Page 73 of Dangerous Promises

Anton sighs and steps back, much to the nurses disapproval.

Dad does his belt up and then attempts to stand, his wobbly knees shaking as he forces himself upright. He stumbles and grabs onto the side table for support, before his legs give out and he drops to the floor.

This is clearly what Anton expected to happen.

He lifts Dad back up and puts him into bed. "Your muscles are weak, you need to rest. Or you'll probably never walk again."

Dad bares his teeth, ready to argue, but I can't hold back any longer.

"Dad," I say, a lone tear falling down my cheek, stinging on my skin that is already puffy and raw from crying all morning. Though he struggles on his feet, Dad looks like himself again. In a coma in his bed, he never looked like him. I could distance myself in ways. Because the person laying in that bed was never my father. This man here, trying to force himself upright and out of bed within hours of waking… that's Dimitri DeMarco.

The door hits the wood where I stand in the archway. His eyes meet mine and he smiles, tears welling at the corners. "Anima mia."

I rush to my dad's side and jump onto the bed to hug him tightly. He lets out anoofas I grab him, but I don't regret it. I hold him tighter.

"I thought you weren't coming back," I say, closing my eyes and leaning into him. "I thought I'd never hear your voice again."

"I'm here,anima mia," Dad says, taking me in his arms in return. I feel his kiss on my forehead and my body melts. Months of tensions erodes from my being as I take him in. It's only now that I realize how much weight I'd taken on myself since myfather had been gone. I open my eyes and see Anton, smiling fondly over the two of us. Strangely, he looks lighter too. Far more like the uncle I knew and less like who he's had to become in the last year.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I say. "I didn't know how to face you."

"Don't you apologize," he says. "None of this is your fault." He strokes my face. But I see it as he narrows his eyes at my uncle. For all the choices he made, I don't think Uncle Anton ever expected to have to answer for them. Not to his brother.

My chest freezes over in panic as I wonder exactly what my dad has been told so far, and who is taking the blame for it... "Nicholas..." I say, my heart tearing at the words as I allow myself to say his name and not be afraid of it.

"I know," Dad says, squeezing his eyes. He won't cry, he never would. But I can see the pain behind his eyes. "I... wish I was waking up to better news. Even if he was FBI."

"He saved Sage," Anton says, gently nudging Dad almost in reminder.

"I know," Dad nods. "Yes, for that we should be grateful. But his death-"

"Is still not something we know much about," Anton hurries to say, giving me a look behind Dad's back. I guess we're not telling Dad about the whole Victor/Alexei thing.

Dad looks between Anton and I, then gives me a final squeeze, his hands at my cheeks as he smiles at me like I'm the light of his life. "Mia figlia, grown up and even more beautiful."

I get a simple kiss on the forehead and then it's back to business mode. "I'm getting out of this bed," Dad barks.

"You're really not-"

The nurse reappears with a wheelchair, placing it next to Dad's bed without saying anything. It speaks for itself. If he wants to go anywhere, he won't be walking.

Dad heaps himself into the chair, looking up at Anton with malice. It goes unspoken that he is too weak to even push.

"Dimitri, you should lay do-"

Dad shoots Anton a single warning look and I cringe. I don't want him up and moving around so soon either but I would be stupid to say anything. It can't be good for his health. It can't be good for everything he's bound to find out. Selfishly, I'd like to keep that under wraps for as long as possible.

Anton sighs and goes behind the wheelchair, pushing my father through the door as I follow. When they get there, Dad grabs the wheels, violently stopping them and making me just miss bumping into Anton's back.

I look across the landing and find Alexei and Freddie stopped mid-conversation to watch us. Especially as Dad eyes everyone down.

He looks at Anton's jacket, Freddie's, and then to Alexei where he is without his jacket, and then to mine, where I am clearly wearing it.

He purses his lips in disapproval.

Fuck.

Well, this happened quick.