I was only Angelos’ age when my mother was murdered, when my universe was ripped apart. I’ll be damned if my son goes through the same thing. Rose’s survival is all that matters now. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he has his mother.
I’ll bring her home. Even if it kills me.
39
DAN
“You look like shit.” Dom’s voice has me cracking open one eye as I tilt my head in his direction.
“Good to see you too, brother.” Pain ripples in my side as I try to adjust myself. “Fuck.” I groan and clench my back teeth.
“Here, let me lift the bed if you want to sit up.” He holds the remote control for the bed and pushes a button.
The electronics hum as I’m raised slowly, my hand clutching the padding over my ribs.
“Want me to get the nurse?”
“Yeah. I need more pain relief. This stings like a bitch.” Sweat coats my skin and I let out a strangled breath as another ripple of pain hits. “Have you seen Rose?”
Dom pushes a button at the side of the bed for the nurse. “Yeah, she’s in the ICU, still unconscious, but stable after the op.” Dom sits in the chair next to the bed. “The kid and Elio are with her now.”
I wipe my brow. My body temperature climbs as nausea rises from my stomach. “I’m gonna be sick.”
Dom hands me a cardboard bowl and I vomit the small remnants of food I have in my belly.
The nurse hands me a tissue and a glass of water. “It’s the side effects of the anaesthesia.” She takes the sick bowl from me. “I’ll get you some more pain relief, but it will probably make you drowsy again.”
I nod. “A coma is the best thing for her. I don’t want her in this kind of pain.”
Dom’s lips curve upwards in the corner as he reclines back in the chair.
“What’s that shit-eating grin for?”
“I always knew she was the one. It’s why I’ve never known you to be with a woman longer than a week.” He shakes his head. “I should’ve realised it thirteen years ago when you said you needed more time for the mission. The only extra intel you wanted was to find out the colour of her knickers.”
I glare at him in a warning. “You mention my future wife’s knickers one more time and I’ll kick your arse.”
“I’d like to see you try. The only thing you’ll be kicking is the bucket if you don’t take it easy.” Dom smirks, stretching his legs out in front of him like he’s at home. “Face it, you’re not the intimidating hard-ass you were before they sliced you open. You’re just a guy in a gown flashing his arse every time he shifts in bed.” He chuckles. “And it’s not your best angle.”
I scowl at him, adjusting the sheet over my lap. “Piss off. I could still beat your ass in one-to-one combat.”
He chuckles again, clearly enjoying himself. “Look at you, all helpless and cranky. You need anything? Extra pillow? Cup of tea? Bed bath?”
I shoot him a murderous look. “If you come near me with a sponge, I will end you.”
He holds his hands up. “All right, all right. No need to get your stitches in a twist.” His smile fades slightly, and he exhales, running a hand over his face. “You scared the shit out of me, man.”
I sigh, some of the tension draining from my shoulders. “Yeah, well… you and me both.”
Dom nods, his gaze flickering to the machines beeping quietly beside me. “When I walked in, you looked half dead. Rose was already fighting for her life, and then you pull this self-sacrificing shit?—”
“She needed me,” I say, my voice hoarse. “And I’d do it again.”
“Yeah, well, don’t. You’re not some invincible superhero, Dan. You’ve got a kid now who needs you around.” His jaw tightens before he forces a grin back onto his face. “And, selfishly, I don’t fancy spending the rest of my days explaining to people how my idiot brother bled out on an operating table because he had a hero complex.”
“Having a hero complex must run in the family.” I nod at his leg. “How’s that bullet wound, Dom?”
Dom leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Getting shot by my woman’s psychotic relative isn’t the same as offering a piece of your liver.”
