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I glance at Mama Medici. “You look a darned sight better,” I croak, glad to see she is up and on her feet again. The last time I saw her, that wasn’t the case, and she was on bedrest.
She smiles and her eyes crinkle. “I had to make a miraculous recovery so your mother and I can cook up a storm for you when you get out of hospital,” she informs me.
I smile. “Sounds good to me, Mama M.”
“I’ll get you some water,” Valentina says, turning to the side table next to the hospital bed.
“Let the nurse through,” I hear Angelo again. “So she can adjust the bed and check on him.”
Everyone is told to stand back a little while the nurse checks and records my vitals over the next few minutes. She asks me how I’m feeling and records a few things down on my chart. Then adjusts the bed so it tilts up and I’m sitting upright.
“The doctor will be back in to see you shortly,” she says. “Let’s not overwhelm him. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to see all of you out.”
I see Angelo give her the look of death, not that she seems to notice.
My mom’s tear-streaked face nods and thanks the nurse again.
Valentina moves back beside me and holds a water glass to my lips. I feel like an invalid, but the cold of the water feels so good against my lips. I take a sip, and then another.
It’s like I’ve been in the Sahara Desert for weeks on end. I can’t believe I’ve been unconscious for that long. It’s no wonder everyone is looking at me and hovering around like I may actually break.
Valentina places the glass of water back down and reaches back to hold my hand. I squeeze it as she leans down to give me a quick kiss on the lips, so softly I barely feel it.
“It’s so good to see you, Enzo. We have all taken it in turns to be here beside you.”
“She hasn’t left the hospital in a week,” Marco adds.
I smile, but it even fucking hurts to do that. “What did the doctors say? Do I have any permanent damage?” I don’t recall anything even after I woke up.
“The doctor is coming in to speak with you soon, darling,” my mom says. “You were very lucky; the bullet narrowly missed your heart.”
I glance up at Valentina, then Angelo. “And Yuri?” The name even feels like poison in my mouth. Valentina’s eyes drop momentarily as Angelo places a reassuring arm around her. “One-shot wonder here,” he says, pulling her into his side. “He’s dead, Enzo. We don’t have to worry about any of that anymore.”
“What about Aleksi?” I rasp out. The last thing we need is a war with him.
“All is well, brother,” Angelo says. “You don’t need to worry about that either. We’re not on the outs with the Petrovs.”
I suppose I will learn what happens in time, but hearing that makes me breathe a little bit easier. I don’t know how it’s going to sit with Valentina, having killed someone, but we can talk about that as soon as I’m able to keep a straight thought in my head.
“You just need to concentrate on getting better, Son,” Ken says, squeezing my other hand. “Everything is going to be all right.”
I remember the dream I had and look at Valentina. I feel the tears spring to my eyes when I think about it. Fucking hell, I can’t cry in front of everyone, especially all of my brothers; they are in every sense of the word the brothers I never had.
But all I can see is my son’s sweet face. “Elio,”I whisper out loud. Valentina frowns in confusion.
“Elio?” she asks me quizzically.
She doesn’t understand yet, but she will. I lift my hand up to her cheek and she bends down toward me. Her eyes clouding over.
“I saw our babies,” I whisper to her, as she leans to my ear.
She pulls back a little to look at me.
“Let’s give them a minute,” my mom pipes up, clearing her throat. I don’t know if mom heard that or not, but she’s right; I need to be alone with Valentina. It’s then I see Dante and Fynn at the foot of the bed. Everyone is here, just for me.
When they’re all gone, Valentina brings her gaze back to mine.
“Our babies?” she says, stroking my hair out of my eyes, softly with her fingers.
