Bound By Honor (Bound By Blood #1)

Chapter 14

14

LUCIANO POV

“Clear the floor! Now!” Dominic’s roar echoes through the hospital corridor as orderlies scatter. Aurora’s gurney races past, her skin ghost-white against crimson-stained sheets. The wheels squeak against polished floors, each revolution marking seconds we might not have.

“BP’s dropping!” A doctor shouts over the chaos. “We need an OR stat!”

I run alongside, my hand locked on Aurora’s, until a nurse blocks my path. “Sir, you can’t?—“

“The hell I can’t.” But Enzo pulls me back as they wheel her through double doors.

“Let them work,” he says, his voice rough. “Marco’s got men covering every exit. Two in the OR. She’s protected.”

The waiting room fills with hurried action. Dominic barks orders into his phone, demanding the hospital’s top surgical team. Marco positions guards at strategic points while Enzo paces, leaving bloodstained footprints on the white tile.

Minutes stretch on like years. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, their sterile glow making everything feel surreal. My shoulder throbs where Dom’s bullet hit, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

Finally, Dr. Romano emerges, his scrubs splattered with Aurora’s blood. “We’ve stabilized her for now. The bullet missed major arteries, but—“ He hesitates.

“But what?” Dominic demands.

“The trauma revealed an underlying condition. Her right kidney is failing, likely due to the blood loss and shock. She needs a transplant. Soon.”

“How soon?” My voice sounds foreign.

“Hours. Maybe less.” He consults his clipboard. “We need to test family members immediately for compatibility.”

“Do it.” Dominic rolls up his sleeve. “Test all of us.”

The next hour passes in a blur of needle pricks and tense silence. They move Aurora to a private suite, machines tracking every precious heartbeat. I stand at her window, watching her chest rise and fall, each breath a small victory.

“Results are back.” Dr. Romano’s expression makes my stomach drop. “I’m sorry, but none of you are complete matches.”

“What do you mean, none of us?” Marco demands. “We’re her brothers.”

“The genetic markers...” Dr. Romano glances at his papers. “There are some unusual discrepancies in the DNA analysis.”Marco’s face drains of color while Enzo’s hands curl into fists. Dominic remains statue-still, but I catch the slight tremor in his jaw—the same tell he had when we discovered Maria’s betrayal.

“Impossible,” Marco growls, but there’s uncertainty in his voice. “Check again.”

I watch them, these men who’ve been her protectors, her prison guards, her brothers. The truth crashes through their carefully constructed walls, leaving chaos in its wake. How many secrets lie buried in the Salvatore family crypt?

Dominic’s eyes meet mine, and in that moment, I see everything he can’t say. The weight of family legacy, the burden of truth, the desperate need to protect Aurora from revelations that could destroy her.

Dominic goes very still. “What kind of discrepancies?”

“She shares some genetic markers with you, but not enough to indicate full siblinghood. It’s possible?—“

“Test me.” I step forward, rolling up my sleeve. “Now.”

“Luciano—” Dominic starts.

“Now.” I meet Dr. Romano’s eyes. “Please.”

He nods, preparing another needle. As he draws blood, I watch Aurora through the window. Her face is too pale, dark lashes stark against white skin. Machines beep steadily, counting moments we might not have.

“This will take a few minutes,” the doctor says, hurrying away with my sample.

The steady beep of monitors fills the air as I watch Aurora’s chest rise and fall. Tubes snake from her arms, medical equipment casting eerie shadows across her too-pale face. The bullet wound nearly killed her—would have killed her, if the doctors hadn’t discovered the failing kidney in time.

“Mr. Vitale.” The surgeon’s voice cuts through my fog. “The test results are back.”

I tear my gaze from Aurora’s still form. “And?”

“You’re a perfect match.” He pauses, shuffling papers. “Though I must warn you about the risks, given your recent gunshot wound?—”

“I don’t care about the risks.” My voice comes out rough. “How soon can we do it?”

“Luciano.” Dominic’s command fills the doorway. “A word.”

I follow him into the hallway, where Enzo and Marco wait with identical grim expressions. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, making everything feel surreal.

“You can’t do this,” Dominic says without preamble. “You’re barely recovered from your own surgery.”

“Watch me.”

“For Christ’s sake, think!” His discipline cracks slightly. “You’re our consigliere. We need you functional.”

“And I need her alive.” The words hang between us like smoke. “Or have you forgotten why she’s here?”

Marco steps forward. “We’re all worried about Aurora?—“

“Worried?” I laugh, the sound harsh. “Is that what you call it? While Alessandro’s still out there, while the Rossis play their games, you want to talk about being worried?”

“Hey.” Enzo’s voice carries rare steel. “We’re her brothers. Don’t act like you’re the only one who cares.”

“Then why aren’t any of you a match?” The question silences them. “Three brothers, and not one of you can give her what she needs. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

Dominic’s jaw tightens. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing. Everything.” I run a hand through my hair, exhaustion and fear making me reckless. “But right now, I don’t care about family secrets or DNA tests. I care about keeping her alive.”

“There are other options?—”

“No.” I cut him off. “There aren’t. The doctor says she has hours, maybe. So either help me save her, or get out of my way.”

A nurse appears, clipboard in hand. “Mr. Vitale? We need to prep you for surgery.”

Dominic grabs my arm as I turn to follow her. “This isn’t just about Aurora anymore. The Rossis sent terms.”

Ice slides down my spine. “What terms?”

“Later.” His grip tightens. “After the surgery. If you survive it.”

“Dom—”

“Go.” He releases me, something like respect flickering in his eyes. “Save our sister. We’ll handle the rest.”

The prep room feels too small, too sterile. The sharp tang of antiseptic burns my nostrils, mixing with the metallic scent of blood that still clings to my clothes. Overhead, fluorescent lights hum an endless drone, punctuated by the steady beep of monitors and the soft squeak of nurses’ shoes on linoleum. Everything feels too bright, too harsh—a stark contrast to the shadows we usually inhabit.

My body screams in protest as they position me, every movement pulling at my barely-healed gunshot wound. The cold surgical steel against my skin sends a shiver down my spine, reminding me of another hospital room, another night when I failed to save someone I loved.

“Last chance to change your mind,” the anesthesiologist says, preparing the injection.

I think of Aurora’s laugh, of her defiance in the face of danger, of the way she looked at me that night in the safe house. “No chance in hell.”

The drugs start to pull me under, but I fight it long enough to grab Dominic’s sleeve. “Promise me something.”

“What?”

“If I don’t make it...” The words taste like ash. “Tell her I?—”

“Tell her yourself.” His voice softens slightly. “When you both wake up.”

The world fades to black, but not before I hear his whispered addition: “And forgive me for what comes next.”

I surface slowly, pain radiating through my body. The first sound I register is that blessed, steady beep of monitors—but not mine. Hers.

“She’s stable.” Enzo’s voice comes from somewhere nearby. “Surgery was successful. You did it, you crazy bastard.”

Relief floods me, so intense it brings tears to my eyes. “When can I see her?”

“Open your eyes properly, Romeo,” Marco says, his attempt at humor barely masking his concern. “She’s right beside you.”

I turn my head, fighting against the lingering effects of anesthesia. Through the haze, I see her in the adjacent bed, her face peaceful in sleep. Someone’s braided her dark hair, the plait trailing across her pillow like ink. Even pale and still, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“The nurses are calling you two the hospital’s Romeo and Juliet,” Enzo adds with a weak smile. “Though thankfully with a much happier ending.”

“The extended version,” Marco agrees, “where Romeo actually saves the girl instead of screwing everything up.”

I reach out, my fingers brushing the space between our beds. One of the nurses must have pushed them close together, understanding something about us that transcends medical protocol. The simple kindness makes my throat tight.

I force my eyes open fully, finding all three brothers gathered between our beds. Their expressions are a mix of gratitude and something darker, something that makes my instincts prickle with warning.

“The Rossis,” I rasp. “What terms?”

He won’t meet my eyes. “They’ll accept nothing less than an alliance. Through marriage.”

“They want it done immediately,” Dominic says, his voice carrying that deadly calm I know too well. “Two months from today. Franco Rossi wants a quick ceremony, while you’re still...” He glances at my medical equipment. “Indisposed.”

The monitors spike wildly as I try to sit up. “That bastard wants to marry her while I can’t stop it.”

“Luciano—”

“There’s more.” Enzo steps forward, his usual smirk gone. “They’re insisting she move into their compound. To ‘prepare for the wedding.’ ”

The heart monitor screams as my pulse races. Everyone knows what happens to women who enter the Rossi compound. Franco’s reputation for cruelty is legendary, and his last two wives both died under mysterious circumstances.

“I made a counter-offer,” Dominic cuts in. “But the price...” He finally meets my eyes. “The price might be worse than what Franco wants.”

As Dominic and the others leave, he holds back a moment. “I’m meeting with the Rossis tonight to finalize the terms. I’ll let you know what’s to happen.”