Chapter 20
Lucca
“You’re certain he’s not a threat?” Cormac and Salvatore each nod reassuringly through our FaceTime call. I spent most of the morning while Coco slept digging into my old rival’s sudden appearance. Turns out, Benito Torres is in town on family business.
“Now let us meet this little woman you’re trying so hard to hide.” Cor smirks. He’s an eternal flirt.
Sal narrows his eyes at our cousin. “Don’t tease the woman, and he won’t cut your balls off.” Cor winces but agrees.
As the car slows for a light, I pull Coco in close to my side. “Amore, these blockheads are my cousins, Cormac and Salvatore. We grew up more like brothers.” Her expressive eyes crinkle with her smile, and I have the urge to kiss her again.
“Hi!” She gives them a cute wave, and they are immediately smitten. I want to shield her from their sight.
“A pleasure, bellissima.” Fucking Cormac.
“Watch it,” I snarl, and Coco hides behind her hand as she laughs.
“She is a beauty, cousin,” Sal comments, earning his own snarl.
“Thank you.” Coco’s smile is so full of life that I relinquish my anger at them.
She deserves all the compliments. “Lucca hasn’t spoken much about you except to say how much he adores you both.
Do you have girlfriends or wives?” They both pucker up like they’ve sucked on a lemon, and it’s my turn to laugh.
“They have an aversion to commitment,” I say.
Her head tilts up to me, love shining brightly in her eyes. “Maybe they just need to find the right woman.”
Leaning down as the car begins to move again, I press my head to hers. “Perhaps you’re correct.”
“Blech! You make me sick, Lucca,” Cor teases, but when I notice the smile dissipate from Coco’s face, I’d like to punch his in.
“Keep insulting my woman, and we’re going to have a war, cousin.”
He sits back, holds up his hands, and bows his head.
“Apologies, Coco. It’s Lucca who has me questioning life here, not you, you’re beautiful perfection.” He winks, and she blushes.
“All right, I think we’re done here now.”
Before I can hang up, however, Preston shouts from the front seat, “Down, down, down!”, and a hail of bullets follows the warning.
I flatten my body over Coco as I take her to the floor, her terrified shriek fueling my anger as the burning kiss of bullets hits me in the legs.
The warmth of blood trickling from my wounds pumps my heart faster.
I can’t be incapacitated when I’m responsible for Coco.
No harm can come to her, not when I’ve spent so long promising her forever.
Glass has shattered around us, horns honk, tires screech, and above everything, I hear the crunching of boots on glass from behind my back. Whipping the gun from my holster, I turn slightly and point at the obliterated window until the face of a man I thought dead reveals itself.
“Angelo Cortez.” The son of my family's enemy for generations.
He smirks as he takes aim, seeking to harm Coco. I’m quicker on the trigger, however, and he freezes, with a pinhole in his forehead, blood dripping down his nose, and shock in his eyes. Then he drops to the ground with a resounding thud.
“Preston!” I shout, and Coco whimpers. “Is it clear?”
“Yeah, boss.” He’s now standing where Angelo had been, opening the door and cursing. “You’re hit.” He takes my weapon and attempts to help me up.
“Coco first,” I command as I ease off her. Tears streak her face, and blood stains her jacket. “You’re hit!” I roar. She shakes her head and crawls up the seat, confusing me when her hands press to my shoulder, and fire explodes through my chest. I hadn’t realized I was shot there as well.
“Oh god, Lucca.” Her fear-filled eyes are glued to the wound I now see and feel in my shoulder. Preston rips off his shirt and hands it to Coco to help staunch the blood flow. I guess my legs weren’t the only thing hit.
Brushing Coco’s hair off her face, I attempt to soothe her as the adrenaline begins to wear off. “I’m fine, mia amore. Please allow Preston to check you over.” I’ll die a thousand deaths before allowing her to get hurt because of me.
“I’m fine, Lucca. It’s you who is bleeding.” Her eyes have dropped to my legs, where it’s no longer possible to mask those wounds either. Though I suspect bullets simply grazed them as I covered Coco’s body.
“Preston.” I turn my head to him. “Bulletproof rentals in the future. This can never happen again, especially now that I have Coco and our babies.” I’m babbling now, and my words come out slightly slurred.
“Anything, boss.” Sirens sound closer. “Ambulance and police are here now.”
“Nobody talks to her unless it’s to check her over,” I order with a pointed finger that barely lifts off my lap.
“Got it, boss.” He steps aside as paramedics arrive and take over my care.
Before I can demand someone check Coco, the other door is opened, and another set of hands reaches for her. Reluctantly, she releases me but grips my fingers as I’m worked on.
My eyes remain on her until I’m pulled from the vehicle and placed on a gurney. Everything happens quickly after that. Chief Parks rides with me, but I can barely get a word out as agony rips through every muscle in my body.
Before the doors close, I see Preston climbing into another ambulance with Coco.
She gives me a little wave and thumbs up so I know she’s alright.
Briefly, I wonder about my phone and cousins who were on the call with us when the shooting began, but I don’t get to ask as drugs start to filter through my system and knock me out as we drive away from the scene.
* * *
The subtle sounds of sniffling drag me from the depths of my unconscious state. Instinctively, I know it’s Coco. She’s trying to keep her teary sobs quiet, wondering if I’ll wake up.
“Mia amore.” My eyelids struggle to lift, and my voice cracks, but the hitch in her breath tells me she heard me. “Why are you not in bed with me?” My head pounds, morphine and I are not good friends.
“Lucca, are you okay?” The little hiccups in her tone kill me.
“No, amore, I’m not. I still don’t feel you.” Until she’s in my arms, nothing will be alright.
“I can’t, there’s too many wires.” Her fingers slip into my hand, and for now, I’ll have to accept that as enough.
Slowly, my eyes begin to open, fighting the anesthesia working to keep me under. I blink a few times, but it’s not until her red-rimmed eyes and exhausted face appear in my vision that I breathe easier.
“Don’t cry for me, amore.” She lifts my hand to her lips, kissing each knuckle.
“We told her the same thing. You have a stubborn woman.” Surprised by the voice, I look down the bed to see both of my cousins there.
“Why the hell are you here?” My eyes narrow as I look between the two of them.
“We heard your vehicle being shot up. Did you really think we wouldn’t show up to make sure you’re alright and support your woman?” Sal tilts his head to the side, curiosity tinging his stoic stare.
“As long as you’ve kept your hands to yourselves.” In all honesty, I’m not terribly shocked they’re here. I’d have been disappointed if they hadn’t shown up.
“Trust me, Luc, she’s yours well and truly. A fierce little queen.” Cormac tips his head to her in respect.
“Help her into bed with me,” I request. The need for closeness is an unescapable craving.
“You just…didn’t he just tell us not to touch her? WTF, man!” Cormac acts as dramatically as ever, but he does it with a cocky grin, so I know he’ll do what I ask.
Sal lifts all the wires out of the way, and Cor is putting her in bed when a doctor and nurse enter. The doctor begins to open his mouth in protest when the nurse places her hand on his arm and shakes her head. Smart woman.
“It’s good to see you awake so soon, Mr. Marcello,” he says instead. “Normally, patients are out for a few more hours.”
I don’t say anything as my unfriendly stare studies him, noticing his increasing nervousness as his eyes shift from where Sal and Cor have stepped back, and Coco is now resting against my side. Her body feels amazing, if not a little tense.
“Just tell me when I can go home.” I don’t care about anything else.
“Well, the wounds in your legs were mostly superficial, requiring stitches, but otherwise unremarkable. Your shoulder, however, there is some deep-tissue damage. You’ll require physical therapy once you’re healed to regain full range of motion.
I’d prefer to keep you here for a few more days to watch out for possible infections.
” In his uneasiness, his eyes go to Coco again, frazzling my nerves.
“Hey, doc, if you want to keep your eyeballs, I suggest you stop looking at her.”
His face pales as he looks down at his chart and audibly swallows. Sal and Cor try but fail to hide their amusement.
While the doc speaks, I feel Coco growing increasingly relaxed, indicating that she’s fallen asleep, and they need to leave. Giving Sal a nod, I know he’ll get rid of them.
“Time to go. He’ll stay the night, and his personal doc will be here in the morning to consult with whoever is on shift to work out a treatment plan.” With that, Sal shoves them out the door before they can protest.
“Tell me what’s wrong with her,” I demand, staring between the two men I trust more than anyone else in the world.
“Just some cuts and bruises. Nothing that will scar or last.” I notice their hesitation and stare them down before Cor breaks. “She had a meltdown in the lobby when nobody would give her information on you.”
“What else?” It’s the way they keep looking at each other that gives them away.
“Well, once we convinced her to get checked out more thoroughly, we overheard a nurse tell her that her pregnancy test came back positive.” Sweet Jesus.
Glancing down at the woman in my arms, her face peaceful, hair disheveled, she holds my entire existence in her delicate palms.
“Don’t tell her you told me; I want her to do it.” I can’t take my eyes off Coco, but I know they’ve agreed. “Leave us alone for a while.”
“We’ll bring back some dinner. Her friends, Sabrina and Janet, have been by. They seem worried,” Sal chimes in.
“Bring them when you come back with dinner. She’ll want to see them both.”
Left alone with Coco, I can’t stop staring, memorizing her beauty while she rests. I wonder when I got her pregnant and am curious how she feels about it.
Placing a kiss on her head, I grip her hand in mine as I close my eyes and imagine our life together over the months and years to come.