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I grab her hand and squeeze it.
The urge to vomit resurfaces.
I’ve never seen my brother so frantic.
So fearful.
He’s scared of losing his wife the same way we lost our mother.
We’re directed to a private waiting room at the hospital, and no one speaks as we wait for news about Neomi. She fought for her life during the drive to the hospital, and unlike my mother, she was alive when they arrived.
When Dr. Jansky enters the room, Natalia grabs my hand and clasps it inside hers. He’s the doctor who broke the news of my mother’s death so many years ago. The first man who broke my heart without even knowing.
“Neomi is stable,” he tells us.
Relief washes over the room.
“Oh, thank God,” Concetta cries out.
I glance at Benny, and his face reveals more than just relief. Vengeance is written all over it, as if it’s become a part of his skin. He’s ready to make whoever hurt Neomi pay.
“She got lucky,” Dr. Jansky adds. “Thankfully, the bullet didn’t cause internal damage. She lost a significant amount of blood, so we had to perform a transfusion.” He straightens his glasses. “I want to keep her here for a few days to watch her recovery.” His eyes meet Benny’s. “They are transferring her to the second floor. A nurse will come and let you know when she’s able to have visitors.”
After Dr. Jansky leaves, Concetta, Bria, and Isabella go outside for fresh air. Severino remains in the room, his handcradling his face. When he finally lowers it, I see the same thirst for revenge as Benny’s.
Benny and my father leave the room.
Natalia and I do the same seconds later and walk toward the vending machines with Bruno behind us.
“Do you think Antonio shot Neomi?” Natalia asks, her voice hushed as I enter the numbers for my selections.
I cast a glance at Bruno, who’s checking the hallways, and whisper, “Antonio would never harm Neomi.”
At least, I hope he wouldn’t.
But at this point, I don’t know what to think anymore.
Natalia stares at me skeptically.
“Let’s just wait for details. Okay?”
“Wait for the details that the Lombardis did it,” Natalia says in total certainty.
I glare at her.
“This thing between you and Antonio needs to end. I’m scared he’ll harm you, Gigi. Emotionally … and physically.”
“Antonio would never.”
“Can you say the same about the rest of the Lombardis? If it comes down to you or his family, who do you think he’ll choose?”
I gulp and snatch my snacks from the vending machine. “Please … just don’t mention anything about Antonio to my father.”
“Your secrets are always safe with me.” She stops abruptly to correct herself. “Unless your life is in danger. Then all bets are off. Your father will know everything, so he can kill whoever hurts you.”
Antonio was worried about war before, but he has no idea the storm they’ve unleashed. They’d better pray Neomi lives because the Marchetti wrath is sheer terror.
“It was a Lombardi,” Benny tells my father in the hospital hallway. “One of Cavallaro’s men took a picture of the license plate and ran it through the system.”
