between them.

A duck. A floppy, ridiculous stuffed duck with button eyes and soft yellow fluff. And clothes–tiny jeans, a jacket, a stupid little hat stacked beside it.

“What…” Her voice broke. “Enzo, what is this?”

“Press the chest.” His voice was gruff, almost embarrassed, his ears going faintly red.

She did. And his voice came out, low and rough through the tiny speaker: “For the nights I can’t be here, amore. For when you’re stuck in this bed, or when I’m out cleaning up what’s left of this mess. You’re not alone. Not ever.”

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