Chapter 35
Waiting makes me agitated, and I pace back and forth outside the surgical suite. A hand on my arm pulls me to a stop, and I meet Nicolo’s eyes. “You’re limping, Sir. Neither Doc nor Antonio will appreciate you hurting yourself. When was your last appointment with Jayden?”
“I’m fine.”
He stares at me, and I can feel Nario’s eyes on me as well. I sigh. “I’m okay, promise. I’ll see Jayden soon, we’ve all just been a little busy. And…I’m worried.”
It’s a hard thing to admit, but I know I’m not the only one who wants our Bel Fiore to come out of surgery and be back in our arms.
“It should be over soon. The doctor said it’ll only take a few hours.”
“I know…” It doesn’t help. Not when I know how important this surgery is to my Bel Fiore. His confidence dwindled after that bitch marked him up, and seeing him so unsure of himself has made me wish I spent more time making Cecily bleed.
I pull Nicolo into my arms. “Thank you, Stella. For trying to keep me grounded.”
“I care about you, Sir. I know you’re worried, we all are, but it’s going to be okay.”
I nod, leaning in to kiss him gently, because what else can I do? There’s nothing to organize or strategize, and no one to kill. I have to put my Boy in the doctors’ hands and wait for them to help him in ways I can’t.
Holding my other arm out, I beckon Nario over. My Angelo easily slides into my arm as well, and I pull them both close, something easing in me as I hold my Boys.
Pressing a kiss to each of their heads, I let their weight in my arms hold me down and calm my nerves as we wait for the news of our Bel Fiore.
By the time the doctors come out, I succumbed to my body's limitations—and my Boys’ insistence—and am sitting in a chair that the twins got from somewhere.
I stand and Nario hands me my cane, which I try not to glare at.
“How is he?” I ask.
The plastic surgeon sighs. “His surgical site will be swollen and uncomfortable for a week or two.
The best results won't be seen for a few months yet, with the final result being about a year from now. As I explained in my consult, if you had waited a year for the injury to heal, the process may have been less intense, depending on how the scarring laid out. But I understand why you would want the revision done as soon as possible.”
“Can we sit with him?” I ask.
Doc sighs. “He'll be out for a while now, but yes, you can stay with him.”
“Thank you.” I look at the plastic surgeon. “Thank you, you don't know how much this means to Antonio, to all of us.”
He inclines his head. “I'll be back later to check on him. Doc has all the information for his post-op appointments.”
I nod in understanding, then usher the twins into Antonio's room. Seeing him so still, with a bandage on his head… Knowing this is an elective procedure doesn't help the jump in my heart at seeing my Bello in a hospital bed.
Taking a seat in the nearest chair, I reach for his hand, holding it in both of mine. The twins take seats on the other side of the bed, holding hands while placing their free hands on our Fiore.
Some of my stress eases just being here with the three of them, even though Antonio is still sedated. The unit we're making together, it means as much to me as Tennant, Hollis, and Roman do, and like hell am I going to allow anything to happen to any of them.
Settling in, I thread my fingers through Antonio’s, hoping he wakes soon.
Hours later, I'm having a stare down with the twins.
“Sleep, Stelle. You'll be going back out to tail Brannigan tomorrow; you need to rest.”
Nicolo raises his chin. “And you don't, Sir? You've been pulling long hours for the Council for months now.”
Before I can respond, Antonio moves and lets out a moan as his eyelids flutter.
“Hey, Bello,” I say softly.
He opens his eyes a little and turns his head towards me. “Daddy?”
“I'm here, Sweetheart. You're okay. The Stars are here, too.”
Antonio smiles a little. “Love you.”
Leaning down, I press a kiss to his lips. “I love you too, Sweetheart.”
He sighs, squeezes my hand that's still in his, and closes his eyes again. “Love you, Boys.”
They express their love for him in return.
He falls into a regular sleep and I continue to hold his hand, reaching across the bed to place my other over where Nicolo and Nario’s clasped hands are on Antonio's chest.
This…the three of them, plus my other three lovers, make it all worth it.
The fighting, the pain, the stress and long hours, it'll all be worth it in the end, when I can have all six of my lovers together.
Because it's for them that I do this, and I know the same can be said for everyone on the Council.
Family is the only thing that matters, and there won't be a day any of them forgets that, not if I have anything to say about it.