Chapter 20 Stella
STELLA
Franco and his men arrive within a minute and immediately carry him back to the car we came to the cemetery in. I sit down on the back seat with my hand on his chest, still applying pressure to the wound so he doesn’t bleed out.
Matteo is brought to a special clinic by his own men, and the medical staff immediately take over, lay him on a bed, then wheel him into the next room. I follow them while they check for a pulse and give him oxygen.
“Is he going to make it?” I ask the medics.
“I don’t know, ma’am, but we’re going to do everything we can.”
They wheel him into a closed system where the operating room is, and when the doors close on me, I’m left with an incredible fear of the unknown.
What’s going to happen to him?
Will he survive?
I swallow away the nerves as I stare at his bed through the small window until he disappears from view.
My ears are still ringing from the gunshots mere minutes ago, and when Franco places a hand on my shoulder, I jolt up and down.
“Are you hurt?” he asks.
I shake my head, tears stinging in my eyes. “No. Matteo protected me. He kept me safe while they shot at him.”
Franco immediately pulls me in for a hug. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
I’m overwhelmed, but I still push back the tears and swallow them down. I don’t know why I care so much, but I do. I don’t want him to die.
“Do you think he’ll make it?” I ask.
“I don’t know, ma’am,” Franco says. “But this private clinic is the best of the best. We can only put our faith in their hands.”
Four hours later
When the nurse exits the room again, I immediately get up from my seat in the waiting area.
“Is he still alive?” I ask.
She nods. “Barely, but yes.”
A smile erupts on my face, and I nearly sink down to the seat again because I feel unsteady.
Why did that just make me feel elated?
“Is he awake?” I ask.
“He’s still recovering. Three bullets were removed from his body, and he had a collapsed lung, but all in all, I think he’s happy to breathe again.”
I nod a few times. “And the wounds?”
“All sutured up. Still in dressing, of course.”
“Can I go see him?” I ask.
I don’t know why I want to, but I can’t let this go either.
She nods. “I’ll let you know when he wakes up, then you can go inside.”
Matteo
Hours later
My head is throbbing, and it’s so damn hard to open my eyes, but her voice pulls me back from the nether into the here and now.
“Matteo?”
Something is holding my hand, something soft, warm … something that makes my whole body tingle.
Stella.
A momentary sigh of relief leaves my mouth.
She survived. Thank God.
My eyes slowly open, but the bright lights are killing me.
“You’re awake,” she says.
“I’d prefer not to be, with those lights,” I mutter.
She chuckles, and it’s the most fabulous sound I ever heard.
“Laughing because of my misery now?” I jest.
“I’m laughing because you’re still your grumpy self.”
“Grumpy?” I frown with a playful smile on my face. “Who are you calling grumpy?”
Her hand squeezes mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got run over by a truck.”
She chuckles again in that most heartwarming manner.
“But I’ll manage if you keep laughing like that.”
“This clinic did the job well, if you’re joking around already.”
“That’s why I hired them. They’re the crème de la crème. Only for the biggest payers of course.” I wink. “They also keep their mouths shut toward the police like they’re supposed to.”
“Uh-huh. That’ll come in handy with your bullet wounds.”
I try to lean up, but the pain won’t let me, and I groan out loud, trying to defuse the agony.
“Don’t,” she warns me. “Your sutures haven’t healed properly yet.”
“You’re almost starting to sound like a berating wife, Tesoro.”
A blush creeps onto her cheeks. “I’m just saying slow down a little. You need to heal.”
“And you? Are you hurt?” I bring my hand to her cheek to caress her.
“No,” she replies.
I’m so happy she’s here. That she’s alive. That we made it out.
I throw her a look. “But you should have run when I told you to.”
She furrows her brows at me. “And leave you to fend for yourself?”
I narrow my eyes. “You do realize who you’re speaking to, right?”
“Yes, darling mobster husband, but your gun can only take you so far against a dozen enemies.”
“Darling mobster husband?” I rub my chin.
God, I love the spark in this woman. Breathing hurts so damn bad, but she reminds me what it’s like to feel alive.
“Say that again, and I might forgive you for not listening to me,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “Ugh, you wish. I don’t listen to anyone.”
“You should. That mouth will get you in some real trouble one of these days.” I wink again.
“Already did when I got involved with the likes of you,” she retorts.
Yet she’s not let go of my hand since I came to.
Suddenly, the door opens, and Stella instantly pulls her hand out of mine like she got caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to.
Franco steps into my room and smiles when he sees me. “Sir. It’s good to see you.”
“Thanks, Franco. I’m good.” I groan as I shift in my bed. “If you call being sieved good.”
“My apologies, sir,” he says as he approaches. “None of this should’ve happened. I should’ve been there sooner to aid you.”
“You couldn’t have known they were coming,” I tell him.
“How did they find our location anyway?” Stella asks.
Franco clears his throat. “It seems … your mother may have been carrying a bug.”
Her eyes widen. “A bug? No, that’s not possible. My mother would never agree to that. She would never put me in jeopardy like that.”
“She may not have known it was on her,” Franco adds. “But our guy didn’t check her bag until after it happened. We broke the tracker once we realized it was in there.”
“Well, fuck,” I growl.
Stella sits down in the chair. “Shit. So it’s my fault.”
“No,” I tell her. “Do not say that.”
“I wanted to see her.”
“I was the one who invited her to come,” I say. “I should’ve had my men check her.” I turn to look at Franco. “Is her mother safe?”
Franco nods. “She’s at home, and I’ve told one of my men to stay at her location and keep watch to make sure none of Lucio’s men return.”
“Thank you,” Stella says. “I really don’t want to lose her now that I’ve finally gotten to see her again.”
“You won’t. I’ll make sure of that,” I say. “You can trust me.”
The most beautiful soft smile forms on her face, and I know it’s a rare one to be cherished.
“I’ve had your man take care of the bodies left strewn about the cemetery,” Franco adds.
“Pffft. I can’t believe Lucio would dare to attack me at a cemetery. That’s a new low, even for him.”
“It was heinous but also unexpected, which is probably why he went for it,” Franco says.
I grind my teeth. “He’s getting ballsy.”
Franco raises a brow. “Well, it doesn’t help that you cut off the fingers on one of his hands.”
Meanwhile, Stella stares off into the distance because of the absurdity of this conversation.
I don’t want to destroy her mind with the grimy side of my job, and I never wanted to involve her in any of this violence.
But it seems Lucio is determined to take me down, and her along with it, and that … that’s what terrifies me the most.
He was willing to put her life at risk.
I try to shift in the bed, but it hurts so much I hiss.
“Don’t move too much,” Stella tells me. “They just finished the operation. You’re still recovering, and your body is in pain.”
“I’ll live,” I reply. “I need to get my body moving again.”
“For what?” she asks.
“I can’t just lie here and wait until Lucio comes to finish the job. If they can find me and target me in a cemetery, they will definitely try to kill me in this private clinic.”
When I try to get up, Stella grabs my thigh and pushes me down. “You’re no use to anyone if you’re hurt,” she warns.
I narrow my eyes at her. And here I was, thinking Lucio was the one with all the balls. This woman is trying to tell me, the boss of the Mafia, what to do. Fantastic. And sexy as hell.
“I’m fine,” I reply. “Franco, get the car.”
Stella scrunches up her face. “Matteo,” she warns. “Stay still.”
Franco gives me an awkward face. “Yeah, I think I’ll leave you two to it. Sir, if there’s anything you need from me, call, and I’ll be right there.” He haphazardly leaves the room, as if he were butting in on a private conversation between my wife and me.
Because dammit, if there’s anyone who can change my mind, it’s her. Maybe I’m not as in control as I thought I was. And maybe for now, I’ll be okay with that, as long as she’s near me.