“The twins?” I respond, knowing that Antonio has trained them to be perfect little ghosts.
With an unhappy sigh, he agrees, “Very well. How would you go about it?”
“Do you at least have a file started on the two people you want pulled in?” I ask, needing something to go off. Kidnapping takes special skill. Not everyone reacts the same way, and we’ll be fucked if we apply the same rules to both of them.
Jude hands me two folders and turns to his computer as I study the information in front of me. With a curse of my own, I raise my eyes to meet Jude’s. “You realize it will take a miracle to pull off Brannigan, right? The man is surrounded by security, based on what you have here, not to mention Javi’s note about how the guy doesn’t deal with criminals? Kidnapping him…that may be the only option, but to be honest, it’s a risk. Far more than Connor, who, from what I’m seeing, is so batshit crazy that he’d probably laugh afterward.”
“Any other ideas for Brannigan? I can’t find anything to bribe him with.” Jude’s sharp eyes somehow become more intense, and fuck, I can definitely see why Antonio and Marcus were whispering about him being a Dom.
“There has to be something,” I say grimly. “There’s always a weak spot, you just need to find it.”
“Like what?” Jude snaps, his fingers emphasizing his frustration.
Shrugging, I put my life on the line. “A family member. A loved one. Hell, his reputation. Something.”
“You think a mental health professional will happily help us if we threaten him or his loved ones?” Jude’s disbelief is valid, but, unfortunately, I’ve been stuck here before. Sometimes there’s no good answer. Sometimes a person’s back is against the wall, and it’s necessary to make terrible decisions, ones that prevent someone from looking in the mirror.
“Look, I’m not saying that’s the way we have to go, but until we know more, there’s no way to make this decision. Bribery, kidnapping, threats… They’re all going to impact him differently, and influence his choices afterward. What we have to our advantage, once we get him to listen, is a very real need for his expertise. However, until I know more about him, I can’t begin to guess which is the best route to take.
“Fuck, I wish Il Padrone was still Il Padrone in this situation. You may hate him, but he had the silver tongue of the devil for a reason. His confidence did far more than any threats.”
Jude doesn’t say anything, he just stares down at the folders blankly. “So where do we go from here?”
“Have the twins start tailing both of them. For Connor, ask them to figure out the best time to grab him. But for Brannigan? Tell them you need a full work up. They’ll have to integrate more with Brannigan than just following him, but it’ll give us an ideaof what we’re up against. And then we regroup and make the best decision we can.”
“Should we…?” He trails off, and I know what he wants to ask, but I won’t make him.
Shaking my head, I respond, “No. Whatever the hell is going on with Allesandro, he won’t be able to help now. He’s too broken. And whatever you think of that, since I know you’ll protect Antonio the same way I’d protect Roman, you need to understand that most—if not all—of us Boys still care for him, or have some loyalty toward him.”
Jude’s face gives away his opinion, but I hope he can let it go for Antonio’s sake. I’m not here to fight with him about it though. When there’s a knock on the door, I glance at the clock on the wall and groan.Fuck.
The door opens before Jude can say anything, and Jayden is right there, pushing a wheelchair. Of course, I’ve been sitting this whole time, but I don’t plan on arguing with Jayden. Not when he has that look in his eyes. Plus, to be honest, the emotional fatigue is pulling me down harder than the physical at this point.
Jayden points to Jude in warning—likely because he sees right through me, including when I’m upset—before turning his attention to me. “Alright, Princess. Time to get you back to your room.”
“Yes, Sir,” I mumble, not fighting as I switch to the wheelchair. I make sure to say goodbye to Jude, but for the most part, everything blends into the background. I blink when Jayden is suddenly urging me out of the chair. I didn’t even notice I was back in my room. Fuck, I wish I had asked him to take me to see Roman. Something, anything, to calm the thoughts preying on my mind, making me question myself.
I need my Little One’s sunshine. He may not realize it, but he carries my entire heart with him. His soul is what makes mesmile, and gives me the strength to go on. Sitting in this room alone is like being bitterly cold with no way to get warm.
Jayden must understand, though, because after he has helped me into bed, he parks himself in the guest chair. I don’t ask any questions, just taking comfort from his presence as I try to shut down the past that's chasing me.
Maybe Jude’s got a point about bribery, but fuck, if this is the guy who can truly help Marcus, then I feel no guilt doing what needs to be done. Family first. Despite no longer being the Martelli Family, I’ll always be a Martelli at heart—and we take care of our own.
Dominic helps me go from my bed to the small bathroom in my room, then back again. He makes notes on how I'm walking and my pain levels, giving me some exercises and staring blankly at me when I tell him I already know what I’m doing.
“Being a patient is different from being a physical therapist. Now, if you want to give me problems, I can always call Jayden in here. Drag him away from working with everyone else to give you a talking to… I can guarantee that’ll be less fun than doing some light bed exercises.” His storm gray eyes bore into mine. With a long sigh, I start doing the stupid arm stretches and leg exercises.
When Dominic is satisfied with my progress, he makes a note in my chart, then leaves with a promise to be back for my evening exercises.Great, looking forward to it.
As soon as he’s gone, though, the boredom and loneliness closes in. I fucking hate being in the hospital. It’s boring as shit, and gives me too much time to think…about my choices and failures, my relationships within the Family, and how I’m going to get any of them to trust me again.
My mind spirals further when I think about how it’s been a few days since Lio’s visit. Not having my best friend at my side…it feels as if a part of me is missing. Maybe Tennant shouldn’t have held back… Death by my love’s hand would have been better than this slow demise of not having the other half of my soul.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I barely feel the twinge in my side as my wound protests. My breathing becomes faster and I lose my sight, even though I keep my eyes wide open.
How did this happen?
The room spins and I start to tip over, not even caring where I’ll land, and that's when strong hands grab me.
