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The rest of the adrenaline still coursing through my body after the attack slowly ebbed away—which made the throbbing in my arm worse.
“You probably need stitches,” Franco said.
I nodded. “At least I can still walk.”
“Tell me,” Franco began, a sly smile playing on his lips. “Do you have a problem with my sexual orientation?”
I stared at him for a split second before I focused back on the road. “Are you kidding?” I snorted. “It’s such a non-issue, I hadn’t even thought about it once. Besides, at least you won’t try to take my girl. For which I’m grateful.”
“Speaking of Fee,” Franco said, his tone more serious. “I tried to reach her and couldn’t.”
I sighed. Everyone was telling me the same story. If it was just me, if she refused to take my call, I would understand. But as it was, she hadn’t talked to a single one of her friends, and it made me increasingly uneasy.
What the hell was going on?
I rubbed my neck—the movement hurting like a bitch. “Next thing on my agenda, getting my princess back.”
“You’re in love with her,” Franco said.
I nodded without hesitation. “Head over heels. As soon as I dump your ass at the hospital and check in on Matt, I’m leaving for Ireland to go get her.”
“Good,” he replied simply, his approval warm and genuine.
We arrived at the hospital, but Franco refused to go to the ER. Instead, he insisted on accompanying me to Matteo’s room—since, in his words, we were all family now.
If there was any doubt left in my mind about whether I could trust him, it vanished then and there. We might have been born into different families, but blood or not, we were brothers.
Family—as crazy as it sounded.
When we entered Matt’s room, it was full of people.
Franco froze next to me, but Cristo took one look and immediately helped him into a chair.
Family.
Gabe faced me with stormy eyes, pulled his arm back, and threw a punch.
I was too surprised to do anything but shake it off and hold his gaze. I wouldn’t defend myself. Not for doing what was right.
Not for protecting my family.
“You’re an idiot and an asshole,” was the first thing he said, still glaring at me, before he drew me into a fierce hug. “But I’m glad you’re still alive.”
I chuckled. “Fortune favors fools.”
Gabe shook his head, then let me go and examined my arm. “You need stitches.”
I nodded. “At least you didn’t break my jaw.”
Gabe narrowed his eyes, but Sophie pushed him to the side and gave me a short hug and a glare.
And then it was my mother’s turn. She hugged me fiercely, and I drew her in with my good arm and pressed her against me.
“Silly boy,” she whispered against my chest. Then she straightened, led me farther into the room, and pushed me into a chair. “I’ll get someone to stitch you up.”
I smiled and watched her leave. Then turned my attention to Matt and the bed.
And only then did I notice the dark, unsmiling presence sitting on Matt’s other side.
