The Mafia Bride (Katrina and Silas)

Chapter 24

Katrina's POV

Silas stumbled into my room, tripping over his own foot. He held the walls as he tried to find his balance to prevent hin from kissing the floor. "Silas," I whispered, pushing up from my bed.

I immediately went to him and took his arm, an attempt to try to steady him. "What are you doing here? You should be bed."

They had said that he was still resting, he obviously hadn't healed yet

So why was he out of his room in the middle of the night and in mine.

Silas didn't respond at first, he just stared at me, his eyes unfocused.

I wasn't sure if he could really see if or if he looked past me,

Sweat clung to his skin, and when I touched his forehead, it was burning up.

He was down with a fever.

I needed to call someone to help him.

I was just about to rush out of my door when he grabbed my hand, stopping me from leaving.

"Katrina," he muttered, he sounded as if he was struggling to stay awake. "I need you...

What?

Words choked in my throat and I whipped my head around to look at him.

He needs me?

What he needed was a

vas a doctor.

swallowed hard, not sure what he meant, but his words sent a thrill through me.

Silas, you need rest. You're not well."

No," he shook his head stubbornly as though his fever fueled it

His hand tightened around my wrist as he raised his eyes to meet my own

What I really need is you," He repeated.

is eyes were wild and burning with fever and locked onto mine. Before I could react, he pulled me closer.

is face was mere inches away from mine now, his hot breath fanning against my skin,

want you.

Katrina.

a moment, I froze. I knew he didn't mean it, not really.

tis was the fever talking. His body was weak, his mind clouded, but still, the intensity of his gaze made my pulse race. 11:35 Thu, Nov 21 B.

Chapter 24

"Silas, no," I whispered, trying to reason with him.

Or was I

to talk sense into myself?

It seemed to be the latter because it was all it took not to throw myself at this sick man.

"You're delirious. You need to go back to your room."

But he didn't let go. Instead he pressed me up against the wall, pinning me there with the weight of his body.

I gasped as my heart pounded in my chest. He leaned in, burying his face in my neck, inhaling deeply.

Where he had gotten the strength to pin me in this weak state, liad no idea

"You smell so good," he murmured, his voice low and rough

His hand slipped down to my waist and pulled me closer. I could feel the heat radiating off him, too much heat.

His fever was out of control and he needed to rest.

He shouldn't be out of bed so soon.

I pushed at his chest, trying to break free. "Silas, stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

But he wouldn't listen

His other hand found my cheek, rough fingers tracing my jawline.

His touch sent a wave of conflicting emotions through me, desire, fear, and guilt all tangled together..

I knew this wasn't really him, but the pull of his touch, the way his body felt pressed against mine, was hard to ignore.

And I couldn't take advantage of a sick man who was clearly delinous.

I need you," he repeated, his feverish lips brushing against mine before capturing them fully.

The kiss was hot, desperate, and I kissed him back, just for a moment. I couldn't help myself.

But as soon as I did, I realized what was happening and broke the kiss, turning my face away.

I couldn't do this, not this way.

It wouldn't be fair to us both...

"Silas, you need to stop," I said, my voice trembling.

"Your wounds will reopen. You're not thinking clearly."

I was still conscious of the patch in his left side and the bandage that wrapped around his torso.

But he didn't listen. His hands slid lower, his grip firm, as if he was afraid to let go.

He grabbed my two hands, placing them inside his shirt to touch his wound and my heart dropped.

I'm wounded, so what? You can touch it, feel me," His breath became ragged as he moved my hands over his chest.

This was the first time I was touching Silas and it made my heart jump.

could feel how weak he was, his body swaying slightly as he pressed me harder against the wall.

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Thu, Nov

Chapter 24

I had to get him to stop

Not because I didn't want to touch him, I did.

But not like this. Not when he was so out of it, so lost in his fever

He wasn't in control, and that scared me more than anything

"Silas, please," I begged, pushing harder this time, trying to get him to listen. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Finally, I managed to slip free of his grasp, stepping back to put some space between us.

He looked at me, confused, like he didn't understand why I was pushing him away. His eyes were glassy, his breathing

shallow.

I took his hand, guiding him towards the bed. "You can stay here," I said softly.

"But you need to rest. You're not well enough to go back to your room."

And since he had walked here without anyone seeing him, then I'm certain there weren't any guards positioned outside right

For a moment, he resisted, but I could see the exhaustion pulling at him.

His body was failing him, even if his mind wasn't ready to admit it

Slowly, he allowed me to lead him to the edge of the bed.

"Please, Silas," I whispered, helping him sit down. "You need to sleep"

He blinked at me, as if trying to process my words.

His body was trembling now, from the fever or from exhaustion, I couldn't tell. But after a long moment, he nodded, his resistance fading.

He laid down on the bed, his breathing still labored, but his eyes finally closing.

I stood there for a moment, watching him, my heart still racing from what had just happened.

His long hair was sprawled on my pillow and I pushed away the thRnds that covered his eyes.

I wasn't sure how to feel, relieved that he was resting, or guilty for kissing h

him back, even if it was just for a moment.

But could you blame me?

Even in this weakened state, I could still remember the feel of his abs in my fingers and it made my heart race,

lowly, I pulled the blanket over him, tucking it around his body.

le didn't stir, just lay there.

fier a few moments and his fever didn't subside, I went into the bathroom and picked up a cloth, wetting it in the sink.

utting water in a smaller bowl, I brought it to my bed side.

llas stirred when I cleaned his face gently with the cloth, but he didn't open his eyes.

e was sweating profusely and I used the cloth to clean his body continuously.

Chapter 24

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I couldn't help but wonder how we had gotten here. Silas wasn't himself, and this was the best I could do. All I could do was stay by his side, hoping he'd get better by morning.

After watching him for hours, I finally crept into the bed, pulling the blanket over my body as I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, the sun was already filtering into the room through the curtains.

Silas was nowhere to be find and I assumed he had left somewhere in the morning.

I sat up slowly, stretching my limps as I yawned loudly. My body ached from sleeping in such a cramped position, but I didn't care.

At least he had made it through the night..

I didn't get enough sleep last night, but I knew it was merely a matter of time before Rachael burst into my room, glaring at me with hatred

I slipped out of bed, showering and dressing up as quickly as I could. The events of last night were still fresh in my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling of Silas's hands on my body, his lips on mine.

It was wrong, he hadn't been in control, and I knew that.

But still a part of me couldn't forget the way it had felt. It brought back memories of the day he had used his fingers on me

in his office.

The day he had asked me to kneel before him.

Thinking about that sent shivers down my spine and I was filled with thrills.

Come on Katrina, don't think about that.

I slapped my cheeks lightly, snapping myself out of it.

As I moved towards the door, I heard a commotion outside.

Voices, raised in anger, echoed through the hallway. My heart leapt into my throat, and I quickly stepped outside, closing the door behind me.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

One of the guards, turned to me. He swept over my features with a scowl on his face and 1 realized they all stared at me the

same way.

Something bad had happened.

"Miss Katrina, you need to come with us."

"Why?" I asked, frowning. "What happened?"

It's about Silas," he said, his voice cold. "He's been poisoned."