But falling for Aria Romano? That wasn't a decision. That was fate. Destiny. Whatever cosmic force decided to fuck with my life by putting the one person I couldn't have directly in my path.
And now I was paying for it with a bullet hole through my arm and the woman I loved locked in a room waiting to be sold to my father like cattle.
The world tilted sideways. Or maybe I was tilting. Hard to tell when you'd lost enough blood that everything felt floaty and disconnected.
I'd been dumped outside the estate gates like garbage. Face down on gravel. Arm screaming. Vision blurring.
Footsteps crunched nearby. Someone swearing creatively.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Kai. You look like absolute shit."
Marco's voice. Good. That was good. Marco would know what to do.
Hands grabbed me. Hauled me upright. The movement sent fresh agony through my arm and I couldn't quite swallow the groan that escaped.
"Yeah, you sound like shit too. Come on, we need to move before your father sends someone to finish the job."
Marco half-carried, half-dragged me to his car. Shoved me in the passenger seat with zero gentleness. My arm protested violently.
"Where are we going?" My voice sounded wrong. Slurred.
"Doctor Chen. He owes me favors and doesn't ask questions. Try not to bleed all over my upholstery. This car was expensive."
"Fuck your car."
"There's the Kai I know. Thought I'd lost you for a second there."
The drive was a blur of pain and Marco's colorful commentary on my life choices. He had valid points. Most of them involved the phrase "I told you so" in creative variations.
Doctor Chen's office was in Chinatown. Basement level. Off the books medical care for people who couldn't go to real hospitals without attracting police attention.
Perfect for situations like getting shot by your own father.
Chen took one look at me and started swearing in Mandarin. I didn't speak the language but I recognized cursing when I heard it.
"Bullet went through clean." He examined my arm with clinical detachment. "Missed the bone, missed major arteries. You're lucky. Whoever shot you either had terrible aim or didn't actually want you dead."
"My father. And it's complicated."
"Family always is." He started prepping supplies. "This is going to hurt. I don't have anything for the pain except whiskey and your friend's questionable sense of humor."
"The humor will make it worse." Marco handed me a bottle. "Drink up, princess."
The stitching was agony. Each pull of thread throughtorn flesh made my vision white out. I drank. Breathed through it. Focused on anything except the needle.
Focused on Aria. On getting back to her. On making my father pay for putting his hands on her.
"Done." Chen wrapped the wound in clean bandages. "Keep it dry. Change dressings twice a day. No strenuous activity for at least a week. Come back if you see signs of infection."
A week. He thought I had a week to rest and recover.
Cute.
I stood up. The room spun briefly before stabilizing.
"Thanks, doc. What do I owe you?"
"Consider it a favor for old times. Just try not to get shot again so soon. I'm running low on supplies."
