Buttons and Grace

by Penelope Sky

  I didn’t feel an ounce of pity.

  “What are you waiting for?” he said under his breath.

  “I’m not waiting for anything.” I pulled the pistol from the back of my jeans and cocked it. “Just enjoying it.”

  He narrowed his eyes in anger, but he still wouldn’t show his terror.

  “Now you know how it feels to be powerless, to have someone control you without your permission. Pretty shitty, huh?”

  Tristan looked at one of the warehouses in the distance. “Isn’t it strange to think we did business together for so long, and it was a single woman who changed all of that?”

  She wasn’t just a woman. She was my woman.

  He shook his head. “I became obsessed with her the second I laid eyes on her. But I suspect your feelings are stronger than obsession. The only reason a man would go to such great lengths was if he loved her.” He turned his gaze back to me. “So, I have to ask. Was she worth it?”

  I raised the gun and aimed right between his eyes. I’d risked everything for this woman, but she didn’t feel the same way. It hurt more than when my brother shot me. It hurt more than all the guilt I felt over beating Pearl. I’d never felt anything more than lust for a woman, and now I found a woman I would die for—but she wouldn’t die for me. “Any last words?”

  “You never answered my question.” He stared down the barrel, unafraid despite what was about to happen. He would never see blue sky again. He would never feel the sunlight on his face.

  My finger moved to the trigger. “Yes. And I would do it all over again.”

  Click.

  * * *

  I called Oliver, one of the guys who picked up Crow and took him to the hospital. “How is he?”

  “We got him into the emergency room, and they immediately took him to surgery. Looks like he has some internal bleeding, along with broken ribs. He needed a blood transfusion because he lost so much.”

  “But he’s going to be okay, right?”

  “They didn’t say,” Oliver said. “But we’re still here, so we can receive updates. What’s going on over there?”

  “Cleaning up and preparing to leave. Once this gets taken care of, I’ll be there.”

  “Alright. He wanted to call Pearl, but by the time he got here, he’d passed out.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Okay. Seemed important to him.”

  I hung up then prepared to call her. I thought I should call Adelina first because she was worried about me. I would feel so much satisfaction telling her that Tristan was dead. She would feel nothing but relief, knowing that her life was her own again. But Pearl was a mess, so Adelina could wait.

  I called her.

  Pearl picked up instantly, as if she was sitting by the phone just waiting for it to ring. “Please tell me he’s okay.” Emotion was in her voice again, terrified because I was the one calling her instead of Crow.

  “He’s okay.”

  “Oh…thank god.” She exhaled over the line, her breath loud.

  “Tristan is dead. All of his men are gone. Crow is at the hospital right now. He’s in surgery.”

  “No…”

  “He had some—”

  “I don’t want to know.”

  I turned silent, knowing his afflictions would break her heart.

  “Just tell me he’s going to be okay.”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I feel certain he’ll be fine. He wasn’t shot or anything.”

  “I’m coming back. I need to be at that hospital.”

  “I…I’m not sure if he would want you to leave, Pearl.”

  “You said Tristan is dead, along with all of his men, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I’m not sitting on my ass any longer. My husband needs me, so I’m leaving.”

  “His men won’t allow you to leave until he gives them the order.”

  “Then you override it, Cane,” she snapped. “Because one way or another, I’m getting out of here.”

  “Okay, fine,” I said. “I’m sure he’d want to see you anyway.”

  “I’m gonna pack my stuff, then. They better be ready by the time I’m done.”

  “Okay.”

  “And thank you, Cane. Thank you for saving my husband.”

  Her gratitude only made me feel terrible. “Please don’t thank me. This is all my fault…”

  “But now all of us are free. You did that, Cane.”

  “I shouldn’t have risked my brother’s life like that, not for a woman.”

  “She’s not just some woman, Cane. You love her.”

  I closed my eyes at the comment. “But she doesn’t love me…”

  Pearl was quiet, obviously unsure what to say.

  “I wanted to save her regardless, but I wouldn’t have gotten my brother involved if that was how she felt. I feel stupid. I risked everything for that woman.”

  Pearl was still quiet. It would be impossible to come up with a good response to that. The only reason why I told her was because the aftershocks of the situation were hitting me hard. My brother was in the hospital, my sister was in Greece, Adelina was at home wondering what happened to me.

  “I’m not sure I believe that.”

  “Believe what?” I whispered.

  “That she doesn’t love you. I spent time with her, and every time she talked about you, her eyes lit up. She had nothing but good things to say, even when she could have been completely honest with me. Give her some time. I think she’ll come around.”

  “I think you’re wrong, Pearl. But thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

  Her sigh filled the phone. “Tristan is dead, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Shot him between the eyes myself.”

  “Good,” she said with anger. “You gave him an execution he didn’t deserve. Should have tortured him the way he tortured Crow.”

  “I just wanted to end it. The world is already a little more beautiful without him in it.”

  “Yeah…I guess.”

  “I should get going, Pearl. I need to call Adelina.”

  “Okay. Make sure you talk to Crow’s men about getting me out of here.”

  “I will.”

  She hung up.

  I called Adelina next, feeling my heart pound as the phone rang. She must have found one of my other phones in the house, and I hoped she still had it on her so I could reach her.

  She answered a few rings later. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  When I listened to that concern in her voice, it made me soften. There was nothing better than having a woman like her care about me, one who wanted to hear my voice as much as I wanted to hear hers. Women used to mean only one thing to me—sex. But Adelina represented that and so much more. “Tristan is dead.”

  “He is?” she asked with a gasp. “You’re sure?”

  “I shot him myself.”

  “Wow…” She took a moment to process what I said, to accept the fact that her tormentor was really gone.

  “I killed the rest of his men too. No one will ever come after you again.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know how to process this. I haven’t been free in so long that I’m not even sure what it feels like anymore.”

  “You’re free now, Bellissima.”

  She breathed into the phone, the emotion obvious but the tears absent. “How’s Crow? Tell me he’s alright.”

  “He’s in surgery right now. Had some internal bleeding.”

  “No…poor Pearl.”

  “She’s flying back today so she can see him.”

  “You think he’ll be okay?”

  I really had no idea. “He’s the strongest man I’ve ever known. If anyone will get through it, it’s him.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m gonna head over there once I’m finished here. That surgery is going to be at least a few hours. I should be there before he wakes up.”

&nb
sp; “Can I come along?”

  I’d love to see her and wrap my arms around her. I’d love to kiss her and to enjoy the peace that we both had now. “I would go get you, but it’s a long drive. I should get to the hospital as soon as I can.”

  “I understand,” she whispered. “I can’t wait to see you.”

  “I can’t wait to see you either.” When she wormed her way into my heart so easily, it didn’t surprise me that I fell for her. She hypnotized me with her affection, made me weak and want to crumble.

  “You aren’t hurt, right?”

  “Just a few scratches.”

  “Good.”

  “I should get going. I’ll give you an update when I can.”

  “Okay…but I have a question.”

  “Okay.”

  “I think I already know the answer to this since you haven’t mentioned it, but…do you know what happened to Lizzie?”

  I didn’t have the heart to say the words out loud. I didn’t want to hurt Adelina with the truth. Her friend had suffered a much worse fate than she did. She was beaten every single day until they took it too far and killed her. I would never tell her that Crow found her body wrapped in a plastic bag in preparation to release into the sea. I would never share the description he gave me, how her face was mutilated by fists. “I’m sorry…”

  She whimpered into the phone, releasing a quiet sniff. “Lizzie…”

  “I’m sorry.” I’d already said those words, but I needed to say them again. I really meant them. I would have saved her friend if I could have. I would have done anything to give Adelina what she wanted.

  She started to cry.

  “Bellissima…”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I always hoped I’d see her again…”

  “She’s in a better place now.” After all the suffering she’d endured, being given the sweet release of death was exactly what she would have wanted. It was something I understood because I’d been in the same predicament before.

  “I’ll let you go, Cane.” She stifled her tears so she could speak. “I know you’ve got your hands full right now.”

  I wanted to run back to Tuscany and comfort her the way she needed. But I had other obligations that prevented me from doing that. My brother was my priority. I had to make sure he was okay, make sure Pearl got to his side safely. “We’ll talk about it when I get back.”

  “It’s okay. There’s nothing more to say…”

  “But I want to be there for you, Bellissima…”

  “I know you do.”

  Chapter 9

  Pearl

  Once the plane landed, the men escorted Lars and me into a series of three blacked-out SUVs. I felt like a high-class prisoner being transported from one place to the next. All the windows were tinted, and it was impossible to see inside the cars. The men still operated like I was a target for Tristan—even though he was long gone.

  Even though Crow was nowhere nearby, I felt safe.

  We hit the road and drove through Rome to the hospital where Crow was. Cane gave me an update an hour ago and said he was still in surgery. He hadn’t heard any updates from the nurse or the doctor, which was a good thing. No news was good news.

  Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to the circular entrance at the hospital, and the men helped me out.

  Cane was there, dressed in all black. He had a cut above his eyebrow and a few dirt stains, but he was in good shape. Until I looked at him, I didn’t even realize that I’d never asked if he had been injured during the raid. “I can take it from here, guys.” Cane took me by the elbow and pulled me away.

  “Mr. Barsetti?”

  We both turned around to see Lars getting out of the SUV, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

  Cane nearly did a double take. “Lars? I didn’t know you owned jeans.”

  Lars held his hands together in front of his waist, just as he did when he was working at the estate. “Would it be too intrusive if I came along? I know I serve Mr. Barsetti, but I’ve always viewed him like a son…”

  My eyes immediately watered, and I grabbed his hand. “Of course, Lars. You are family.”

  Cane patted him on the back. “Crow will be happy to see you.”

  Cane guided us to the surgical floor and found us seats in the waiting room. A few other people were there, reading magazines or looking at their phones to keep busy. We sat down in the corner, but I couldn’t stop shaking my leg. The anxiety was getting to me, making me desperate for air even though I was breathing normally.

  Cane leaned forward and massaged his knuckles as he stared at the floor.

  Lars sat with a straight and rigid back, still like a statue and soundless like the night.

  The silence was killing me.

  The passage of time was torture.

  When I thought an hour had passed, it was only twenty minutes.

  I reminded myself that the worst was over. Crow had been rescued, and Tristan was dead. All Crow had to do was make it through this surgery, and our lives would be back to normal. We could have the quiet life we’d always wanted…the three of us.

  I just had to stay calm.

  Be patient.

  But after an actual hour passed and we didn’t get an update, I started to worry again. “Cane, should we ask again? Do we talk to the front desk?”

  Cane nodded to the nurse who sat behind the front desk. A phone was pressed to her ear as she spoke quietly so no one in the waiting room could hear her. “She’s the one I’ve been asking. But I doubt she knows anything because she would have said something by now. I’ll ask again if you want…”

  “It’s okay. I just wonder how long this surgery is.”

  “They had a lot to take care of, so it could be hours. It’s been six already.” Cane glanced at his watch.

  Lars patted my hand. “He’s going to be alright, Mrs. Barsetti. If he’s made it this long, he’s doing well.”

  “You think?” I whispered.

  “Definitely.”

  We waited another hour, a very long and painful hour.

  Finally, the nurse behind the desk walked up to Cane.

  We all rose to our feet, but I stood up the quickest. “Is he okay?” I blurted.

  “They just finished,” she said. “Everything went well. They’ll be transporting him to his room any minute now. He’ll be out for a few more hours, so be patient.”

  Tears formed in my eyes as the relief swept over me. Crow made it through the most difficult part. I would see his face soon. I would finally get to hold his hand. I would finally get to be reunited with him.

  “That’s great,” Cane said. “Thank you so much.”

  “I knew he would be alright,” Lars said.

  We returned to our seats, feeling a little better now that we’d received great news.

  “Do you want to be in there alone?” Cane asked. “Until he wakes up?”

  I wanted to wrap my arms around Crow and never let go. I wanted to tell him I loved him a million times and splash his skin with my tears. But I didn’t care if Cane and Lars watched the whole thing. They were family. “No. He’ll be happy to see all of us.”

  * * *

  I cried when I first saw him.

  His right eye was black and swollen, and there were scars all over his face. His abdomen was wrapped in gauze to protect his ribs, and he had a cast on his left leg. The doctor said he had several broken ribs that needed to be repaired, and the internal bleeding from a hernia had also been fixed.

  Even though he would be alright, I was still heartbroken.

  It was hard to look at him.

  I wished Tristan weren’t dead so I could kill him myself.

  Cane didn’t blink an eye over it. He’d seen his brother in worse condition when he pulled him out of that compound. Lars didn’t show any emotion, but he never took his eyes off Crow’s face.

  We waited for Crow to wake up. Another four hours went by, and there was still no sign of movement. The sky had turned black as the nig
ht deepened and visiting hours were over, but that didn’t have any effect on us. No amount of security would get us to leave his room.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Crow took a deep breath, and his fingers curled into a fist. He didn’t open his eyes right away, but his jaw clenched like he was having a bad dream. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling hard as he switched into distressed mode. “Button…I need to call her.” He didn’t notice the three of us sitting there because he was still disoriented, unable to take in his surroundings even though his eyes were open.

  I leaped from my seat and came to his side, grabbing his hand and being careful to avoid the IV. “Crow, I’m right here.” My hand moved to his chest, and I slowly lowered him back onto the bed.

  “Button.” His hand grabbed mine, and he squeezed it before he locked his eyes on mine. It took him three full seconds to recognize me, to understand he was looking right into my face. His hand slowly released its grip, and he sighed under his breath. “I can’t tell if I’m dreaming.”

  “The doctor said the anesthesia takes a little while to wear off, but you aren’t dreaming. This is real. I’m right here.” I interlocked our fingers and ran the fingers of my other hand through his hair. His right eye was still severely swollen, and I could barely make out his iris. His green eyes were dark, so they blended in with the purple discoloration and the irritated flesh.

  The movements of his chest slowly returned to a normal pace, and he pulled me closer to him, his long arm moving around my waist as he positioned me. He turned his neck and pressed a kiss to my stomach before he rested his face there, right against my flat stomach.

  My eyes watered and my chest ached. I could have lost my husband. This reality could have been completely different. He hardly said a word to me, but he showed his love for both of us with the sweetest touches. My finger stroked his hair, and I watched him close his eyes and lie there.

  His lips moved against my shirt. “I can’t wait to meet you…”

  Tears dripped down my cheeks, and I withheld the sniffles that burned in my nose.

  Crow turned his face and looked up at me, seeing the emotion etched into every feature of my face. “I’m alright, Button. Give me a few days, and I’ll be back to new.”