Chapter 36
MATTEO
I followed Gianna into the hospital and got there just in time to see her golden hair disappearing through a sliding door into the main part of the ER, and Ferro looking after her like he’d just seen something amazing. I know how he feels.
Ferro’s just about to follow her, but I hold him back, ignoring the agitated nurse next to him, talking about procedures, and rules and calling the cops.
“They’re not going anywhere,” I tell Ferro. “Let’s wait outside.”
Everyone in the ER waiting room that can stand is standing and they’re all staring at us. We don’t need to be drawing this kind of attention to ourselves, and I don’t understand how Ferro doesn’t see that.
Lorenzo shoots me a thankful glance then escorts Ferro out of the waiting room by his arm.
Both of them are covered in blood and I’m sure Goldie caused quite a scene before barging in and violating all of those rules and procedures the nurse was talking about.
My heart and soul are with her in that ER, and I hope her sister makes it.
Though judging by all the blood on Ferro and Lorenzo, that might not be possible.
And we gotta start being practical about this.
“How bad was it?” I ask once we’re outside. Everyone in the waiting room is still staring at us, I can feel it.
“She wouldn’t have made it much farther than here,” Lorenzo says, lighting a cigarette and smearing blood all over the paper.
I can clearly hear the unspoken part of his answer, namely that she might not have made it here either, not really.
“She’s gotta live,” Ferro says. He’s pacing up and down in front of the entrance, running his fingers through his hair so that now his forehead is also covered in blood.
I have no idea how to diffuse this situation. But I’m sure cops are already on the way, and we shouldn’t be here when they arrive.
“She’s in good hands now,” I tell him. “We can leave and come back for her.”
He stops pacing and glares at me. “I am not leaving her.”
I figured Ferro had grown actual feelings for Codelli’s younger daughter, but I didn’t know he was willing to risk everything, all his grand plans and what he’s already achieved, for her. Especially seeing as she’s close to death already.
“You gotta be reasonable here, Angelo,” Lorenzo says. “The cops are coming, no doubt about that. And we can’t be here when they arrive.”
“So what, we just leave them here?” Ferro asks, sounding a lot like a child realizing what he wants is outside his reach.
“We’ll send guys to watch them, keep them safe,” Lorenzo says. “And report back on everything that’s happening. How does that sound?”
These two go way back, I’m sure, and Lorenzo is acting more like Ferro’s father than a lot of fathers I’ve met.
Ferro looks back at the ER entrance and I can see it on his blood-stained face that a war is raging in his mind—stay with the women he clearly loves or live to fight another day.
“There’s nothing you can do for her here,” I tell him. “But she’ll need you once she’s well again.”
I hope my voice doesn’t betray that I don’t actually believe it’ll ever come to that second thing.
But it’s true. The girls’ old man is probably dead too.
Chiara and Gianna have nowhere to go, and they are not fit to live in the outside world on their own.
Like it or not, Ferro and the rest of us are their only path to a life like they used to have.
“All right, you’re right,” Ferro says, running his hand though his hair again. “Let’s go. Meet back at the mansion.”
He strides back to his car, walking fast like he’s afraid he’s gonna change his mind. I already have.
Because if I leave Goldie here, she’ll have to face the loss of her sister all alone. And I don’t want that to happen. I know how terrible it is.