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I didn’t ask if she was okay, because I knew she wasn’t. And Einstein didn’t like others knowing her heart was made of anything less than stone—just like Johnny’s.
With a sigh, I finally looked at the girl next to me. “I have about a hundred things I want to say and ask and do. Including kissing you and demanding to know why the hell you didn’t scream for me the second you saw him coming toward you. But those can wait.” Opening up the towels, I looked at the cut running up her forearm, my blood boiling when I saw it. “Right now, we need to get this taken care of. Can you walk or do you think you’re going to faint?”
“I can walk.”
“Let’s go.” Wrapping my arm around her, I led her through the house to my mom’s room.
Knocking on the door, I waited for her to answer.
From the grim
look on her face, she’d heard the screams and had been waiting for this visit. When she saw Elle tucked into my side her eyes fluttered shut, and she muttered a curse with Johnny’s name attached to it.
“Come here, you poor girl. Let me see what happened and what we can do for you.” When I started to follow them in, Mom released Elle and whirled on me. Shoving her hand into my chest, she pushed me out of the room. “Johnny is going to be the death of you in every sense of the word, Demitri. Don’t let him lead you and everyone else to your deaths because you feel responsible for him—because you feel like you owe him.”
“Mom . . . he’s—”
“I understand family that runs deeper than blood,” she ground out. “I understand loyalty. You’re a fool if you think he does too.” With another hard shove to my chest, she jerked her chin. “Get this girl something for the pain. Get her food. And for God’s sake, think about what you’re putting this family and this girl through by letting him control your mind.”
I stared at the door in shock and denial for long minutes before turning to go back into the kitchen where Elle’s blood still lingered all over the island and floor.
Searching the takeout drawer for a menu, I called in for food, then started cleaning once I found a bottle of aspirin. The entire time my mom’s words replayed in my mind.
But none of it made sense.
If anyone was controlling the other—it was me controlling Johnny.
I’d been the one reeling him in our entire lives. I’d been the one calming him.
But for the first time, I didn’t know how to quiet his savage side. And it fucking terrified me.
“You’re a brave girl,” Sofia said, her voice sad as she bandaged my arm. “I’m sorry we couldn’t take you to a hospital to do this.”
I watched as the last of the perfectly neat stiches disappeared under the wrappings and nodded. “I understand.”
I understood more than I could say.
Hospitals were a last resort to prevent death.
Police were only involved if they happened to show.
Mob life.
I handed the bottle of vodka back to her, meeting her gaze at her huff.
“You were supposed to drink it to help ease the pain. Not hold it for me.” Standing, she took her large kit and vodka back to the chest she’d grabbed them from earlier and put them back with a practiced ease.
I wondered for a brief moment how often she’d had to use that kit, then I realized I’d rather not know.
“Thank you,” I said as I stood. “I’m sorry you had to—”
“Don’t apologize to me. Just promise me one thing.” She waited until I nodded to continue. “If my son doesn’t find a way to keep you from Johnny, keep yourself away from this house.”
“Of course,” I murmured immediately, trying to hide my panic at where I would see Dare. I didn’t want to spend the rest of the time I had with him at Brooks Street or at The Jack.
I wanted some sense of normalcy and privacy while I could still pretend the fast-approaching end would never come.
I accepted a kiss on the cheek from her before slipping out of her door, then wandered down the halls until I found my way to the living room, rocking back on my heels when I found Dare in there, sitting on a couch with his head in his hands.
