He stroked my hair, his lips connecting with the side of my face as he said, “We’re out now, baby. We’re out.”
LORENZO
I didn’t care how many laws I broke driving from the other side of the city and back to the mansion. Every gasp and groan of pain coming from Aida had my foot pressing harder against the gas pedal. I’d left behind a bloodbath, but it still hadn’t sated the rage inside me. I needed something more, I needed—I needed Aida to be okay.
“We’re nearly there,” I rushed out as I turned the corner to our street. The mansion gates were closed, with several soldiers standing outside of them. They were focused straight ahead, their guns in plain sight for everyone to see, and yet they hadn’t even noticed me speeding up the street. It was time to get new soldiers, that much was clear.
I swerved to a stop, beeping my horn at them, but it took several seconds until they realized who I was. When they did, they spoke into their radios, and the gates whooshed open.
Slamming my foot down again, I sped through the gates and to the main doors. The engine stayed running as I pushed out and ran around to Aida, wincing as the wounds on her back had opened back up again, blood pouring out of them and staining her skin. I may have spent more time being physically tortured by Paolo, but she was the one who had taken the brunt of it. She was the one who had come off so much worse. Most importantly, she was the one who didn’t deserve it.
“Lorenzo!” Ma screamed, but I didn’t turn to look at her. I stayed focused on Aida, trying to help her out of the back of the car. “Lorenzo!” Ma shouted again.
“Call the doctor,” I barked out, placing my hands under Aida’s arms. “Get him here now!”
Footsteps rushed toward us, and several sets of hands reached for Aida, but my growl of warning was enough to get them to back off. I pulled her halfway out, enough so she could place her feet on the ground, and as soon as she was upright, I hauled her to me, needing to feel her against me.
Everything was a blur as we rushed into the mansion and into the living room—the closest room to the front doors. I didn’t let go of her as I sat us down, keeping her front to my front. Eyes widened around us, gasps and curses flung around, but I didn’t look at a single one of them.
My anger was building again, but this time for an entirely new reason. We’d been missing for nearly three days, and no one had found us. Had they even been fuckin’ looking? Conversations around me started up, whispers about what they were witnessing, but I didn’t need to hear any of it, not right then, not when Aida’s soft cries were floating into my ears, threatening to destroy me.
I lifted my head, my narrowed eyes glancing around the room. Christian stood with Dante and Mateo, my two uncles behind them, and Ma and Sofia were on the other side, their faces pale. There were a thousand things I wanted to say, but I didn’t voice a single one of them as we waited for the doctor to come.
I wasn’t sure how long we all stared at each other, but as soon as Doctor Dubeke walked in the door, a sigh of relief washed through me. His gaze met mine, then swerved to Aida’s back.
“Fuck,” he whispered.
I heaved a breath as he came closer, flinching as he reached out but didn’t quite touch her back. “She’s going to need stitches.” He paused. “Lots of them.”
“Stich her up, then,” I demanded.
“I…” Doctor Dubeke glanced around the room, his face paling. “I’m not even going to ask how it happened.”
“Good, because I wouldn’t fuckin’ tell you.” I stared him down, silently telling him to fix the woman who meant most to me.
“I need her on a table.”
I nodded, not hesitating as I stood, placing a soft kiss on the side of Aida’s head as she sobbed from the movement. “It’s okay, baby.” I moved past everyone and into the dining room, slowly lowering her to the table. I set her on the edge, bent my knees so our faces were level, and told her, “You got this.”
“I don’t think I do,” she whispered, her gaze flicking behind me.
“You do.” I placed my hands on either side of her face and pressed my forehead to hers. “You do. You’re so strong. So much stronger than anyone knows.”
Her beautiful eyes welled up with more tears, but a deep breath was all it took for her to hold them in. “Okay.” She paused, her eyes closing for the briefest of seconds until they opened back up. “I got this.” She looked behind me again. “Ma and Sofia can stay with me.”
“No. I’m stay—”
She placed her finger over my mouth, her own lips pulling up into the barest of smiles. “You need to handle business.” She nodded. “Go be the Mafia boss I know and love.” I shook my head, every bone in my body wanting me to stay. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m safe now.”
She was right.
She was safe here.
Safe with me.
“Fine.” I stepped back, hating that I wasn’t touching her any longer. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”
“It’s going to take me a couple of hours,” Doctor Dubeke said, placing his kit on the table.
I pulled in another breath, needing to calm my racing heart, and turned, feeling like I was missing half of my body as I stepped back into the hallway. There was a time when I wanted nothing more than to not be around her, but it was all so different now. I was different. She was different. We were different.
I’d married her to become the Mafia boss, and now was the time to be that person. To find out what the fuck happened.
My gaze met Christian’s, and I didn’t have to say a single word as I darted into my office. I headed right for my whisky, pouring the biggest goddamn glass of the amber liquid, and waited for the sound of the door to close.
I told myself to take it steady, to be calm, but as soon as I turned back around and saw the five men in my office, I couldn’t keep my anger down. “What the fuck happened?”
No one spoke, all of their faces frozen as they stared at me until Mateo said, “I…” He blinked. “You were dead.”
“Does it look like I’m dead?” I fumed. My skin burned hot, my rage bubbling over and threatening to ruin everything in its path.
“I…I watched them.” Mateo shook his head, the dark purple bruises on his face telling me that he hadn’t gotten away without any injuries either. “When I woke up, the SUV was burning and—”
“They found two bodies in there,” Dante finished for him, stepping forward. “They thought it was you and Aida.”
I chugged back the whisky, trying to make sense of what they were saying.
“What happened?” Uncle Antonio asked, his deep voice deceptively calm, but I knew it was an act.
“Paolo.” I snapped my head up, looking at each of them in turn. “He never left the country. He wanted to take over the business.” I laughed, leaning against the edge of my desk. Tiredness was setting in quickly. “He made it look like we were already dead, so you wouldn’t come looking for us.” I shook my head. “Clever. Real fuckin’ clever.”
“Where is he now?” Dante asked, his hands clenched at his sides. I hadn’t seen him since he’d stormed out of my office, but now he was here, his rage trying to match mine.