Page 22 of Unfettered

“I want to go with you.”

I shake my head. “It’s not safe.”

“Fuck that. I’m riding with my Boy.”

I raise a brow. “And your two other Boys? I heard they already tried to sneak off.”

Jude smirks, a sadistic thing that I’m sadly too tired to appreciate. “Don’t worry, I have plans for my Bel Fiore and Star. They’ll stay where I put them, and will have a guard to watch over them.”

I wish my fellow brat luck with that. I really wouldn’t want to be Antonio and Nicolo right now.

“Vonny has already prepped a room in the medical wing for Nario to recover in, so we’re all set there.”

“Okay. Let us know when you’re able to make the transfer happen,” Carter says. He tilts his head and asks, “Do you have enough help? With Cristian and Nario both injured, Hollis and Roman still on suicide watch—though I’m hoping with Hollis in therapy, and I heard Cristian agreed…” He looks at Javi, who nods in confirmation. “Right, so hopefully, with everyone on the same page, Roman will take a chance at therapy again. Anyway, you’re stretched thin in the medical wing. Do we need to hire someone else?”

I am careful not to look at Lio directly, but I see how he flinches out of the corner of my eye. It’s slight, but I’ve been watching for it, waiting for the day he asks about Rose’s disappearance. I know they grew close during his stay. She liked him…which made her failure to do her fucking job all the more difficult.

“We could use an extra set of hands or two…” I say. “I’ll put together a list and present them to the Council at a later date. Maybe by the end of the week?”

Carter nods and I hold my breath, waiting to hear something from Lio. He seems to steady himself before he looks up and meets my eyes.

“Is…did Rose go back to the clinic? Or…did she quit? I’m only asking because she hasn’t been around. I know she was one of the Head Nurses at your clinic, but was needed here because she was also on your personal Medical Assistant Team, but…why wouldn’t you bring her back? Unless…does she not want to come back because she’s disgusted by what I did?”

He slips his arms into his lap, looking so fucking sad that my heart goes out to him. I’m way too tired for this shit, but…he deserves to know the truth.

In as gentle a voice as I can muster, I say, “Rose is…no longer with us. I was forced to deal with her when she failed to do her job properly.”

Lio frowns. “What does that mean?”

“She was on duty the night you…tried to commit suicide. I don’t know if you remember, but we had someone in your and Roman’s room twenty-four seven. We didn’t want to leave the two of you alone—not because we didn’t trust you, but you just went through something traumatic, and we wanted to make sure someone was there should either of you need anything.

“Rose was on duty that night, and she failed to do her job. She left the room for an unscheduled break, and⁠—”

“It wasn’t her fault!” he says angrily, rising out of his chair. “It’s on me! I’m the one who was so fucking weak I couldn’t cope with life. I…” He lets out a cry. “Oh fuck, I killed her…”

“No,” everyone in the room argues fiercely.

“This is not on you, Lio,” I tell him firmly. “She had her choices, and she made them. You’re not responsible for that.”

He shakes his head rapidly. “No… No…this is my fault…”

He begins to break and Keegan catches him, clutching the Boy in his arms. He gives me a look, but I simply blink at him. I’m the innocent one here! All I did was tell him the truth! If he didn’t like it then he should have been the one to break the news to the little Boss.

Javi sidles up to Keegan—I didn’t even notice him move—and gently reaches for Lio’s arm, administering the sedative we always make sure to carry now for moments like this.

“Put him in Roman’s room,” Javi says to Keegan as he scoops the little Boss into his arms. “I’ll let Anderson know what happened, and maybe his…”

“I’ll go switch with Ten again, so he can sit with Lio,” Carter offers.

Javi nods, pulling out his phone as he steps out of the room behind Keegan.

“I think it’s safe to say this meeting is over,” Carter says with a sigh. “Keep Jude updated with the plans for Nario, and let me know if any issues crop up. Both of you get some sleep.”

Sarah and I stand, and quickly leave the conference room. Javi is standing in the hall, still on the phone, but he does meet my eyes when I step out of the room.

“Sarah,” I say before she can walk off. She raises a brow. “I do respect you, and trust in your abilities. Whatever you think of me, I still would like to be your friend.”

She gives a clipped nod. “Thank you for the apology, I appreciate it. I’ll see you later.”