Warning [Part Three]

by A. D. Justice

  “You wait here until I get home health care arranged. I won’t negotiate with you on that. If you force my hand, I’ll call Uncle Vin, and this argument will be over.”

  “I’ll wait right here.” I had to learn to pick and choose my battles. That was one fight I’d gladly concede to Matteo. When he and Jillian left the room, I turned my attention to Mama. “How’s Carrie doing?”

  “She says she’s okay, but I just don’t know. She’s still shaken, and they roughed her up some, but I suppose she’ll be all right. When Marco called, he said Lorenzo looks more like you—so they called a doctor to check him over. Maybe Leo’s goons used him as a punching bag to intimidate Carrie and make her talk. Or maybe they were just toying with both Carrie and Lorenzo while they waited for Vincenzo or you to show up. I don’t know.” She very seldom rambled like that.

  Mama was usually a take-charge woman, doling out the assignments and barking out orders like a drill sergeant. The worry and apprehension that gripped her mind all day were manifesting outwardly, through the repeated wringing of her hands and scattered speech. There wouldn’t be many questions Leo would ask Carrie since he already knew everything there was to know about the business.

  “Mama.” I waited for her eyes to meet mine. “Carrie is stronger than you know. I’m sure she was scared for a while, but she’s a fighter. She’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

  “How could Vincenzo’s brother turn on him like this? I just don’t understand. They’ve had their differences, but they’ve been close for several years now.”

  “I don’t know yet, Mama. But that’s what I intend to find out—as soon as I get out of here. Where did Dad take Leo?”

  “They’re all still at Leo’s house. When Marco knew you were okay, he left here and went straight back over there. Paulie took Carrie and Lorenzo to my house.”

  “Did Paulie stay there with them?”

  “I’m not sure, but I would think so. Why do you ask?”

  “Mama, I need my phone. Where is it?” When I moved with the intention to stand, she jumped up from her seat and stopped me.

  “I’ll get it. Don’t try to get up. I’m afraid you’ll fall and injure yourself more.”

  She grabbed the plastic bag containing my clothes and set it on the bed beside me. While she removed each piece of clothing, looking for my phone, I eased the hospital gown off and started dressing to leave, thankful they’d left my boxers on when I arrived. When I stood to pull my pants up, she shook her head disapprovingly but didn’t argue.

  “Uh, Mama, your son needs a little help here.”

  She put my shoes on the floor at my feet then faced me. When I gestured at the button on my jeans, she let out an amused chuckle. “You mean the Damon Marchetti is admitting he can’t do everything?”

  “I can do most things. But I can’t button my pants with broken fingers in a cast.” Smiling hurt like fuck, but to show her I was okay, I lifted my lips on one side in a confident smirk.

  “Sit down. I’ll help with your socks and shoes while you make your calls.” She handed my cell phone to me, and I gingerly took my seat back on the gurney.

  I hit the button for Paulie and willed him to answer the phone immediately.

  “Hey, Boss. I didn’t expect to hear from you. Everything okay?

  “I’m okay, Paulie. Are you still at the house with Carrie and Lorenzo?”

  “No, Carrie told me to go back and help make sure Vincenzo is safe. I’m at Leo’s with him. What’s going on, Boss?”

  “I’m not sure, Paulie, but I have a bad feeling. Grab Luigi and a couple of the other experienced guys and get back to Carrie right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Tell Dad I said so, will ya?”

  “You got it, Damon.”

  We disconnected, and I had to consciously focus on not shaking my leg in my impatience. For one, the jarring motion wasn’t good for my condition. But more than that, I didn’t want to worry my mom unnecessarily. I had a gut feeling another surprise waited in the wings for us. I just wasn’t sure what it could be, and I didn’t want Carrie left unprotected again.

  A nurse walked into my room to check on me and realized I’d turned off the machine taking my vitals. Had I physically been able to remove my IV, that also would’ve been out of my arm. But as it was, my button-down shirt was draped over my shoulders since my cast wouldn’t fit in the sleeve, and the IV was still stuck in my good arm.

  “Mr. Marchetti, I know you’re ready to leave, but Dr. Falco is still making your home health care arrangements. As long as you’re a patient, I still have a job to do and that includes monitoring your vital signs until you sign your discharge papers. You have to wear the blood pressure cuff and the oxygen monitor while you’re in this room. And, with your head injury, you need to lie back on the gurney so you won’t fall on the floor if you suddenly become dizzy.”

  “Is your last name Ratched, first name Nurse?” I quipped before obeying her direction. When I was settled against the raised back of the gurney, she hooked everything back up and turned on the machine.

  “No, my last name is In-Charge, first name Head-Bitch. Don’t forget it.”

  My consequent laugh really fucking hurt with my broken ribs, busted lip, and swollen face. But damn if I didn’t need it. She waited for the machine to finish the first cycle and seemed pleased with the results. Before she left the exam room, she checked on Mama, asking if she needed anything. Then she pointed two fingers at her eyes and flipped her hand around to point one finger at me.

  Well played, HBIC. Well played.

  She paused in the doorway and turned off the overhead light. “Try to get some rest while you’re waiting. You look like somebody beat you up.”

  I had to give her credit. Her snarky comments lifted my spirits. When I received a text from Paulie that said he and the others were back at the house with Carrie and all was quiet, I finally allowed myself to rest. A few minutes later, Jillian came back into the room, but by then I struggled to keep my eyes open. The events of the day on top of the hours I’d spent in the emergency room definitely took a heavy toll on me. A toll I would’ve rather slept away than faced, but I still had too many unanswered questions.

  The sting of Uncle Leo’s betrayal was very sharp, pricking my skin like knives. Someone had to make me understand how the fuck he could do this to his own family. As much as I hated what had happened, I knew Dad must have felt ten times worse. He must have been reeling from the conflict inside him—his brother versus his daughter and son. The penalty for that level of betrayal was definitely death, but I wondered if my dad would be able to carry out the sentence against his own brother.

  “Okay, your home health care is all set, but I can’t get anyone out there until their office opens in a few hours. Jillian and Aunt Lina will have to be your nurses for what’s left of tonight. Your full-time care will be at your mom’s house as soon as possible this morning. I’ve covered every possible acute medical scenario I can with Jillian. If anything appears out of the ordinary, she’ll call the ambulance and have you transported back. Once you’re back in my ER, I’ll declare you as an altered mental status patient, and you won’t have any choice but to stay. We clear?”

  “Loud and clear, Doc. I may even enjoy the vacation.” I rose from the gurney and settled into the wheelchair after the nurse removed all my external paraphernalia.

  “Here, you can’t leave the hospital without a shirt. Take these scrubs. I cut the sleeve on the shirt so your cast will fit through it.” Jillian took the shirt from Matteo and helped me ease into it. “Remember what we talked about, Jillian. Call me if there’s anything I can do.”

  With that, Matteo left the room, and Jillian signed my discharge papers. The nurse walked behind me, pushing my wheelchair while the three of us remained silent. Regardless of how that part of our story ended that night, our family would never be t
he same again. There forever would be an empty chair at the table along with an empty hole in our hearts where the man we thought we knew once resided.

  “It’s been a long day and night. I’m so ready to go home.” Mama sat in the back seat with me while Jillian drove.

  “We’ll drop you off and let you get some sleep, Mama. Jillian will take me on to Leo’s house so I can check in with Dad on what’s going on.”

  “Damon, your father has everything under control. If he needed you, he would’ve called you by now.” Mama couldn’t help but worry; it was what she did. But I knew she was also worried about Dad because she hadn’t heard from him either.

  “We won’t be long. Jillian needs her sleep too. We’ll be fine.”

  No sooner had I gotten the words out, and my phone rang.

  “Marco. Tell me.”

  He gave me the rundown of everything that happened in my absence. Leo’s interrogation and obstinate behavior. Dad’s aggravation and increasing brutality. But he wanted answers, so he wouldn’t kill Leo until he had at least some of them. He’d torture him within an inch of his life, but Dad would make sure Leo held on just a little longer.

  Then Marco began relaying one of their conversations, and his words left me speechless.

  “Marco, don’t let your guard down. Jillian, step on it!”

  Chapter Nine

  Jillian

  Damon’s sudden agitation sent warning shock waves through my nerves. The deadly game we’d been caught in was far from being over, that much was clear. My every sense fired on overdrive, my mind reeling from running through a list of everything that possibly could’ve gone wrong. The list was too long and every option was too daunting, but that didn’t stop my endless parade of assumptions. With my foot slammed down against the gas pedal, I maneuvered through the early morning traffic which was steadily increasing as we approached rush hour.

  “Damon, what is it?” Mama Lina asked.

  As I drove, I continuously scanned the area in front and behind us. When I checked the rearview mirror, I adjusted my position until I could see them both. Mama Lina’s worried expression was expected, but his wasn’t. Had I ever seen my cool, calm, and collected hit man with a hint of fear in his expression before? Concern for the safety of those he loved, yes. But true fear? Never.

  “Later, Mama. Let me check a few things first.”

  She didn’t argue. She didn’t push or try to question him further. She just accepted he couldn’t tell her what he knew or what he suspected. Then his gaze met mine, and I could tell from the change in his expression he knew exactly what I was thinking.

  That could never be me.

  What we would do about that little dilemma was still to be seen. I wouldn’t yield, and I wasn’t sure he’d bend. But one of us would have to…if we were going to stay together.

  “Jillian, when we get to Mama’s, you stay there with her. I’ll drive myself over to Leo’s house.”

  “The hell you will!” I blurted out the words before I even thought about them. “There’s absolutely no way I’ll let you drive, Damon. You have pain medications in your system. You just got out of the hospital. You have a concussion. You’d be lucky to even make it over there alive.”

  “Why do you need to go to Leo’s?” Mama Lina’s stern tone was back. “You’re not going alone. Jillian is right. You’re certainly not driving.”

  “Fine.” Damon’s lips disappeared into a thin line, his aggravation not quite hidden. “Jillian can drive me over there and drop me off. I’ll catch a ride back with Marco or Dad.”

  He thought his idea was the best solution, but he should’ve known me better than to think I’d go along with that plan. He was in no shape to be alone, much less to rush into another dangerous situation. The man was beyond hardheaded. He was reckless with his own safety while being overprotective of everyone else. None of it should’ve surprised me, but then he shouldn’t be surprised by what I planned to do either.

  “Son, do you really think that’s a good idea? Matteo arranged for a nurse to take care of you. He didn’t even really agree to let you leave the hospital—you forced his hand. You shouldn’t be doing anything but resting and recuperating.”

  “I know, Mama, but I have to do this. There’s no way around me being there for it. Dad and Marco are still there—they have everything under control.”

  Neither Mama Lina nor I were stupid enough to buy that line of bullshit. If there was no danger, he wouldn’t object to either of us going with him. Instead, he couldn’t wait to get rid of us while he faced whatever was happening alone. And already severely injured.

  We reached Mama Lina’s house and were immediately greeted by a handful of the biggest men I’ve ever seen in real life. They surrounded the car, checking inside, in the trunk, and underneath the vehicle before allowing us to enter. Never mind that the homeowner was in the car, or that the next Boss was sitting beside her. Apparently, they had strict orders to check everyone, and they weren’t too keen on being the ones to allow a breach.

  “Damon.” Mama Lina stopped as she was getting out of the car. She was hesitant to finish, but she couldn’t let it go. “Find out about your aunt Maria. Was she part of this? Where is she?”

  “Maria didn’t know anything about it, Mama. Leo kept it from her. She was taken to a safe place until we’ve finished. Then we all have decisions to make.”

  She couldn’t hide the inner pain and conflict over her sister-in-law. She loved Maria, that much was clear. She couldn’t bear to think of anything happening to the woman who was like her own sister. That was when another family truth hit me.

  Every member of the family had lost so much in their lives. Friends, family—people they loved—had been stripped away from them far too soon and much too often. Accepting their inevitable death didn’t make it any easier to swallow when the time came. Maria’s ultimate fate weighed heavily on Mama Lina’s shoulders as she walked into the house, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t help her.

  “Pay attention to the directions I give you so you can get back to Mama’s okay,” Damon said from the back seat.

  “Don’t worry. I have my phone with me if I need it. My GPS works just fine.”

  His hand covered his forehead. His fingers gingerly rubbed back and forth. “Yeah, right. My mind is on something else. I didn’t even think about that.”

  “You’ve had a long day.”

  His hand dropped from his face, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. I saw his expression in the rearview mirror, but only in my peripheral vision. The man had an uncanny ability to read my thoughts and anticipate my every move. For my plan to work, I had to master the poker face that came naturally to him.

  “So have you…and the babies. All three of you need rest.”

  That was a trap—one I recognized instantly.

  “The babies are fine. We got a little rest while you were in the ER. I’ve felt them moving around, being as active as ever. I’m a little tired, but nothing to be worried about. I’ll sleep when I get back to your mom’s. Honestly, I’m more worried about you. Your mom had a good point when she said Matteo wasn’t even going to let you leave the hospital. Your full-time nurse will be at the house in a matter of hours now. It’ll be awkward if you’re not there too.”

  “Don’t worry about me, doll. You just get home and stay inside with the doors and gates locked at all times until I get back.”

  “All right. Whatever you say, Damon.”

  Damn it. My lack of argument was way too obvious. He placed his hand loosely over his mouth and stared at me with those piercing eyes.

  “Just know you’re going to pay for this in some unsuspecting and unpleasant way in the very near future. Don’t think for one second I’m letting you off the hook. I’ve just decided I want a little more time to plan my revenge on you.” I slowly lifted
my eyes to the rearview mirror and met his gaze straight on. Mustering the best resting bitch face I had, I stared at him, quirked one eyebrow to finish off my pointedly unhappy expression, and dared him to push my buttons.

  “Is it weird that I’m really fucking turned on right now?”

  “Yes. It is weird. I think someone crossed the wires in your brain during one of your CT scans tonight,” I deadpanned.

  His dark chuckle rumbled through the car as we sped toward Leo’s house, the morning sunlight barely breaking the line of the horizon. He gave me turn-by-turn directions until we reached Leo’s street, but my mind wasn’t on memorizing the turns and street names. My focus was on what I’d do after he got out of the car. When I looked back at him again, his head was leaned against the back of the seat, his eyes were closed, and his knuckles were white from gripping the seat belt. He was in so much pain. The parts of him that weren’t in a cast or bandaged were black and blue. In that shape, he was far less capable of defending himself than he’d admit.

  He’d already given me the house number, so I knew exactly which driveway to turn into. When I shifted the car into park, he opened his eyes and looked around, weariness etched in every line of his gorgeous face. He didn’t want to go inside any more than I wanted him to, but his commitment to the family ran deep.

  Something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Something didn’t feel right about the entire situation. Nothing visible had spooked me, but I couldn’t shake the intuition inside me.

  “Straight back to Mama’s, Jillian. Wait for me there.”

  “Do you need help getting inside, Damon? You look like you’re about to fall down, and you haven’t even stood up yet.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you inside that house, doll. Don’t worry about me. This will all be over soon.”

  That’s what I’m afraid of, Damon. You just don’t realize it.