Barnes worked as a general surgeon at one of the fanciest private hospitals in the city, or so Rafe had told me. But his gambling habits had led him into some deep debts, and got him into some serious shit a few years back. In exchange for Rafe clearing those debts and getting the gang he borrowed money from, off of his back, he now worked for Rafe, and as far as our family was concerned – he was always on call.
“How bad?” Dante growled a few minutes later. The doctor had agreed to meet us at our place, and we were making good time through the city, the roads quiet so late at night.
“She’ll be alright, Dante,” I tried to reassure him. “Her shoulder is dislocated and she took a nasty knock to the head, but with plenty of rest and us all taking care of her, she’ll be herself again in no time.”
“Those fuckers died too easy!”
“We’re no’ gonna argue with ya there, pal, but we cannae change that now. Cara and Gia are safe. That’s what matters,” Arran told him.
“Cara’s not safe! Look at her! She’s hurt. We let her get hurt again!”
“It won’t happen again. I’m never leaving her side, ever again,” I pledged. I may have only known her for a very short time, but it was enough for me to have some extremely strong feelings for her. I felt like I was falling in love with her, as insane as that sounded.
“Aye. I think it’ll be a wee while before any of us feel right about leavin’ her alone again,” Arran agreed.
The car remained quiet as we drove the rest of the way home, all of us seeming to be deep in thought. I knew Arran was attractedto Cara too, but that was nothing new. My brother was always attracted to a pretty face and a good body. Dante too seemed to have some fixation with Cara, but I felt like he saw her more as a possession than feeling any kind of attraction to her.
Whatever our feelings were, we all cared for her very much. Despite none of us knowing her long, she had found her way into our hearts, and it was cutting all of us up, seeing her hurt. We had to do better at protecting her. Clearly someone wanted to get their hands on her, for some reason no one yet understood, and we had to make sure that didn’t happen.Ihad to.
It made the most sense that I stay closest to her. I didn’t work, and apart from my classes I spent a lot of my time at home. I was definitely the most available member of our family to take care of her, and I would. I’d do all I could to be there for her as much as she could stand me to be. I wasn’t trained to protect her, like Dante and my brother, but I wasn’t useless either, and I knew there was no length I wouldn’t go to in order to keep Cara where she belonged, with all of us, and especially with me.
CHAPTER 2
CARA
I was ripped from the peaceful darkness by pain that tore through me. My eyes snapped open and instantly I balled my hands into fists and tried to push up to sitting, so I could get to my feet faster and make the decision of which was wiser – flight or fight.
“Cara! You’re alright! It’s me, it’s Cal!” a voice cried, as I started to hit out at the hands trying to hold me down. My eyes were open but my vision was dark and clouded. Pain continued to rip through me, coming mainly from my left arm, I realised. “Look at me, gorgeous. Look at my eyes. You’re home. You’re safe,” the voice went on, and some sense returned to me. I finally realised I knew the voice and stopped trying to hit out with my right arm, since my left wouldn’t seem to move.
“Cal?” I gasped as the pieces came together.
“I’m here Cara. I’m with you. Stop fighting, please. You’re going to hurt yourself even more.”
Breathless and exhausted I collapsed back to the mattress and let my exhausted arm drop to my side. The movement caused pain that only stole more of my panicked breaths.
“It hurts,” I whimpered as I fully took in just how much pain I was in. My head throbbed, as did my left shoulder and arm. My chest felt tight and there was a deep ache in my side.
“I know. I’m sorry, Cara. The doctor had to re-set your shoulder while you were out. He’s getting you some pain relief now though. It won’t hurt for much longer,” he soothed.
I blinked to clear my sight more, and when I looked again I could see Cal more clearly, sat at my side. He was leaning over me, his hand now resting on my right shoulder and his other holding down my left arm, clearly trying to stop me from moving it.
“Gia?” I questioned as I recalled what had happened. The car repair shop, and those motherfuckers hurting Gia, and then me. The shooting and then the bodies. Dante. Was he calmer now? I hoped so. He had looked so scared underneath the savagery he displayed so clearly as he wielded that knife with deadly efficiency and effectiveness.
“She’s with Rafe. They’re on their way back now. They’ll be here soon, but from what I saw, she just had a few cuts and bruises. She seemed fine,” Cal explained.
“Good,” I nodded. “and the others?”
“Dario’s with Rafe and Gia. Dante went to get cleaned up, and Arran was making sure the house is secure and covered by people we can trust.”
“Jase…he…he was involved…knew the men who took me. Gia…she’ll be so upset.” I rambled as I tried to get my thoughts in a straight line.
“Why will Gia be upset?” Cal asked as he tried, pointlessly, to tuck some of my wild hair behind my ears, only for it to spring loose again instantly.
“Jase…he s-said they were together…he used her…Gia.”
“Jase and Gia were in a relationship?” Cal repeated, seeming shocked. I just nodded, then regretted the movement instantly when my head pounded and spun in tandem. “Okay, gorgeous. Enough talking for now. Here’s the doc with some good drugs.”
I looked past Cal and saw a slim, older man, dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, coming towards me with a syringe in hand.
