Page 102 of Lucian

“Shut up. Grit your teeth. You get shot, you get stitches. You know this.”

Jordyn flinched. “Is he—”

“Fine,” Dante interrupted, giving her a look. “Just acting like a child because he needs a few stitches.”

Jordyn released a shaky breath, wishing the desire to cry would go away. “Where’s Gio?”

Usually if one brother showed up, the other one did, too. Lucian refused to go to a hospital, vaguely explaining it would be reported and the police would get involved. They ended up back at the condo instead.

“Questioning Fraser,” Dante said darkly.

A shiver crawled up Jordyn’s spine at what those words implied.

“Antony?” she asked.

Where were these people, Jordyn wanted to scream.

“With Gio,” Dante explained. “Probably having a grand time getting the man to talk.”

Oh.

“And before you ask,” he continued, cocking a brow. “My mother was hysterical to the point of a breakdown, so Antony demanded Paulie sedate her. She won’t be happy when she wakes up, and you can be sure she’ll come here without invitation, breaking down the damned doors to see Lucian.”

“I don’t care,” Jordyn mumbled. “She’s his mother. She has a right to be concerned.”

“Not all women would feel the same. Anyway, Paulie is almost finished. Lucian is pissed off to the high heavens, so you might want to give him a while to chill out and let the painkillers kick in. Go have a nap or something. We’re going to be here for a while.”

Jordyn didn’t even want to think about moving farther away from Lucian than she already was. “I can’t, Dante.”

“You can or I will make you. Go, Jordyn.”

“But—”

“My brother may enjoy you stubborn and combative, but I don’t. And, to be fair, I’m not head over heels in love with you like he is. Lucian doesn’t think clearly when you’re involved. I will only ask one more time for you to give him some space. Right now, even if he doesn’t think so, he needs it. Frankly, we all need to have a discussion that you really shouldn’t be privy to, either.”

Defeated, Jordyn nodded solemnly. “Tell him I’m going to nap in his office, or something. Try to, anyway.”

“Thank you,” Dante said as Jordyn turned to leave.

She scoffed, loud and rude, refusing to grace him with a response to his comment. What in the hell was there to be thankful for?

Well … Lucian was alive. There was that.

Despite the anxiety eating away at her heart, once Jordyn was alone in Lucian’s office with the door closer, she felt just a tiny bit better. Enough to breathe, to think, and to cry. And she did, lying back on the leather couch with her hands fisted against her mouth, she sobbed. Cried until her chest hurt and her face was soaked with tears.

The bullet missed going through Lucian’s back to hit his heart by a little less than a foot.

How was she supposed to deal with that?

It was no longer Jordyn in danger with Lucian being her protector. At least when it had been like that, it was easier to manage the fear. Now, she felt useless. There was nothing she could do to help him.

Was that how it was going to be?

Every time they left the safety of the condo, they needed to look over their shoulders for a gunman waiting for his mark?

Eventually, the emotions catching up to Jordyn overwhelmed her into exhaustion, and for a short time, she slept.

Sometime later, Jordyn was woken by shouts echoing through the condo. The discussion alone was loud and shocking enough to keep Jordyn quiet.