Sitting in the office I've claimed, I glance from Lio to Roman, happy to have them both with me once more, but still terrified it's too soon for them to be back at work.
“If you don't stop, I'm going to stab you,” Roman threatens with a roll of his eyes.
I huff but smile a little, happy to see some of his sass back after worrying over him. “So long as you two are sure about this. We have a lot to go over today, but I don't want either of you to push too much, too soon.”
“No,” Lio responds. “I need this. I can't stay locked up in my medical room forever. I'm ready to be released, and sleep in a real bed, with those I love. The only way I can convince Doc and Dr. Ranlen, or even Javi, of that, is by showing them with my actions.”
I incline my head. “Fair enough.” Pursing my lips, I wonder how to start this conversation. There are things I need to tell them, but I'm also well aware it's probably going to break their hearts.
“I suppose I should rip the bandage off. While we were looking for you, we became aware of a…situation. As you now know, Allesandro got hurt while scoping out a safehouse with Marcus. He's doing better now, but we weren't sure if he was going to live at first. It's why he and Cristian are here. I'm sorry that decision was taken from your hands, but we didn't have a choice.”
“It was the right move,” Lio tells me. “We're no longer defending two fronts, which is better for our resources.”
“As much as I'd rather not see Cristian every day, I agree. It was part of my plan, after all, for letting him live. He gets to see the chaos he wrought.”
My heart aches at Roman's words. I hate how fucked up his relationship with Cristian has gotten. Cristian may not have always brought Roman’s unique outlook on life into the equation, but I know, down to my very bones, that he loves him. But as I've learned over the last six months, love isn't always enough.
“Getting back to my point, Marcus and Antonio then went on a mission to try to track down Cecily Dowing, and Antonio was kidnapped. He has some new scars, but Doc is working with a plastic surgeon, and hopefully, they can help him with that, as he's very insecure about them now.”
Pausing, I run a hand through my hair, letting the two of them absorb the information I've just given them. “We were able to rescue Antonio quickly, and capture Cecily, but…it came at a cost.”
Roman leans forward. “What do you mean?”
“It came out that the kidnapping of Antonio was orchestrated by Leandro.” I let them have a moment to parse those words, before I say the worst part of it all. “According to Leandro, he was righting a wrong. A ‘miscalculation’.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Roman asks carefully.
Taking a breath, I look between my co-leaders, and break their hearts. “Leandro knew Cristian and Allesandro were going to be taken. He was working with Kieran Dowing to take down his father. He…didn't know everything. I believe him when he says that, but the point is, he knew what Seán and Cecily were planning, and he did nothing to stop it.”
The look of shock on their faces quickly morphs. Roman looks devastated, as tears roll down his face.
“He…he knew? Why? How?” Roman’s voice breaks, and my father's heart does as well. Reaching behind me, I pick the tablet up off the desk and pull up the feed I need—provided by Leandro himself.
“I watched it to make sure it wasn't edited. I thought it would be better hearing from the source.”
Roman takes the tablet with a shaky hand, and Lio moves his chair closer so they can watch what happened at the meeting after Antonio’s abduction.
I study their expressions as the video plays. Roman goes from devastated to angry and then back again. Lio is better at hiding his emotions than Roman, but when it gets to the part about having to deal with his Master, his eyes become glassy with tears.
By the time the video ends, the emotions in the room are palpable.
“Well, that fucking explains a lot,” Roman says, handing me back the tablet.
Lio reaches for his hand and threads their fingers together. I watch them carefully, studying the way they lean into oneanother as they sit in front of me. If they could, I’m pretty sure they’d be in the same chair. They’ve always been close, but watching them now…I can tell something’s changed.
Trauma? Maybe? Being kidnapped and what they went through together can either make or break a relationship. Look at what happened between me and Cris, or Ignacio and Benjamin. I’m happy to see that Roman and Lio seem to be using their pain and hurt to make themselves stronger, rather than letting it destroy them.
“He needs to be punished,” Roman finally says into the silence. “As…well-meaning as his intentions were, we cannot let anyone go rogue like this.”
“Agreed,” Lio replies.
Leaning against the desk, I brace my hands on it. “Any ideas? The…usual Martelli way of physical punishment won’t work on him. Not only will it not work, but touch is a hard limit for Leandro, so we’d be violating his trust to even try.”
Roman inclines his head. “We’ll make him pay. Antonio’s surgery is going to cost a pretty penny, and instead of taking it out of Doc’s budget, Leandro can pay for it. He wants to right his‘miscalculation’? Well, this is part of that.”
“I agree. He is also tossing around the idea of getting bodycams. Which I wholeheartedly support. Not being able to see what was going on when the two of you were rescued? It was…stressful. Especially, when the bombs went off and we weren’t sure if you were trapped inside or not. I say he pays for those too.”
Lio interjects, “That may be enough to appease Jude, and yes, if he wants special equipment, he has to pay for it himself, but there needs to be more in order for the Martellis to be satisfied. If it’s not physical, then…emotional.”
