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“That’s no way to greet your father, son,” his raspy smoker's voice carries through the phone. He’s pissed at my lack of respect and I couldn’t give a fuck less.
“I’m busy. What do you want?”
“You need to let her go son. If she doesn’t die, you’ll leave her and let everything go. Do you understand me? I’ve got something in the works to put you back at the top of the food chain so you need to trust me. If you don’t, I’ll make sure she dies anyway...”
“You don’t have that kind of power.”
“I do. How else would I know she’s dying right now? While you’ve been playing happy harem vacation with your whore, I’ve been putting in work. Looks like years of effort are finally paying off. You can still make the right choice as my heir.” I look around and suspicion runs deep through my veins. Who’s helping him? “Be smart son. Let her go.”
Three
Ren
Present Day…
I hear the shuffle of feet move toward me, and as much as I want to look up and see the delight on the doctor's face at saving my soulmate, I just can’t seem to make myself move yet, because the chances of that actually happening are slim. I'm not stupid enough to think I’m ready to face such a grim reality and I’m not ready to lose hope just yet.
I hear his breathing increase, like he’s trying not to panic and failing as I sit here in this hard plastic hospital chair with my face in my hands before him. For the first time in my life, I’m absolutely terrified, completely unable to face the gruesome realities of the world. In the deepest part of my heart, I know that this man isn’t bringing me good news, and I don’t think I’m strong enough to face it. Maybe after years of killing men, the universe is finally paying me back by taking my whole heart and soul and shredding it until there’s nothing left.
If he tells me what I think he’s going to, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep myself from killing him, and I can guarantee he already knows it. If he couldn’t save her—mi amore—then he’s already signed off on his own death sentence.
I take a deep breath and rub my hands down my face, exhaustion evident in every facial feature, I’m sure, then I push myself out of the chair to face the news. I stand here alone to accept the unacceptable. I shouldn’t be alone. They should be here with me.Theyshould be here for her. I’m not even resentful that they’ve left me alone like I thought I’d be. At this point I think I’m just sad; disappointed in them because I expected more from them. I thought they had more character than to walk away from the woman they claimed to love without even knowing if she lived or died.
Taking one more deep breath, I look up into the ashen face of a broken man. It’s clear by the worn out look on his face that he fought with everything he had to save her, but it wasn’t enough.Hewasn’t enough and he’s one of the top surgeons here in New York. If he couldn’t do it, then there really was little to no hope, despite how my heart longed for the hope buried deep within me to mean something.
“I’m so sorry Mr. Gavino, I tried everything I could, but Mrs. Gavino, she just—she didn’t pull through.” The doctor looks at me, his facial features a mix of exhaustion, despair, and fear.
Everything around me becomes enhanced and I think my breathing slows to practically nothing at all. My head suddenly feels dizzy and my chest feels tight as I zone in on the sweat beading at the temples and along the upper lip of the doctor standing before me.
She’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead. My love is gone. Mi amore, She’s dead… I couldn’t keep her safe. I failed her. I ruined her chance at life. I should’ve left her alone. She can’t be dead. She can’t be gone. Please, no. Please…
I fall to my knees, cursing every god I can think of for taking the most beautiful soul the world has ever seen. My whole heart is gone and there’s just nothing left for me here. Who even am I without Alessandra? I’m nothing—no one. Ren Gavino will cease to exist but for an empty vessel used to fuel all of the rage and hatred that burns through me. All that’s left isIl Diavoloand the world will be a darker place because of it.
My face is wet with the tears that are streaming down my cheeks without permission. My grandfather would look at a man crying as the ultimate sign of weakness. But my grandfather is gone. He’s dead by the hand of the woman I’m mourning now if my sources are correct.
“You were supposed to keep her alive,” I growl out, looking up to the man who was supposed to save her, needing to have someone to blame; Anyone except my dead grandfather because I can’t punish someone who’s already dead. No, I need to hurt someone and make them feel what I feel. Terror is evident all over him, as he takes a shaky step back at my tone. Even kneeling before him, I must not seem as worthless and pathetic as I feel, since he looks ready to run for his life.
Why is this happening? How is this real?Come back to me Alessandra. Come back, please. I need you… I can’t live this life without you.
“Dr. Banting! Dr. Banting! Dr. Andrews resuscitated Mrs. Gavino! We need your help! Please hurry!”
My eyes snap up to the nurse running through the hospital yelling at the top of her lungs.
I don’t even have a moment to catch my breath at the news before the doctor is gone like a flash. The urgency in his step may be what saves his life if he can keep my wife alive this time. Whoever Dr. Andrews is, he’s getting an excessive bonus at the end of all of this. I respect a man who still fights when it looks like there’s no chance of winning. Defeat is only possible when you’re willing to give up. He didn’t. He never gave up on saving my wife, even when things looked dire, and for that he’ll be a very wealthy man by the end of the day.
I can’t do anything now but think positive thoughts and try to leave my trust in the most prominent doctors in New York city. I pull my cell phone out to try and reach out to the guys again. Alessandro and Cecelia are already on their way here, but the guys have all shut down every line of communication. I don’t know where they are or why they’re gone, but if they’re alive and aware of why we’re here and they’ve abandoned the love of my life when she needs them the most, I’ll find them and I’ll kill them with my bare fucking hands.
Four
Alessandra
Blinking my eyes open, they feel so heavy, like my eyelids have weights on them and everything fucking hurts. My vision is blurry as hell. It takes several attempts before I can open them fully and with clear vision. Something smells of antiseptic and I hear a low steady beep to my left, so I look over and see a monitor showing the steady beat of my heart. Looking around I see the clean white walls and medical equipment, further confirming that I’m in a hospital, but why? I have IV’s and monitors attached to my left arm and hand and something, no,someoneholding my right hand.
When I look down to my hand I see my husband’s fingers intertwined with mine, holding on tight right next to his sleeping head. A small smile makes its way onto my face remembering the moment he claimed me as his wife, promising to love and cherish me for all time, no matter what. It appears as though we didn’t make it long before testing the pain and sickness part of our vows.
Even though he’s asleep his face looks troubled, like no matter how hard he tries, he can’t escape his nightmares. Dark shadows underlie his closed eyes, which tells me that this must be a rare moment of rest for him. His rumpled clothes show me that he’s likely not left my side since I got here—however that may have happened. His disheveled hair looks as though he’s been running his hands through it frequently, and quite possibly has pulled on it a few times. My heart breaks for the lost boy beside me who appears to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I do my best to pull my hand from his without disturbing him. Taking extra care to run my fingers gently through the long inky black strands of Ren’s hair as he rests his head on the bed next to my legs. I’d do anything to offer him even the smallest amount of comfort to settle his dreams. His breathing evens out and his soft snores echo in the quiet of the room around us, giving me a false sense of calm as my mind races through my somewhat foggy memories to figure out how I ended up here.
