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Rose’s relief was palpable as she dragged him to sit down. He sank beside her, clinging to Isabella’s eyes in one last embrace, trying to transfer to her his every spark of strength, pledging her every second he had left on this earth, whether she wanted it or not. She squeezed her eyes, as if confirming she’d received it all.
Then the procedure started.
* * *
Richard had been in desperate situations too many times to remember. But none had come close to dismantling him like the two heart-crushing hours before Antonio announced he was done, and they wheeled Rico to Intensive Care.
Richard found himself there,
pushing past Antonio as he came out first. “I must see him.”
Antonio clamped his arm. “I let you watch the surgery against my better judgment already, because Dr. Sandoval needed your presence. But if I let you back there, she’ll go back, too, and I barely managed to tear her from your son’s side. I don’t want her around him while he’s still unconscious one more second. She’s been through enough.”
As Richard struggled with his rabid need to touch his son, to feel him breathe and to spare Isabella further anguish, Antonio’s gaze softened as she and the others came out.
“The surgery went better than even I projected. Seems Rico has his father’s armored head.” Rose and his Black Castle friends who’d caught up gave drained smiles as Antonio’s gaze turned to Isabella. “But seriously, Dr. Sandoval’s impeccable damage control presented me with a fully stable patient.” His gaze turned to Richard, hardening. “Without her, the prognosis wouldn’t have been the perfect one it is now. Rico is a lucky boy to have his mom’s healing powers and nerves of steel.”
Another breaker of guilt crashed over Richard. He wanted to snatch Isabella in his arms, beseech her forgiveness. Only knowing she wouldn’t appreciate it held him back.
Antonio extended a hand to Isabella. “It was a privilege working with someone of your skill and grace under fire, Dr. Sandoval, though I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”
Seeming to operate on autopilot, Isabella took his hand. “Isabella, please. It’s me who’s eternally in your debt. You were the only one I could trust my son’s life with.”
Antonio waved him off. “Any neurosurgeon worth his salt would have done as good a job. His condition, thankfully, didn’t require my level of expertise. But it was a privilege to operate on him. He’s sort of my nephew, too, you know. Whether Richard likes it or not, he’s been drafted into our brotherhood.”
Richard stared at him, overwhelmed all over again as everyone murmured their corroboration.
Antonio turned to Richard. “Any debt here is all yours, buddy.”
Richard’s nod was vigorous. “Unequivocally. I’m indebted to everyone here, and to the whole world, an unrepayable debt in the value of Rico’s invaluable life.”
Antonio chuckled, no doubt enjoying seeing Richard, who always antagonized everyone, so ready to be everyone’s eternal slave.
Richard only dragged him into a hug. He even kissed him.
Pulling back, blinking in surprise, Antonio laughed. “Whoa. Who are you, and where’s the lethal and exasperating Richard Graves I know and love, and occasionally loathe?”
Richard exhaled. “He doesn’t exist anymore.”
Antonio laughed. “Nah, he’s still in there. But I bet he’ll never again emerge around our current company.” He wiggled an eyebrow at him. “I would have loved to squeeze you for an installment on your debt, but there’d be no fun in that when you’re beyond collapse.” He pulled Richard’s hand, wrapped it around Isabella’s. “Go get some rest.”
“But...”
“But...”
Hand raised, Antonio ended their protests. “I’ll hold the fort here, not that I need to. Rico is stable, but I’ll keep him sedated until his brain edema totally resolves. I’d rather you don’t look ninety percent dead, as you both do now, when he wakes up.” He shoved them away. “Go home...now.”
Twelve
All the way to Isabella’s house she sat beside him, unmoving, unresponsive. Not that he’d tried to make her respond. She’d been shattered, had put herself back together so many times, he could barely breathe around her in fear that she’d finally come apart for good.
Once inside, she stopped at the living room, her eyes glazed, as if she was envisioning their evenings spent there. Without warning, a sob tore out of her, sounding as if it actually ripped things inside her to break free.
She’d held it all in until this moment. Before another thought or reaction could fire inside him, she was a weeping heap on the ground.
Crashing to his knees in front of her, he wrapped himself around her, reciting her name over and over, hugging and hugging her, as if he’d integrate her whole being into his own, or at least absorb all traces of her ordeal.
She suddenly exploded out of his arms. His heart almost ruptured. She hated his touch, couldn’t bear his consolation.
