Page 48 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

She would do what she wanted.

Cara stepped out of the taxi after getting her credit card back from the driver, and stared up at the bright lights of the emergency room of one of Toronto’s largest hospitals. She tried to stay away from hospitals—and this one in particular—as it reminded her a lot of Lea. Her twin had wanted to be a general surgeon, and had been a year away from starting her residency, when she died. Another dream cut far too short.

Letting out a slow breath, Cara shook off the unease and headed toward the emergency entrance. Her uncle had about ten minutes on her, so she assumed Claud would already be inside and doing his own thing by the time she figured out exactly where Gian was situated. Maybe he would even be gone by then, and that would be even better for her. Claud would be less likely to make a scene with others around, if he happened upon Cara.

She didn’t even make it inside.

“Cara?”

Constantino stepped out of the shadows, a lit cigarette dangling from his fingertips. The cherry-red tip glowed as he came closer. “What are you doing here?”

Why couldn’t anything be easy for her?

“Did your dad get here already?” she asked her cousin.

“Five minutes, or so, ago. He left right after. Now, answer me.”

Cara tightened the belt on her tweed coat, willing away the cold. “Take a guess.”

Constantino cocked a brow. “You probably shouldn’t be here.”

“Someone already tried to tell me that tonight. Try something new.”

“How did you hear about the bomb?”

So it was a bomb.

Cara tried not to let that word frighten her too much, but it was hard. “I overheard Claud’s phone call. Gian was supposed to come over, but I was already heading out. He hadn’t answered my message, telling him I was already gone.”

Constantino blew out a hard breath. “Don’t go around saying that too loud.”

“Saying what?”

“Nothing,” her cousin muttered. “It’s been a long night. Gian’s already discharged, anyway. He’s not even here, and he’s chilling out where he can’t be bothered.”

Cara stood firm. “I want to see him.”

“Yeah—”

“And why isn’t he answering his phone?”

“Kinda got smashed on the way down to the pavement, and yeah,” Constantino said. “Why don’t you head home, and I’ll let him know you were here.”

Nope.

“I want to see him,” she repeated.

Constantino scowled. “Since when did you become so fucking irritating and stubborn? Weren’t you supposed to be the quiet twin?”

Cara couldn’t quite let those comments roll off her shoulders. “You don’t know shit about me. Don’t pretend like you do, Constantino.”

“Clearly.”

“Take me to Gian.”

Her cousin shook his head. “Fine. Whatever.”

The very moment Cara laid eyes on Gian from across the club’s floor, a swift relief coursed through her system. It was a feeling she hadn’t quite experienced before, and she didn’t know what to do about it. She hadn’t realized that from the second she heard bomb uttered alongside Gian’s name, fear had put her back in robot mode.