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He’d taken a couple of steps down the stairs, then sank down onto a step.
“Lorenzo?” When he didn’t respond, I hurried up the stairs.
“It’s…nothing,” he rasped.
He grabbed the handrail and hauled himself to his feet. He tried to take another step but his legs gave way and he sank back down to the stair.
His breathing was labored, and he couldn’t catch his breath.
“What’s wrong, Lorenzo?” I said urgently, watching him as he tried to take a breath.
“Need to…catch my breath. Just give me…a minute.” His voice was hoarse and his hand was pressed against his chest.
I hovered in front of me. “Should I call someone—the doctor?”
“No!” he forced out. “Just…need a minute.”
After gathering himself, he stood up but collapsed back down before he could even take a step. “Fuck!” he rasped.
What was happening? He wasn’t even doing anything taxing—he was just coming down the stairs, for God’s sake!
CHAPTER 42
ANNUNCIATA
“Adelina!” I yelled. “Adelina!”
Adelina, hearing the urgency in my voice, came hurrying out of the kitchen.
“Mrs. Anni, what is it?”
Upon seeing Lorenzo hunched down on the stairs, his breaths coming out in harsh gasps, she dashed to the foot of the stairs. “Mr. Lorenzo! I’ll call the doctor.”
“No doctor.” He made his voice as firm as he could. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead.
“Help me get him down the stairs, Adelina. We’ll get him to the couch in the den.”
Adelina and I stood on either side of him and helped support his weight as we slowly came down the stairs. I could tell he wanted to refuse our help, but he knew as well as us that there was no other way he could manage.
Once we got to the couch, he gratefully slumped down onto the cushions, trying to get his breath back.
“I’m calling 911,” I said quickly. “You need an ambulance.”
“No!” He closed his eyes. “Ring…for doctor,” he conceded. His breathing was getting worse, not better.
I dashed to the phone, trying to control my panic. I needed to stay calm but calm was the last thing I felt.
Resisting the urge to call 911, I instead dialed the number for the doctor used by the Fratellanza. I explained to him what had happened as quickly as possible and he told me that he was on his way.
As I spoke on the phone, Adelina brought a glass of water for Lorenzo but he wasn’t able to drink it.
The doctor lived close by and was with us in less than twenty minutes although the wait felt a lot longer.
I followed the doctor as he strode into the den.
“I think it’s my heart, doc,” croaked Lorenzo.
“Your heart?” I cried. “If I’d known that, I definitely would have called 911!”
