16
“Well done,” drawled Hugh, entering his brother’s bedroom.
“You son of a b***h, I was going to tell her,” snarled Richard, cradling Giulianna in his arms. “Take her.” She was not supposed to discover it like this. She was not supposed to react like this.
Hugh picked up Giulianna and put her on the sofa, squatting beside her.
Richard had thought he’d never experience a pain worse than the one he felt when the IED exploded, but the ache ripping at his chest right now proved him wrong. The very expression on her face was exactly what had driven him to hide his disability from her, sacrificing their love to avoid this crippling horror.
“Is she coming to?” he asked, pulling a blanket over his legs, not daring to approach the sofa.
Hugh tapped his fingers on her cheek. “Wake up, Giulian
