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Rosa opened her eyes, wincing in pain against the throb in her leg. Ugo was bending over her, his arms around her shoulders. "Let's go, Rosa."

He tugged at her, and she braced her arms on either side of the gondola and tried to pull herself up. Crying out in pain, she fell back into the bottom of the boat. "Give me a moment, then we will try again."

Over Ugo's shoulder, she saw Ezio, dripping wet. He had dropped his hood back, and for the first time she could see all of his face—the wide mouth, the strong nose, the scar that ran across his lip.

"Rosa." Ugo's urgent voice drew her attention back to him. "We need to get you to a doctor."

"No." She shook her head vehemently. "I need to see—Antonio." Once again, she tried to pull herself up, but the pain was too much. Ugo tried again, but he wasn't quite strong enough.

Large hands closed, gently enough, around Ugo's shoulders, pushing him out of the way. "Be careful! If you move her the wrong way, you will make it worse. Let me do it."

Ugo looked from Ezio to Rosa and back. "I'll go get Antonio."

Rosa nodded. Those strong hands lifted her gently from the boat, and without conscious thought she relaxed into their grip. The world was fading in and out, darkness closing at the edges of her vision. She could close her eyes now, she thought hazily. She could cuddle against this assassin's broad chest and listen to his heart beat and relax, sure that she would be safe. "So sleepy."

"Hey! Hey, wake up!" His voice was alarmed, and it pierced the fog in her head.

What was she doing, trusting this man as she lay all but helpless in his arms? That was not the Rosa she had worked so hard to become. She tried to jerk away, nearly falling out of his grasp. Ezio's arms tightened around her.

"Do not struggle so. You will do yourself further injury." He said it as though it mattered to him whether she hurt herself. Rosa spat angrily over his arm at the floor.

"What of it?"

He looked down at her, his dark eyes soft, and began to speak, but whatever he was going to say was lost as someone shouted his name.

"Put her here!"

"Va bene." Ezio carried her to the table, laying her down on it, and then Antonio was there, his thin, quick fingers probing the wound in her leg. Rosa closed her eyes, hoping to open them again without pain and without the troublesome distraction of this new assassin.