Chapter 7
Iitch to stick a scalpel inside Allesandro, but right now, my patient is more important.
“You fucking idiot,” I say, rolling my eyes as I stare down at Luca while sweat dots his forehead and his breathing is heavy from exertion.
Soren and I help him slide back down the bed, and make sure he's comfortable before I toss his blanket aside.
“Get the ultrasound and x-ray prepped, please,” I instruct Soren as I do a visual check, before palpating Luca’s abdomen to make sure I can't feel anything abnormal.
“I'm fine,” he bitches.
“You're a dumbass, who is going to end up reinjuring yourself. I got your bleeding under control, but I don't want to risk you causing further damage. I'll never hear the end of it from Sarah if I have to open you up because you're a fucking idiot who caused yourself internal bleeding.”
He snorts. “I'm surprised she's not in here fussing over me.” I give him a look and he curses. “Lio took Dr. Ranlen with him?” He huffs a laugh. “Of course, he did.”
“We’re the only ones that stayed,” I tell him. “Well, us and our family. Now, hold still.”
Thankfully, the ultrasound is the same as it was earlier—no signs of further bleeding. The x-ray also doesn’t show any more cracking or shifting of his ribs, so some of my worry eases. Doesn’t mean I let him off the hook, though.
“I stayed to make sure you didn’t die, but if you insist on making that impossible, I will walk away. I only have two nurses with me—I sent everyone else with Dr. Ranlen. I have a physical therapist, too, but right now, I want you to rest more before he does any work with you.”
Not only that, I’m not sure when Dominic will be up for work.
His concussion was mild, but I don’t want him to push any harder than he needs to.
And I’d rather not call Jayden in if I can help it.
The less people I care about around here, the better.
If I thought the trips would leave Soren, I’d have sent them with everyone else.
“I can’t be the reason you stayed,” Luca says. “I know what everyone thinks of me.” I quirk an eyebrow and he huffs. “I didn’t say I don’t deserve the reputation, but… I’m hoping to get the chance to tell them how sorry I am for it all before I have to go back home.”
Soren and I exchange a look. “Is this not your home?”
Luca shakes his head. “Not anymore. I’ve learned a lot being gone and…after talking to Allesandro, I realized how much better the move was for me. I want to help—not him, but Lio and the other Boys.”
“Help, as in…”
He rolls his eyes. “As in help them figure their shit out. If they want to come back, I’ll help put Allesandro in his place, and remind him of the people we don’t want to be, but turned into anyway.
He changed for the better with Emilio, so I’ll kick his ass to stop him from backsliding.
But if they want to stay gone… I know how hard it is to come to the realization that everything you thought you knew, what this life was…
Well, let’s just say realizing how not good this Family was for me was an eye-opener, and a shock to the system.
My life was Allesandro’s for so long, and figuring out something different—that was mine—was hard.
But, I’d like to help them through that process, if they’ll let me. ”
“How can we trust you?” Soren asks coldly.
“See it in my actions. I don’t expect you to take my word for it, but I will help while I’m here.” He shifts a little and grimaces, but not like he’s in pain. “Can… Do either of you have a phone I can use? I don’t know what happened to mine, and I need to check in with…people.”
“People?”
“Can I use a phone or not?” He scowls.
I exchange another look with Soren, questioning if we can really trust him at his word, but then…I can always kill him. It’s been a long time since I killed Soren’s father, my scalpel misses the bloodshed.
“I’ll see if Hollis can get a phone for you, one the Bosses can’t get into.”
“I doubt you need to go that far. I just need to check in.”
“Yes, with your people.” I stress the word and roll my eyes. “If you’re going to be useful, it’s better to make sure your activity is secure. Since you’re asking us and not Allesandro, it’s telling that you don’t want him to know.”
“It’s not that I won’t tell him, but…” He shrugs. “He didn’t take it too well when I said this is no longer my home. I’d rather not drop more bombs into his lap.”
“How generous of you,” I reply.
“If you’re going to be an asshole, why stay to ‘help’ me?”
Sighing, I remind myself I cannot kill him when he’s being nice.
“It’s not just for you, but no one ever died if I could prevent it, so I wasn’t about to start with your dumbass.
But mostly it was for Cristian. He’s been one of my closest friends since I was Roman and Emilio’s age.
If there was some part of the old him—the one who found me near dead and helped give me this life I have—I couldn’t let that go.
And…” I let out another full body sigh, one that has Daddy wrapping an arm around me in comfort.
“If he needs to be put down, I’d rather be the one to do it.
Save the rest of his family the heartbreak. ”
What I don’t say—can’t say—is that Tennant may not have made his choice yet.
Just because he left, it doesn’t mean he chose.
I know him as well as I do Cristian. Tennant had to get the people he loves out of harm’s way.
But his need and devotion to Cristian will have him coming back, just to see if there’s something still there to follow.
When that happens, I don’t want to leave him to make that choice alone.
It’d be like asking me to kill Daddy. As annoying as Tennant can be sometimes, he doesn’t deserve to be the one to make the hard choices all the time.
“We’re all on the same side,” Luca tells us. “Get me a phone, please. I need to organize my stay, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Give me a few hours, a day at the most, but we’ll make it happen. Thank you.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t thank me. I might have found where I belong now, but this will always be where I came from, and I won’t forget that.”
I nod in understanding. Just like how I can’t forget my upbringing, much as I may want to, or how I came into this life. Those situations change and shape us; for better or worse. If he’s telling the truth, then it seems Luca has had that realization for the better.
God, I hope he’s telling the truth.