My hands automatically went to her ass as I pulled her into my lap so our faces were level to each other.
She pulled away, and if she hadn’t, I would have continued that kiss for hours on end. Her fingers were still buried in my hair, and she looked into my eyes. “I love you.”
My hand slid into her hair as I cradled her face. “I love you too, baby.” My thumb gently grazed her soft cheek. “I’m glad this is finally over.”
“Yeah, me too.” Her eyes dropped as she released a sigh. “I only saw the end of that fight…and I was horrified.”
I smirked to make her feel better. “I had it handled.”
She gave a slight shake of her head but didn’t say anything.
Don Russo and the others had defeated the rest of Icarus’s men and taken back headquarters. Elio and Andre had transported Leo to the hospital, and the last text Francesca got from Elio was that Leo had been rushed to surgery.
I knew her thoughts were with her brother right now.
“You think he’ll be okay?” she asked quietly, speaking so low it was like she didn’t actually want to ask the question.
I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to tell her the truth.
Her eyes found mine when I didn’t answer.
“Do you really want to know, or do you want me to make you feel better?”
Her eyes immediately flicked away, and she got off my lap. “That answers my question.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stood a few feet from me, which was unlike her. So much had happened in the last few hours, and we’d barely had a second to talk. She looked out the window into the gardens outside.
“It was a close shot. I’ve never been shot at that range before.”
She continued to look outside.
“It depends on where he was hit.”
She absent-mindedly rubbed one of her arms like she was cold.
“It’s okay to be sad, Francesca.”
She slowly turned to look at me, her eyes carrying a mound of grief. “I’d be dead right now if it weren’t for him.”
I didn’t want to think about that possibility, but I gave a nod to acknowledge what Leo had done.
“He didn’t have to do that.”
He’d really fucked up with his dad, but his family loyalty had been renewed by that loss. I didn’t believe in second chances, but I did believe in redemption. If her dad could have witnessed what had just happened, it would pull at even his heartstrings. “I have to finish up some stuff here, but you should go to the hospital.”
Her arms tightened over her chest.
“That way, you’ll be there when he gets out of surgery.”
“Ifhe gets out of surgery…”
“There’s hope. He’s made it this far.” He’d survived the ride to the hospital, and if he’d died during the operation, Elio would have informed Francesca by now. So there was hope…however slim. He might survive but be in a coma for the rest of his life. That had happened to one of the guys from Cosa Nostra a few years ago—until his family pulled the plug.
“Can you come with me?” she whispered, afraid to ask when I was the last person she should be afraid to ask anything.
I rose to my feet and drew close. “I will after I finish up a couple things around here.”
“Icarus is dead,” she said. “What else is there?”
I hoped this was the end, but I wasn’t convinced. “It’s easy to forget that Icarus was a lieutenant, not the boss.”
