Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Penn
We’d put off getting fitted for our tuxedos for Alex and Mila’s wedding for as long as possible. With everything going on, so much was being put on the back burner. Gideon, Owen, Matteo, and I were headed to cross this off our list.
Rita and Olivia had fittings as well but had gone with Mila to the boutique…with a wall of security. I could tell how nervous everyone was, seeing how quiet the days had been since Steven had announced he was supporting Solange and that she was rising in the polls.
“Where’s Dean?” Alex wondered as we entered the store.
“He said he had a tux he was wearing,” I answered.
Alex’s eyes widened. “Does Mila know?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, he’s officiating the wedding, so I think he had a little more wiggle room.”
“I guess.”
The store, if one could call it that, was fancy as shit. Couches, champagne, finger foods, soft music. The scent of money was everywhere.
Mila and Alex had a large wedding party. Alex had asked me and Gideon to be his groomsmen along with Danny, Toni, and Mila’s three brothers, Lev, Mikhail, and Ivan. Matteo was walking with Olivia and Owen to deliver the rings. It was a crazy affair.
“What about Mila’s brothers?” I inquired as a woman approached me with a cart full of suits.
“They’re set already; it’s just you guys.” Alex smiled, excitement and nervousness on his face.
“It’ll all get done.” I followed the woman and spent far too long trying on suits that all appeared the same to me. In the end, Alex chose what we all would wear and we were fitted.
Since there were four of us to get fitted—Danny and Toni were also all set and just got to sit back and relax—it took a few hours, and by the time we left, the boys were complaining that they were starving.
Gideon texted Rita, who said they weren’t done yet but she’d make sure Olivia ate, so we drove to a diner a few miles away.
Danny and Toni were each driving an SUV because there were so many of us, and we got a huge-ass booth in the corner that fit the seven of us.
Once we ordered I peered at Matteo, who was sitting beside me. He was watching some video on his phone.
“What the hell is that?”
He peered up with a smirk. “It’s ‘Nate the Hoof Guy.’ ”
“Is that supposed to mean anything to me, and what is he doing?” I grimaced.
Matteo snorted. “He makes videos of cows he helps who have hoof issues.”
“Does it hurt them?”
“Nah. He doesn’t cut to the corium, and if it’s a bigger issue, he’ll stop and call a vet.”
I nodded and glanced at Gideon, who was on the other side of him.
He shrugged. “I don’t get it, so don’t look at me like that.”
Food came, and there was a wave of silence for a solid ten minutes while everyone stuffed their faces.
Through the window I could see several SUVs, all belonging to Gideon’s security. Danny, Alex, and Toni were with us while the others watched the street. Gid wasn’t taking any chances. If you didn’t know, it would just seem like cars parked on the side of the road, but I knew.
“Hey, Penny?” Owen nudged my arm from my other side.
“Yeah, bud.”
“Do you think the ocean is salty because the land never waves back?”
I opened my mouth to answer but quickly realized it was a joke. I chuckled, and he started giggling so hard he almost choked on his milkshake.
“Where’d you hear that?”
“A kid at school. He sat at the table across from me and was telling someone else. I thought it was silly.”
“I like it. Tell everyone.”
He nodded seriously as if I’d given him a mission, and I was positive that by the end of the day everyone was going to hear his joke.
When we left, Gideon, me, Matteo, and Owen went with Danny and Alex. Toni drove the other SUV that had the rest of the security guys that were inside the diner scattered about. Owen sat beside me and Matteo next to Gideon in the row in front of us.
I looked up and out the window at the same moment Danny pulled away from the curb and saw a white sedan barreling toward us.
“Get down!” I shouted and covered Owen with my body just in time, because the car slammed into the side.
“Are you okay?” I still had Owen in my arms. He didn’t speak, but he did nod. “How is everyone?”
“Matteo,” Gideon was calling his nephew’s name. “Matteo, open your eyes.”
I released Owen, who was shaken but all right, and moved forward to see what was wrong with Matteo. There was blood dripping from his head, and he was out cold.
“Check his pulse,” I said to Gideon.
“It’s there. I don’t know if it’s strong or not; I’m not a doctor.”
“I called 9-1-1.” Toni handed Gideon a wad of napkins. “Try and stop the bleeding. He probably hit his head and got knocked out.”
“I’m sure he’s okay, Gid.” I tried to reassure him but until Matteo woke up, nothing was going appease him.
Cops, fire trucks, and ambulances converged on us, and I watched as Matteo was pushed into an ambulance, Gideon hopping in with him.
I stayed with Owen, and we’d meet them at Northchester General. I wasn’t sure what Gid had told Rita and Dean, but he said he’d let them know, and I was glad I didn’t have to make that call.
“Just a Band-Aid.” The EMT smiled at Owen and glanced at me. “And how about you? Do you have pain anywhere? You look fine.”
“I’m okay.” I was sure Gideon would demand I get an MRI, but I’d deal with that later. Right now, I had to get to the hospital.
I scooped Owen in my arms and faced Alex. “Let’s go.”
When we entered the hospital, Dean, Gideon, and Olivia were there with Danny and Toni. Olivia jumped off her chair and ran to us.
“Owen!”
Even though I didn’t want to let him go, knowing he was safest in my arms, I released him so Livy could gently hug him.
“I’m okay, Livy. Look, I got a cool Band-Aid…Grogu.”
She laughed, but there were tears in her eyes. “Wanna sit with me?”
“Okay.”
I went over to Gideon and Dean. “How is he?”
Dean was harried, hair a mess, his eyes wide, shaking slightly. “He’s good. He woke up before they arrived at the hospital. Concussion. He went in for a CT scan, and Rita is staying as close as they’ll let her.”
Gideon crouched in front of Owen and lightly stroked across the Band-Aid on his chin. “Need anything, kiddo?”
“I’m okay. Chin hurts, but maybe I’ll have a cool scar.”
Gideon’s smile was shaky. “Maybe.”
He stood and faced me. “Do they know who was driving the car?” I asked.
Gideon gritted his teeth. “Cops arrested him, no injuries, said he was highly intoxicated.”
I hummed. “Do we believe this is random?”
Gideon eyed everyone around him and shook his head. “I don’t believe in random. If Benito is behind this, I’ll destroy him.”
If Benito was responsible, I had a feeling the line to kill that man was going to be out the door.