Dorin followed, pulling me into his arms as we stared at Cezar’s still body. Neither of us could deny that the attachment we’d formed for him was real, no matter how messy or unexpected.
“Lina, why would he do that? Why would he…” His voice thinned out, the rest dying in his throat. Because he couldn’t comprehend it. Cezar had thrown himself in front of a bullet meant for Dorin. Earlier, sure, saving me would’ve made sense, but I hadn’t needed saving. No one saw that shot coming except him. By the time the rest of us processed it, Cezar was dying.
Every passing second stretched into an eternity, each one carrying the desperate hope that he’d move. Blink. Breathe differently. Anything. But he stayed too still—an awful imitation of death.
Dorin and I barely spoke. There was nothing to say, not when the consequences of the day had settled over us like wet cement. A few of my men drifted in and out with updates and tasks that needed handling. Even they kept their voices low, as if any loud sound might break what little was holding us together.
“Dorin, I think I’m going to call Codrin,” I uttered, my voice heavy with exhaustion.
He didn’t look up, only nodded. Reaching out to Cezar’s family wasn’t exactly the safest idea, although we both knew how much his brothers mattered to him, even with everything fucked between them. So, I grabbed his phone and noticed Codrin had already called several times.
I couldn’t resist the urge to scroll through his phone, finding nothing significant. It struck me as odd how stressed he always was without it, which remained unscathed in its case with a kitten sticker. A bitter laugh escaped me.
How sad our lives have been.
My nerves were usually steel. Tonight, they were on the verge of snapping. The phone suddenly irritated me just by existing, and I honestly considered chucking it out the window. Then, Codrin picked up.
“Dude, where the fuck have you been? There’s so much shit going on right now, and I’ve been stalling Father for as long as I can. You need to get your ass home,” he exclaimed impatiently.
“Codrin…” My voice broke apart on his name.
Silence followed.
“I-Is he de—dead? Please… please tell me he isn’t. Just tell me he’s okay?”
Codrin was panicking, and even though I knew Cezar was going to be okay, I still felt like I was back there when his life was fading away.
“He… he’ll be fine. He’s hurt, though. I’ll text you the address. I’m assuming you’re coming alone and that there won’t be any problems.” I hung up before I could second-guess myself. Trusting Codrin wasn’t the same as trusting Cezar. Honestly, I had no idea why I trusted any of them.
Dorin and I exchanged a bleak, uneasy look. Keeping the truth from Codrin felt wrong, especially if things took a turn the doctor hadn’t predicted.
Fuck, stop fucking thinking about it.
It wasn’t long before Codrin arrived, alone. My men intercepted him before he got anywhere near the door. I stepped into the hallway, bracing myself.
He looked like something crazy. “Tell me what the fuck happened,” he demanded.
“Codrin, come here. He’s not awake yet. They said he might be like that for a while, but he should wake up.” The doctor’s words seemed to loosen something in him, the tension easing from his shoulders just enough to show relief.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if he wasn’t ok. There are things I haven’t said to him—”
He cut himself off, swallowing whatever confession tried to break free. Even then, the crack in his voice betrayed him. For a moment, the mask he always wore faltered, and I saw the brother Cezar talked about. The one who cared far more than he ever admitted. Losing Cezar would’ve destroyed him.
“You should talk to him when he wakes up, Codrin. I mean, really talk to him.”
He gave me a strange look, uncertain of my intentions.
“Tell me how this happened,” he said, keeping a careful distance.
“You know your brother. It’s not like I invited him to come with us. He just showed up, and he… he saved Dorin’s life. That’s what happened.” I fought to even out my breathing. Saying it out loud made it too real.
Codrin looked torn. I could tell Cezar had given him pieces of what was going on between us, though clearly not enough to make any sense of it.
He walked into the room, and a moment later, Dorin stepped out. We gave the brothers space. Whatever panic and regret Codrin carried, nothing I said or did would change it.
“Dorin, he will wake up, right?” I chewed on my lips.
Sighing, he said, “Yes, he has to wake up. You didn’t permit him to leave, right?” A gentle smile spread over his face.
