“I don’t know. I have to call the hotel.”
They got me to the couch in the sitting area by the patio doors that led to the pool. I gazed out at the rippling water, seeing Sera as I stared out at the sunset.
“Enzo.”
Luca’s voice penetrated through the ringing in my ears.
“Call the hotel.”
Yes. I needed to find out what hospital Sera was in. I fumbled with my phone again as I pulled it out of my pocket and dialed the hotel’s phone number I knew by heart. The desk clerk picked up right away. “The girl who was shot,” I told her. “Where did they take her?”
She gave me the name of the hospital where the EMTs said they were taking Sera.
“I’ll be sending someone to get my things from my room there. Once it’s empty, I’ll notify you. I’ll also leave a very large tip for your trouble. Thank you.” As soon as I ended the call, I told Luca and Veda where Sera was taken.
“I’ll call and see what I can find out,” Veda told me. With a reassuring smile, she ran up to their bedroom to get her phone.
Luca and I waited in silence to see what she could find out. It didn’t take her long.
“She’s alive,” she called from the landing at the top of the stairs. “She’s in surgery.”
“See, my friend? She’s going to be all right.” Luca put his hand on my knee.
“I need to be there.”
“You can’t Enzo. Whoever took a shot at you will be waiting. They’ll be expecting you to show up at the hospital eventually. It’s safer for you, and for Sera, if you stay here. We’ll go get her as soon as we’re able.”
I knew he was right. But I couldn’t just sit here. Restless, I got up from the couch and began to pace back and forth.
Luca stayed with me until Sera was out of surgery and stable. And then he sent his doctors to go get her. She was being transferred.
* * *
Sera was kept sedatedfor the first few days after she arrived at Luca’s. She’d suffered a collapsed lung during the trip, but otherwise had relatively minor injuries, all things considered. The first bullet had gone straight through her shoulder. The second they had to remove at the hospital. It had also torn through her small intestine, but the doctors were able to patch her up. She’d lost a lot of blood, but somehow, she’d made it through.
I had her put upstairs in our bed, and during that time, I never left her side except to shower and use the bathroom. Lisa or Veda brought food up for me. And on occasion, Luca or Tristan would stop in and give me updates on what they’d found out about the shooters. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much. No one had gotten a plate number from the vehicle, and since the shooter had most of his face covered, I wasn’t able to recognize him. But I wasn’t concerned. The truth would come out sooner or later. It always did.
I’d pulled one of the chairs from over by the window to the bed, and that was where I spent most of my time when I wasn’t sleeping beside her. So that’s where I was when I heard her voice, raspy from disuse, for the first time in way too long.
“Hey.”
I lifted my head and my eyes clashed with Sera’s. The light inside of them was a bit dull, but it was there. “Hey,” I told her softly. Relief washed over me in such a strong wave, I felt a little lightheaded. “You’re back.”
She looked past me and then around that room. “I’m in our room.”
“We had you transferred from the hospital. Luca has a team of doctors who come by every few hours to check you. One of them stays here at the house at all times in case of an emergency. You’re in good hands.”
Her eyes came back to my face. “You look like hell.”
I smiled. “You look beautiful.”
“Am I going to be okay?”
“Do you think I would let a couple of gunshots take you away from me after I’ve fought so hard to keep you here?”
She smiled. “I guess not.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “However, we’re going to have a talk about this shit you pulled. What the fuck were you thinking, Sera?”
