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“When can we see her?” Valentina pipes up, and I turn to look at her. She looks so small and helpless that I reach out to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
Angelo can’t shoot me for giving a fuck.
“She needs to rest, but if you want to wait until the nurses are done, I can allow a short visit soon. I must stress, though, now is a very critical time for us to monitor her.”
Angelo nods, and I feel a slight bit of relief that the prognosis may be better than we first expected.
A few minutes later, Fynn and then Dante arrive outside the room as we all wait. Angelo refuses to go to the waiting room and glares at a bossy nurse who tries to usher us out of the hallway.
“How is Ma?” Fynn asks, frantic as he runs a hand through his hair.
Marco explains what the doc said as I rub Valentina on the shoulder.
“How you doing?” I ask.
She looks up at me as she shrugs. “Okay, I guess.”
“It sounded positive,” I say. “You got to her quick and called the medics, this is good news, Val.”
She nods sagely, leaning into my touch. “I need her to be okay, E.”
“We all do,” I say. “I should go get us some coffee.”
“I’ll come with you, if you like?”
I can hardly deny her.
I look to Angelo, noticing that he’s watching us. It’s not uncommon, however, for me to put an arm around her; I’ve been doing it my whole life. He looks more concerned that she’s going to crack than me touching her. I give him a chin lift.
I hope to fuck that this is going to be all right for them, for all of us. It’s too early to say, so the best thing we can do is band together and be there.
I remove my arm from her as we walk down the hall together, just in case anyone is being too observant behind us. “She’s in the best hands,” I say to her as we head to the vending machine around the corner.
“The doctor was very informative,” she says. “I’m just so scared, Enzo. I don’t know what to do.”
We turn the corner and stop around the side of the vending machine. She looks up at me with those big, blue stormy eyes and I can’t help but touch her. I hold her cheeks and smooth her hair out of her eyes with one hand. I know we’re taking a fucking risk as any one of them could come around the corner at any given moment.
My heart hammers in my chest as I look at her. I don’t know if me being here is going to make things right for her, but I can damn well sure try. I pull her around the other side of the machine to at least attempt to block us, and lean down, taking her lips softly and slowly.
Her lips feel so warm, full, and inviting. I would to anything to be able to take her pain away and make things better, anything at all.
“You’re going to get through this,” I tell her, looking directly into her eyes. “You’re a Medici, you’re strong. We have to be strong for her.”
She nods and looks up at me with so much trust in her eyes, I’m completely lost in her all over again. I reach to kiss her again.
“Please stay with me today, E. I can’t face this alone.”
“Of course, belladonna.Anything you want.”
I give her one last kiss and pull myself back before I get roped into a point where I’m unable to untangle myself. “We have to get that coffee,” I add.
She nods and bites her lip. “Thank you for coming with me today. You’re always there when I need you, Enzo.”
“There’s nothing I won’t do for you, Valentina; you know that, don’t you?”
She stares at me for a moment. I know exactly what she is thinking. And I will even do that; risk my friendship with Angelo and my job with Fortress Security, because I need and want her, and I don’t want to keep doing this in secret.
“Even be with me?” she whispers, closing her eyes. “Would you do that, Enzo?”
