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Charles stood up and shook my hand. “I’ll show you out.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and walked with me toward the front door. Their butler stood waiting with his hand on the doorknob. He saw me and bowed slightly as he opened the door.
“Be careful,mi donna.” He smiled as he raised my hand to his lips.
“You too, Charlie.” I chuckled.
He laughed. “Well, I walked with you this far, may as well keep on going.” He motioned with his head toward the car and opened the passenger door for me. I slid inside and Charles closed the door, giving me one last smile.
Nate’s eyebrows raised as he backed out of the driveway. “Have a good talk?”
“Yeah. It was enlightening.” I stared out the windows and watched the trees go by. “Can we go see Joe?”
Nate smiled, glancing over at me. “I was just there, but I can go back. He was asking about you.”
“Thanks.” I watched the scenery pass as we headed toward the hospital, wondering how everyone could be so oblivious in their everyday lives. People rushed to work, ate, slept, and then got up and did it all over again. Ants following each other to who knows where.
Joe’s hospital room was filled with flowers, some wilted, some fresh. “Boss!” His eyes lit up when he saw me.
“Hey, Joe.” I sat on the chair beside his bed. “So, how’re you doing?”
He swayed his head back and forth, smiling as he took me in. He was sitting up, eating orange Jell-O, watching some home renovation program. He lifted the remote and turned it off. “You came to see me?” The genuine surprise in his voice stabbed me in the heart. He was in here because of me, yet he was happy to see me.
“Why wouldn’t I come see you? You took three bullets for me! I would have come sooner, but—”
Joe waved his hand dismissively and the words crumble in my mouth. “You’re here now and I’m surprised by that. Going through what you’ve gone through…” He shook his head. “I’d still be in the bed or in a murderous rage, killing anything that came near me.” He let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I keep running it through my mind—”
“Joe, stop.” I swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. “You’re in here because of me. If I had given the order to take Lenny and his gang out—”
“Boss!” he cut me off. “This isn’t your fault. No one saw it coming. Believe me.”
I heard footsteps behind me. When I glanced back, Nate was pressed up against the wall.
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going into a murderous rage.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” said Joe.
Nate smirked. “I would.”
“You guys are such dorks.” I smiled, shaking my head. “But I’m glad you’re okay, Joe.”
“Yeah… Doc said I could go home in a couple of weeks.” He looked at me, his eyes filled sadness. “Pity about Big Bob, though. He was a good guy.”
My shoulders dropped. “Yeah, he was.” I tilted my head to the side. “Do you need anything?”
“Nope. I’m all good here. Just catch the guys who killed Bob.” Then he leaned in close, his voice merely a whisper. “And do that thing you do.”
Just then, a nurse walked in.
I smiled and kissed him on the forehead. “Call us if you need anything. Okay?”
Joe smiled, appearing to relax a bit more. He looked at me and smiled, looking like a teenage boy, shy and sweet.
Nate and I said our goodbyes and we left the room.
We didn’t talk on the way out. Nate held the passenger door open for me and I slid into the car. Slowly, we were getting back into our old routine. He slid into the driver’s seat a moment later and turned the engine over. Then he looked behind him and pulled out of the parking space.
“I love how you guys know I’m a murderer and it’s just not a big deal.” I looked out the window. “It’s just something I do.”
“I don’t think you should like it. And I don’t think we should be as nonchalant about it.” Nate lifted a shoulder. “But here we are…and this is the way it’s always going to be.”
