“Kieran lost his life because he thought he knew his father. I don’t want to see your Family go down because of the same.”
“Don’t worry; I learn from my mistakes.”
Lachlan sighs.“I’ll be in touch soon.”
The line goes dead and I sit back in my chair, staring blankly at my monitor as I go over everything Lachlan did and didn’tsay. As much as it might have seemed to him that I didn’t take his warning seriously, the opposite is true. The more he feared losing his only ally—as far as I know—the more he revealed to me, even if it didn’t seem like it.
He might not have been able to tell me anything about the Senator’s plans, but the stress he put on how…unconventional and underhanded the Senator is, is concerning. He’s not going to hit us head on, I know that much. It’d be too easy, too straightforward, and over too quickly.
With a sigh, I grab my phone and send a message to Hollis, knowing I need his help to start putting a plan together to protect our assets from the threat of law enforcement. The Council will need to be updated, but right now… I’d rather show them I’m not as underhanded and untrusting as I seem.
I know what the Martellis think of me now, but I don’t really care. Trust me or not, I will do everything possible to keep what’s mine safe. Case in point, I sent Tennant to fucking Benjamin rather than letting the fucker kill himself with his stupidity. If I didn’t think Lio would have a meltdown over the death of his supposed best friend, I would have left him. But…both Lio and Tennant are mine, and for some reason, they care for the asshole, which means dragging his life out a little longer.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I sigh again. Boston whines from under my desk, and I reach down to scratch her head, reassuring her that I’m fine, even if it’s a lie.
Straightening in my chair, I turn to my computer and get to work on fixing what’s damaged. I might not be able to save Roman and Lio from their demons, but I can make sure nothing else touches them…except monsters of my own creation.
Itense at the knock on the door. Slowly, I call out, “Enter.”
Marcus steps in, his face completely blank, and the pit in my stomach grows. I’m confined to this fucking bed, but I heard the yelling. I know something has happened. The only question is who was hurt…and how bad.
“Allesandro.”
I don’t respond to his greeting, waiting instead for whatever bomb he’s about to drop. He glances away, as if he can’t bear to look at me. When his eyes meet mine, there’s determination there, but something else lurks, something too akin to fear for me. “We have a problem.”
“What happened?” I ask roughly, my hands clenching the blanket as I try to ground myself against whatever hell has rained down.
Marcus sighs deeply, falling into a parade rest, before saying the words that send my world crashing down. “Lio…he had a breakdown. Sarah has stabilized him, but he tried to commit suicide. We’re not sure whether he’ll regain full use of his hands… Of course, his sanity is more urgent at this point than anything else.”
Sanity.What the fuck is that?There's no sanity in this blood-soaked world I dragged him into… Guilt swamps me, taunting me with memories—the good, the bad, and the fucking evil I inflicted on him. I shudder from the rapid progression, the twirl of life becoming more as our souls connected, and then to meaningless…the black void of losing him stretching out in front of me for all eternity.
“Where is he?” I rasp out, silent tears gathering in my eyes as my heart thrums for him, always.
Marcus runs his fingers through his hair, dropping his gaze. “He’s…uh…here. But…Doc has decreed nobody is to go see him. He’s sedated. And they don’t want him upset. He’s to have no visitors for a couple days at least. I believe Doc and Sarah are looking to find someone for him to work with.”
“A therapist or psychiatrist?” I bite my lip, worried. While Doc and Sarah have done a great job prescribing medications for me…I’d rather Emilio have someone fully specialized.
Marcus blinks and shrugs. “I’m not sure? I just know that Doc has an idea of who he wants, and Sarah was going to check the names out.”
Breathing out, I force myself not to demand answers he doesn’t have. It’s brutal. While it’s been a relief to no longer be in charge, moments like this remind me of exactly where my place is—and it’s no longer making those decisions. However, they’ve forgotten one thing…
“I need to see Sarah.”
“I don’t think that’s an option.” Marcus immediately pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s…Padrone—I mean, fuck, Allesandro. Look. This isn’t a good time. They’re not even allowing Tennant and Hollis in. I know this has to be hard for you to hear, but they’d have priority.”
He’s right. It’s like swallowing glass, but not for the reason he thinks. “Marcus, I will never complain about Emilio having those two. They were there for him when I wasn’t. If they make him happy…that’s all I want for him. But I need you to listen carefully here. Emilio went through something similar when he walked out of Peter’s. If he’s slid back to the point he’s breaking, Ineedto talk to Sarah. Hell, probably Hollis and Tennant as well.”
“I don’t know. That’s probably not a good idea.” He cringes and I understand why. I’m sure both Tennant and Hollis would cheerfully cut me into pieces, and they’d have that right.
Growling, I clench my hands tight. “Look, just let Sarah know I need to see her. She saw how Emilio was before, and we’ve talked about his PTSD several times. Regardless of what transpired between Emilio and me at the end…I still know him.”
“You think he needs his Master,” Marcus states flatly, his lip curled up at the thought.
Shrugging, I can’t deny that’s where my mind is at, but not for the reasons he thinks. “I think Emilio needs to be reminded that he doesn’t have to be strong on his own. He has all of us. And…he needs an emotional outlet. One that is safe.”
“Fuck. I’ll talk with Keegan and let him make the decision on whether to bring Sarah into it.” Marcus slumps, shaking his head. “But I won’t push if I’m told no.”
“I understand.” I breathe out in relief. It’s something. And if this doesn’t work…I’ll figure something else out if I need to, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Emilio will never again question whether I believe in him—whether I love him.
