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“Carnifax?”
“He got away.” Jude swallowed, then held my hand that wasn’t in a cast. “I want you to stay calm when I tell you this next part.”
Nothing good ever started with those words. But I knew he wouldn’t continue until I agreed. “Okay.”
“They took Lenny.”
A sob escaped, and I released him to press a fist to my mouth to stop any other sounds.
Jude put his hands on both sides of my face; they were so big they nearly covered my entire head. “I promise you we’ll get him back. Nobody messes with our family and gets away with it.”
His words cracked something inside me, making me reach for him and bury my head in his chest. “No, no, no.”
Unable to say anything else, I kept repeating the one word over and over again. Everything I’d done was to keep Lenny safe. And they’d gotten to him anyway. I’d failed.
“We’ll do everything we can to find him. You’re not alone in this.”
His words wrapped around me, holding me tight. I’d always been alone. Taking care of my problems by myself. The thought of leaning on someone else was a heady one.
“Good to see you up,” an unfamiliar voice interrupted us. A middle-aged guy with dark hair shot through with silver strands stood next to the bed.
Jude got up, nodding at the guy. “This is Dr. Spencer. He’s the one who patched you up.”
The doctor pulled a stethoscope out, holding it up. “May I?”
Nodding, I sat up, wincing when the skin on my leg pulled at the movement. Silent tears still streamed down my face.
He listened to my back and chest, then checked the wound on my leg. “Nothing’s moved, and there’s no fresh blood on your bandages. Keep your wrist and leg as immobile as you can.” He pulled a bottle of pills out of a bag, shaking out two. “If you need help sleeping, take half a pill.” He set the bottle on the nightstand. “I’ll be back in two days to check on you. Call me if you need me before then.”
Jude walked him out, the two talking in hushed voices. I pushed pillows behind my back and leaned against them. I couldn’t afford to rest. I needed a plan to get Lenny back.
The door opened again, but instead of Jude, Constantine walked through. My body tensed, ready for flight. Not that I’d get far if I had to escape. I rubbed my cheeks, hoping my eyes weren’t too red.
For the first time since I met him, he didn’t look at me with hatred. Instead, I could have sworn I saw gratitude. My brain must have still been foggy.
He pointed to the bed. “May I?”
Watching him make his way closer, I nodded.
He sat on the edge of the mattress, clasping his hands in front of him. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“I thought since I tried taking it first, it was only fair that I saved it this time around.” My voice was wobbly, but at least I’d stopped crying.
A low chuckle rumbled through him. “Good thing you’re no longer trying to kill me, since my son seems rather fond of you. I’d hate to make you disappear.”
The unspoken warning settled deep, reminding me that I was in a house full of powerful and dangerous men.
Constantine studied my cast before meeting my gaze. “We’ll get him back. We might have underestimated Gladius, but they also underestimated us.” He stood up, nodding at me. “I know it was just a job, but my family might take a bit longer to get over the fact that you tried to kill me. Give them time. It’ll be worth it.”
He passed by Jude, who came back inside as his dad walked out. Clapping his son on the back, Constantine spoke a few words to him that were too low for me to hear.
Jude nodded and then sat down on the bed next to me. He shuffled us so I found myself hugged into his side, my cast resting on his stomach. After he pulled the blanket over me, he settled into the pillows I’d arranged. “What a fucking day.”
My breath hitched in my throat. “Any word on Lenny?”
Jude’s arm that was holding me to him gave me a gentle squeeze. “Not yet. But we have a few ideas where he might be. We’re calling in favors and have our men looking everywhere.”
My gaze fell on my phone resting on the nightstand. “He’ll contact us. It’s only a matter of time.”
