110.1
‘Should you be walking around?” I ask, while my lieart skips a bea. He looks about as well as I would expect anyone to look after being shot, even though, at this moment, he is the sweetesting I’ve ever set eyes on. Even while wearing a hospital gown over his slacks,
“They say movement is good for healing.” He tries to hide a wince as he makes his way across the room. Dad doesn’t get up from his seat on the edge of the bed, and all I can do is roll my eyes and hope he doesn’t plan on acting childish for the rest of his existence. He doesn’t have to like my choices, but he should respect them.
“I told you we’d get her back.” The two of them stare at each other for a silent eternity, while all I can do is look back and forth and hope they don’t decide to get into a fight. Gianni’s looking a lile pale, and his voice is not as strong as usual, but the electricity crackling through the room tells me he wouldn’t back down if Dad goaded him.
It’s Dad who blinks first. “Thank you for bringing her back safely do much to ease the tension, but it warms my
heart anyway. He’s trying. I have to give him credit for that.
ment. Instead of smarting off, he only nods with a
Gianni’s scowl deepens, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to in the soft grunt before directing his attention to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that I’ve eaten. I really want to go upstairs and see Tatiana?”
“Would it make a difference if Isaid you need to get some sleep before you do
Not really.” I look from him to Dad, who doesn’t seem much happier with my response. “Please?”
“Fine, but afterwards, you’re going to rest,” Gianni orders.
I barely hold back from rolling my eyes. “Sure, Dad, whatever you say.” I realize the mistake I’ve made as soon as the words leave my mouth.
Yup,she’s exactly the way Roger described her: sitting up in her bed, staring out the window. She’s not blank–faced, the way I’d assume she’d look if she was in shock. People in shock don’t look like they’re deep in thought and pissed off about it.
She doesn’t acknowledge me entering the room with Gianni close behind me. I wonder if she’s like this with everyone, shutting the world out completely. She’s alive, though, and I can’t help but tremble with relief at that knowledge.
“Tatiana?” I whisper.
Her head snaps around, and I can’t help but notice, even in all of my relief, how pale and unhealthy she looks. I’m sure the harsh lighting in the room doesn’t help things, but no amount of fluorescent light could create the haunted look in her eyes. Even when she wells up with tears and offers a shaky smile, that look doesn’t go away.
“You’re really here? It’s not the pain meds messing with my head?
“It’s really me.” I shake my head when she notices the IV bag I’m wheeling around. “Just saline. No big deal. I’m okay.”
“Thank God.” She reaches for me and I sit on the bed, placing my hands in hers. “I’ve been so worried and scared.” My knuckles are practically grinding together with the way she’s squeezing, however I simply grit my teeth through it..
“I’m here, and everything is going to be okay.” I mean, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I need to believe it. Sure, Jack is still out there, and so is Donovan, but right now, it has to be enough that we’re together and safe.
“The baby?” she whispers with a catch in her voice.
“All clear. They gave me an ultrasound, and everything looks good. All is where it should be..”
>>
Gianni joins us, slowly lowering himself into a chair on the other side of the bed. I’m glad she was so distracted by my presence that she didn’t notice him slowly walking or how careful he needs to be. I can’t give him shit for refusing a wheelchair when I did the same, yet he does need one much more than I’do.
“How are you feeling?” I ask the most obvious question.
She lifts her shoulder. “I don’t know. How am I supposed to feel?he pain meds help, but everything else is numb.”
I wince. “You’re still feeling pain?”
“Only the worst headache of my life,” she grunts through clenche teeth. “Feel like someone is beating a gong inside my head.”
“The doctor said that should improve within another day or two,” anni points get over the way he softens around her. “It won’t be forever.”
Linage
understanding tone. I’ll never
“Yeah, I guess my skull is as thick as you always said it was.” She ties to grin at
Stroking the backs of her hands with my thumbs, I murmur, “Hey You don’t have to t to have moments of sadness.”
off more like a grimace.
rong right now. It’s okay to be weak,
“I don’t know how else to be.” She looks me straight in the eye, intense, unblinking. “I overheard Roger mention Jack Moroni on the phone, so I know he was behind this.”
“That’s right.” His smug, sneering face flashes in front of me and now I’m the one squeezing her hands for dear life.
“That was her, I heard. Wasn’t it? That was my mother.”
I can barely breathe. Only Tatiana could blindside me like that. But what am I supposed to say? I can’t lie.What did you expect Caterina?I guess I figured they had talked this over by now, but then if she only woke up for good overnight, they wouldn’t have had the time. And if her condition was kind of touch and go, I’m sure Gianni wouldn’t have wanted to heap that sort of trauma
on her.
Gianni clears his throat and places his hand on her arm. “I’m sorry sweetheart. You weren’t in any condition to talk about what happened. I wanted to wait until you were ready.”
“Then it’s true, isn’t it?” Her delicate features flood with color, and her chin quivers.
My heart breaks for her and for what this will do to her. She was unstable before, although now… Now I’m sure she’ll fall off the deep end.
“She was there,” I whisper, sliding a warning look Gianni’s way. Just because she knows Amalia was there doesn’t mean she assumes she’s dead. We can’t drop that on her all at once.
As it turns out, we don’t have to. “Well, what did he do to her? She was pretty pissed I was there. Did he hurt her? Is she here in the hospital too?”
Fuck. I have to say something. I wish I could find the right words. Gianni is just as lost as I am, sputtering, his features pinched like he’s trying to contain his emotions.
“Just tell me.” Any trace of hope is gone from her flat voice. “Just tell me already! I can take it.” Silence. I try to find the words, only they just won’t come. She blurts out a soft, bitter laugh. “It’s not like she was ever much of a mother, anyway.”
It should be Gianni. I know it, and the look he gives me says he knows it, too. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry, but she’s gone… I wish there was a way I could have prevented it. I really do.”
I watch as she takes a deep shuddering breath before letting a single tear roll down her cheek. “That’s what I figured. I don’t know why, but I genuinely wanted it to not be true.”
“Sweetie, she was your mom no matter how she acted. It’s only natural that you care about her.” It’s more than a little awkward trying to hug her with a tube in my arm and tubes in hers, but somehow I manage to do it without dislodging anything. Eventually, she scoots over so we can share the bed. She rests her head on my shoulder, her tears slowly leaking from her eyes and getting caught by my thin gown.
Meeting Gianni’s gaze over the top of her head, I see the anguish in his eyes. No, he won’t miss Amalia any more than I will, but his daughter is suffering, and the Moroni men are still walking free somewhere. I should’ve jammed that knife into Donovan’s
heart.
2/3
“Can you stay here with me?” Her mumbled tear–choked question takes me by surprise, though it shouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to be alone at a time like this, either.
Gianni answers for me. “We’ll work something out. There’s plenty of room in here for another bed.” That’s putting it mildly-
I’ve been in hotel rooms smaller than this.
“I won’t leave,” I promise, holding her a little tighter. “I’m here for you, always and forever.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
