“You were the worst big brother,” I grouched.
“I was and still am thebestbig brother.”
“Only you’d think so.”
“Did it or did it not work?”
“Did your stunt give me a nose bleed?Se. It did.”
Luciu sniffed. “Got you to tell us that that little bastard was picking on you.” The irony still evaded them both. “If only you were that size, I’d do it again.”
I plunked my ass on the hospital bed I was sick of. “I’m well.”
Tiredly, he joined me. “That’s the same as fine.”
“Check a dictionary.”
“When you pick up a thesaurus.”
My lips twitched.
“He smiles! Thank fuck for that.”
“Shut up.”
“No. You worried the hell out of us, Stan. My girls sobbed for their uncle every night before bed,Matricouldn’t look at you without weeping, and my wife, myriggina, spent more time at your beside than ours! Never mind my twin. You nearly ruptured our family with your idiocy—” He bit off the words then, on an exhalation, rasped, “What the fuck amIsupposed to do without you,frate?”
When his voice broke, I tensed. “I’m not?—”
“You’re my baby brother and my best fucking friend, youpezz'i miedda.”
I nudged him with my elbow. “Love you too.”
“Don’t mock me?—”
“I’m not mocking you!” I yelled. “What do you want from me, Luc? I’m as okay as I can be. How would you feel if you’d killed Jen?”
I just knew that if we were in Catania, he’d make good on his threat to dangle me over Faro Cliff. Unluckily for him, despite losing muscle mass in this pit, I was twice the size of him now.
“Firstly, don’t even fucking go there. Secondly, you didn’t kill Evangeline. The drug you’reillegallytrying to create didn’t let her down. The healthcare system did. She was sick and unlucky and she broke your fucking heart, Stan, and I’m so sorry about that. I’m sorrier than you can even know because her death shattered something in you that I have no idea how to fix. All I know is that you killing yourself won’t bring herback.”
His words were logical.
Rational.
I heard them. Understood them. Agreed with them.
Didn’t stop me from snarling, “You don’t know what I’m going through.”
“No. I don’t. And I’m glad I don’t because I’d murder the Pope himself if it meant bringing Jennifer back. But at the same time, it fucking destroys me to know that I can’t help you.
“What use am I as your brother if I can’t shake you out of this?”
“It isn’t on you?—”
“No? It isn’t? You had to call in your own overdose, Stan.”
His devastated tone had me cringing.
