69. Gabriel
SIXTY-NINE
”Gabriel?”
Riley”s voice has none of the strained, painful tone that it did earlier. Her voice is dreamy, almost happy, which means the morphine is kicking in.
Thank fuck.
”Yes, babe?” I sit next to her on the bed.
”I”m feeling a lot better. Maybe we should go home now. All I needed was the pain meds.”
I let out a sad chuckle. ”Tesoro. No. You need to be in here for more tests. That”s what the doctor says.”
She frowns and moves her arm — the one that”s not attached to the IV line — toward me. I think she”s trying to touch my face, and she giggles.
”Are you sure? Because I”m so much better. I need to get some sleep because I have to be at work tomorrow. I can”t be here all night.”
I lean in to softly kiss Riley”s forehead. ”I don”t think you”re going anywhere for a day or two.”
”Gabriel, I”m needed at the paper. Don”t mess with my schedule.” She says this like it”s an irrefutable fact.
”Riley, you”re extremely sick.” I don”t tell her that the doctor pulled me aside when the nurse was helping her change, and that he said she might be in here for a few days at least while they pump her full of powerful antibiotics. That”s if she has a kidney infection, like the doctor thinks. If she has something else...
Christ, I can”t think like that. It has to be something simple. She”s young, she”s healthy, she”s...
Mine.
I”d informed the doc that she should be in here as long, no, longer, than she needs, so she gets proper care.
”Only the best for her,” I”d told Dr. Nessman.
”Hmm,” she hums. ”I”m starting to feel good. Maybe sleepy. How do you know this doctor, anyway?”
”He knew my family, and I”ve been going to him for years.” I don”t tell her that the good doctor has been known to make house calls when certain gangsters need patching up after a gunfight, or that he took a hefty cash payment tonight to come out in the middle of the night. All that matters is that he has hospital privileges and found a bed in the VIP wing for Riley.
”I see. But how much is this going to cost me? Why haven”t they taken my insurance card?” She starts to sit up, but I gently guide her back to the pillow.
”I don”t want you to worry about one thing while you”re here, and that includes money. You”re my responsibility now.”
”I don”t like the sound of that,” she mumbles.
I”m about to tell her that I don”t care what she likes, because I”m taking care of her now, when she looks at me with one eye squinted shut.
She stares at me and twists her mouth into a lopsided smile. ”I feel warm. Have you ever had morphine? It feels weird. Like I”m high.”
I nod. ”I had my appendix out when I was twelve. Right in this hospital, in fact.”
”Hm. Will they have to take out my kidney?” She must be high, because she”s asking questions that make no sense.
”I sure hope not, because I love your kidney. Just like I love everything about you. Now please, rest. Be a good girl and rest.” I smooth back her hair. ”Close your eyes and think of happy thoughts.”
She does, with the cutest smile on her face. Then her eyelids flip open. ”I can”t be here for long because we”re going to the Bahamas this weekend.”
I lean in and nuzzle her cheek. ”We”re not going anywhere until you get better. Don”t even think about doing anything but resting. And I”m not going to leave your side.”
Her eyes flutter shut and I stare at her pretty face. Watching her squirm in pain was excruciating, almost as if it was happening to me. I don”t think my heart rate has recovered from her collapsing into my arms at her apartment. On the way here, I could barely stand to watch her cry, knowing I was powerless to help.
And when the nurse went to stick her with that needle?
I thought I was going to cry.
Me, Gabriel Greco, who kills people without remorse.