Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Colton sat on the loveseat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his face hidden by his hands. The regret radiating off Ace as he walked past Gio, along with Colton’s heartache, was so palpable that Gio could practically feel it.
Ace crouched in front of Colton and gently wrapped his uninjured hand around his husband’s wrist. He softly moved Colton’s hand away from his face, and Colton lowered his other hand to meet Ace’s gaze.
“I don’t know how I can start to make things right,” Ace said quietly.
“I hate that I hurt you…scared you. We promised each other we would always talk through things, and I shut you out at the worst possible time. Maybe going back to therapy is a start, I don’t know.
What I do know is that I don’t want to be that guy, Colton.
” Ace’s voice broke, and tears welled in his eyes.
“I like the guy you fell in love with. I want to be that guy. Always.” Ace’s bottom lip trembled. “I’m so—I’m so sorry.”
Colton sat there, seeming to search Ace’s gaze.
A heartbeat later, he cupped Ace’s face and kissed his brow.
Ace dropped to his knees, lifting his gaze to Colton, and Gio could see the fear in his eyes.
Fear that he was going to lose Sacha. Fear that he’d hurt the family who loved him.
Fear that he’d lost the man who meant everything to him.
Gio was very familiar with those fears, but he also knew the love Ace had in his heart.
Colton ran a hand through Ace’s hair. “I heard everything you said. We’re going to get through this because you are the man I fell in love with.
Come here.” He patted the loveseat next to him, and Ace stood.
He sat beside Colton, a heavy sigh of relief escaping him when Colton wrapped an arm around him, holding him close.
Ace leaned against Colton, resting his head on Colton’s, their fingers intertwined.
“I love you,” Ace said.
“I love you too.”
The door opened, and Mason stepped inside. He froze, his worried gaze shifting from Lucky to Ace and back. Lucky took Mason’s hand in his. “It’s okay, Cowboy. We’re okay.”
Mason didn’t look convinced, but he nodded.
He’d no doubt ask Lucky about it later. With a nod in greeting to Gio, Mason joined Jack at the table, sitting close to lean in and speak quietly.
Something was going on. Whatever it was had Jack getting to his feet and pacing, anger written all over his face.
“What is it?” Gio asked.
Jack moved his gaze to Mason, who sighed. He got up and faced Gio.
“King wanted to wait to talk to you ’bout it, but… Well, all things considered, I suppose now’s as good a time as any. The son of a bitch who shot Joker is still out there.”
Gio stared at Mason. “What?”
“Accordin’ to King, the guy had it all planned out. He planted a car bomb, and in the chaos, he managed to escape.”
Gio studied his friend. There was more. He could see it in Mason’s eyes and feel it in his gut. “Say it.”
“They found the guy’s phone. He had a bunch of photos.” Mason swallowed hard. “Gio, you were the intended target.”
“This is my fault,” Gio murmured, feeling lightheaded. Colton darted over, Ace joining him. They helped Gio to the loveseat. He shook his head, nausea washing over him. “I should be the one in that bed, not Sacha.” His heart broke all over again. He opened his mouth when Lucky threw a hand up.
“Stop. Gio, come here.” Lucky stood next to Sacha’s bed and motioned him over.
Carefully, Gio stood and joined Lucky. “What is it?”
“When you said you should be the one in the bed, his finger moved.”
“It’s probably just a reflex,” Jack said gently. “That happens sometimes with coma patients.”
Ace joined them and placed a hand on Gio’s shoulder. “Or, maybe he can hear you. I’ve read that sometimes coma patients can respond to familiar voices. Have you talked to him?”
Gio shook his head. The nurse had told him the same thing, but between Gio trying to keep his condition under control and family visiting, he hadn’t really had the opportunity.
Ace squeezed Gio’s shoulder. “We’re gonna go. Give you time alone. If you need us, just let us know.”
Gio nodded, thanking his family as they all left the room. He pushed the chair closer to Sacha’s bed and sat down. Taking his sweet man’s hand, he kissed the back of it.
“My sweet, Sacha. I don’t know if you can hear me, but if you can, please know that I’ll be right here by your side, waiting for you. I love you so much, sweetheart. So much. I need you with me, I need to hear your voice and see those beautiful eyes. I need you, Sacha.”
The door opened, and the nurse came in, her smile apologetic. “I’m sorry, Mr. Galanos. We need to take Mr. Wilder in for his next CT scan.”
“Yes, of course.” Gio stood and kissed Sacha’s cheek, whispering, “I’ll be right here.
” He sat in the silent room, hating how empty it felt.
Now that he was alone, his exhaustion was getting the better of him.
He texted Jack to let him know Sacha had been taken for a CT scan and that he was going to take a nap in the meantime.
As much as Gio didn’t want to sleep until Sacha woke, he knew what would happen if he didn’t at least try to rest. His body would fight against him, making things worse, and he needed to be there for Sacha.
He must have slept deeply, because when he woke up, Sacha was back in the room and Jack was in the chair beside him.
“How long have I been out?” Gio asked, sitting up.
“A few hours. King and Leo are going to stop by, and they’re bringing dinner with them. Is that okay?”
“That’s very sweet of them.” Gio stood and walked to the small fridge. “Have there been any changes?”
Jack nodded. “The latest CT scan showed the swelling is going down.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” It was something, and Gio would take it. He opened the fridge to grab a bottle of water and frowned at the little decorative box inside. “What’s this?”
“Coconut flan.”
Gio stared at him. “Wait, the coconut flan?”
“Yep,” Jack said with a chuckle. “Lucky brought it for Sacha.”
It was funny getting teary-eyed over flan, but it was more about the sentiment behind it than the dessert itself. Gio took a bottle of water with him and joined Jack at the table.
“You should get some sleep.”
“Maybe later,” Jack replied, looking almost as haggard as Ace.
Later that evening, a knock sounded at the door, and Leo poked his head in. Gio smiled warmly at him.
“Is it okay to come in?” Leo asked. “We brought dinner.”
“Of course. Thank you.” Gio chuckled when Leo hurried in and threw his arms around him, hugging Gio tight.
Gio returned the embrace, his heart filled with joy at how comfortable Leo had become with him over the years.
A lot of that had to do with Sacha. He and Fitz had become Leo’s closest and most protective big brothers.
Leo pulled back and went to stand by Sacha’s bed as Gio thanked King for dinner.
“How are you holding up?” King asked Gio. “I heard the swelling has gone down.”
“Yes. He’s due for another CT scan soon.”
King nodded. He met Gio’s gaze. “We’re going to find him,” King promised, his voice low and quiet. “There is nowhere on Earth where that bastard can hide.”
“Is there anything I can do? I hate feeling so helpless.”
“Just focus on your health and on Joker.”
“Thank you.” Gio made to turn but paused. “Don’t be so hard on Ace.”
King pressed his lips together. “He knows better.”
“He does,” Gio agreed. “But I also remember a time when you were in a similar place. Ace was there to hold you up and keep you from doing something you’d regret.”
King frowned. His gaze went to Leo, and he sighed. “You’re right.”
When Leo was shot and in the hospital, King had let his heartache and anger take over, and he’d been ready to take his pain out on Saint, who King had wrongly blamed. Ace was the one who got through to King and calmed him down.
Gio stood beside Leo, smiling as he told Sacha all about Chip and the rest of the pups, how he tried his best to cheer Chip up, but Sacha needed to wake up so he could see his best boy. Leo sniffed and wiped his cheek.
“I miss you,” Leo told Sacha quietly. He lifted his watery gaze to Gio.
“He’s going to wake up. Joker is one of the strongest people I know.
” He looked back at Sacha. “I’ve been told all my life that strength comes in all forms, which was kind of hard to believe when it came from someone bigger and stronger than me, and yeah, I got it, but Joker was the one who proved it was true. We have a lot in common, you know.”
Gio blinked at him. He couldn’t think of two people more different than Leo and Sacha. “You do?”
Leo nodded. “As a kid, Joker was picked on for being different. They made fun of his name, bullied him for being small and for where he came from, but he showed them what he was made of and proved his strength over and over. Whatever sport he played in school, he was the best, whether it was gymnastics or football. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him, and then he became a Green Beret.
” Leo walked to a bag on one of the dining nook’s chairs and took out something yellowish.
It was the stuffed Goldfish cracker that Sacha had found at the bookstore in Winterhaven during their family holiday vacation.
Sacha had been so excited when he came across it, unable to believe Leo hadn’t seen it.
Sacha immediately purchased it and gave it to Leo for Christmas. It had been so sweet.
Leo placed the stuffed, smiley fish on the bed next to Sacha’s arm. King came to stand on Leo’s other side at the bed and brushed Sacha’s hair away from his brow. He gently put his hand on Sacha’s head.
“We’re here,” King said softly. “Your family is here.”
A lump formed in Gio’s throat at King’s quiet words. King and Leo stayed a little longer, and when they left, Gio kissed Sacha’s cheek.
“You are so loved, sweetheart.”
The nurse came to take Sacha for another CT scan, and Gio sat on the loveseat. He must have dozed off again, because he jumped when someone put a hand on his shoulder. Gio blinked up at Jack.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Good news. The nurse said the CT scan shows the swelling is gone. It’s safe for the neurologist to begin reducing Sacha’s sedation.”
Gio was so relieved he could cry. Something told him Jack felt the same, because he dropped onto the loveseat beside Gio, let his head fall back, and released a heavy sigh.
There was no way to tell how long it would take Sacha to regain consciousness on his own, but a few hours later, they took Sacha off the ventilator, and his vital signs remained strong.
It was almost morning when something woke Gio.
He rubbed his eyes but didn’t get up since Jack lay curled up on the other end of the loveseat with his eyes closed.
Gio hoped he was actually getting some sleep.
For a heartbeat, Gio thought Jack had said something.
It sounded like “water.” Wait. That hadn’t been Jack.
It was faint, barely there, but Gio sat up. Jack must have heard it too, because he stood.
Sacha was awake.
Gio stood and quickly went over to the table next to Sacha’s bed. He picked up the small plastic cup with ice chips and fed one to Sacha. His eyes remained closed as he slowly sucked on the ice chip. Gio set the cup back on the bedside table.
“Sacha?”
“Don’t call me that,” Sacha grumbled hoarsely. “Where is she?”
Since when did Sacha ask him not to call him that? Gio always called him Sacha. And who was he talking about? Gio was confused. “Where is who? The nurse? The doctor?”
“Echo.”