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“Worn out,” Carlo says as he leans back against his seat. “What a night.”
“Haven’t done anything like that before. The city’s going to be talking about it for a generation.”
“The night of the dead Russians.”
“I doubt that’s what they’ll call it.”
He shrugs, too tired to argue. “I’m gonna head inside and find coffee. Want to come?”
“I need to call Molly first. I’ll meet you in Renzo’s room.”
“Alright, that works.” He hesitates before he gets out of the truck. “I’m glad I had you tonight, bro. I don’t know what we would’ve done if you weren’t around.”
“Probably you would’ve gotten yourself killed.”
“Yep, probably,” he agrees and slips off into the sunrise.
Molly answers on the second ring. I can hear the exhaustion and anxiety in her voice. “Saul, are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” I say and just hearing her makes me feel lighter already. “I’m back at the hospital.”
“God, that’s such a relief. I’ve been worried sick. They’re already reporting about it on the news. They’re calling it the single bloodiest gang-related mass shooting ever perpetrated.”
“They’re probably right.” I step out of the truck and wander towards the building. The early morning downtown city is already beginning to wake up, and Jefferson is always busy. I bet more than a few guys we shot are in there right now getting their guts stitched or their corpses shoved into a refrigerator.
“How’s Carlo? Is he okay too?”
“He’s good. We’re both exhausted, but we did what we had to do.”
“Renzo’s going to be proud.”
“Yeah, I don’t know.” I stare at the building, feeling sick. “But that doesn’t matter. Whatever happens with him, I know I did the right thing tonight. I can look myself in the mirror.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too. When will you be home? I’m still at Nana’s apartment.”
“I’m going in to visit Renzo now. Call you when I’m done.”
“Good luck.”
I hang up and square my shoulders. I don’t have to feel like I let anyone down. I have Molly, I have our baby, and I still have my family. Even if Renzo doesn’t like it, I still have them.
Carlo meets me by the elevators with coffee and we ride up together. Gian’s in the hall and he makes us give him all the details about what happened all night before bringing us back to see Renzo.
“He’s just waking up,” he says. “Maddie’s still a wreck, but she’s hanging in.”
“You look like shit,” Carlo says, squeezing Gian’s shoulder.
“You’d look bad too if you slept in a hospital waiting room.”
“Fair enough.”
We reach the room. The nurses give us plenty of room—I wonder if they know who we are. Probably, considering how much money our family donates to this hospital every year. Renzo’s got his own private suite, and all things considered, it’s pretty nice.
Maddie’s sitting next to his bed with Allegra on the other side. Stefania’s next to Allegra, looking exhausted. She comes over and gives me a hug. “This sucks,” she whispers, and yeah, she’s not wrong.
