Bonnie laughed. “Lucy, you’re here for a visit.” She bent over, showering her with hugs and kisses.
Bella relaxed where Lucy’s care was concerned. She was going to be spoiled rotten for the next little while. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“Honey, I think I appreciate it more. Teresa, the new part-time nurse, started a couple days ago. We’re having a bit of an adjustment period. Seeing Bonnie this happy is nice.”
“Hey, Mom.” Reed kissed Linda’s cheeks as he walked over from securing the back of the truck. “That’s great about the nurse—”
“No, it’s not great, young man,” Aunt Bonnie stood straight, scolding with a point of her finger. “It’s not great at all. A stranger in your own home is a nightmare.”
Linda sighed. “We’re taking things slow.”
Reed rubbed at the back of his neck. “Let me know how I can help, but we should go.”
“Of course, honey.”
“Um, here are my keys.” Bella handed them over. “I don’t know if you want to take Lucy to my house. She gets two cups of food for dinner. The kibble’s in the pantry. She’s well-behaved. If you take her into the backyard, she’ll do her business. ”
“We can do that. She’ll fit in the SUV.” Linda wrapped her arms around Bella again. “Go take care of your father.”
“Lucy’s going to be just fine with us.” Aunt Bonnie walked over with Lucy by her side. “She’ll be worrying about you, but we’re going to help keep her spirits up. I’ll probably read to her for a while.”
“Thank you, Aunt Bonnie.”
Aunt Bonnie hugged Bella. “Your daddy’s going to be just fine too. Just fine.”
She nodded, unable to speak, on the verge of tears again.
“Now you take this box of tissues I brought outside for you and go see your daddy. My nephew Reed is going to take good care of you while you’re gone.” She gave his forearm a solid pat.
“Yes, I will. Let’s get going.” Reed settled his arm around Bella’s waist, and they walked back to the truck.
She looked at him as she buckled up. “Please hurry. I don’t know if—I don’t know.”
He took her hand, holding it tight. “I’m right here with you.”
She nodded as Reed backed out of the driveway for the long ride to Reseda.
Chapter Forty-Two
Reed sat in the hospital’s small family waiting room, absently flipping through a Time magazine while Bella leaned against the wall, clutching her arms across her chest as she stared out the window. He glanced at his watch and steamed out a long breath, as worried about Vinny as Bella was. For over two and a half hours, they’d been eagerly awaiting some sort of update on Vinny’s condition. Shortly after Vinny arrived at North Medical Center, the doctors had rushed him into emergency surgery for an abdominal bleed. At this point that was the only information they knew.
He closed the magazine and tossed it on the table, then rubbed at the ache in his tense jaw. The afternoon had certainly taken one hell of a turn. Impromptu house hunting and discussions about baby making in the moonlight seemed like some distant dream now that everything was hanging in the balance. He needed Vinny to pull through this latest setback. There was still work to do. Skylar had yet to secure Vinny’s video testimony the prosecution would use as a vital piece in their case against Alfeo Caparelli, but not everything was about Operation Caparelli Takedown. Reed had grown fond of Vinny over the last few weeks. Somewhere along the way, he’d stopped equating Vincent Pescoe with Nicoli Caparelli, the brutal Mafioso. Vinny was Isabella Colby’s adoring father who simply wanted to assure his daughter’s long-term safety.
“It’s cruel leaving people to wonder and worry this way,” Bella said quietly, still staring out the window. “Why won’t they tell us what’s going on?”
He focused on her rigid stance, listening to the pain and fear radiating from her voice as she spoke. It absolutely sucked that there was nothing he could do to make this situation better. “They’ll let us know when they can.”
She shook her head. “It’s not enough.”
“Come on over here.” He hooked his finger through the belt loop on her trendy denim shorts and tugged her his way, settling her on his lap. “Sit with me for a few minutes and keep me company.”
She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. “Why won’t they tell me what’s going on?”
He cradled her cheeks and stroked her skin. “Because they’re focusing on your dad right now, which is exactly what we want.”
She nodded as her breathing grew unsteady. “I just—I can’t stop thinking about the way he sounded on the phone—how he kept saying my name. He was so weak, and there was nothing I could do to help him.”
He kissed her as his heart hurt for her. “You did help him. He’s here right now because of you.”
She shook her head again as a tear spilled over. “Telling you to call an ambulance hardly feels like enough.”
He caught one drop, then two more, wiping them away with gentle slides of his thumbs. “That’s what he needed—”
“Excuse me.” The doctor stepped into the room, still dressed in his surgical scrubs. “Isabella Colby?”
Bella rushed to her feet. “Yes, I’m Isabella Colby.”
Reed stood, taking Bella’s hand, wanting to be right by her side. It was hard to say how the next few minutes were going to go. “How’s Vinny doing?”
“He’s out of surgery and resting. We’ve been watching him closely for the last little while. He had some fairly significant intestinal bleeding.”
Bella gripped Reed’s hand tighter. “Why? What happened?”
“Ms. Colby, your father’s health is growing quite fragile now that his cancer is in advanced stages. His liver is failing rapidly, which can cause the type of hemorrhaging we saw today. His platelet function and counts are abnormal—a condition that will only continue to deteriorate.”
She swiped at her hair, tucking long locks behind her ear. “Is he going to—will he recover from this?”
“It’s hard to say. He appears to be a fighter. I can say with certainty that not everyone in his condition would have survived the procedure we performed this afternoon.”
“So he might be able to go home?”
“It’s my opinion that hospice care would be of great benefit to you and your family during your father’s final weeks. There are several facilities in the area—”
Bella shook her head. “But I want him at home with me.”
“That’s something you and your husband will have to discuss, but I caution you to consider the type of support your father is going to need. Another hemorrhage is by no means out of the question.”
She nodded, looking at Reed.
He ignored the doctor’s assumption that they were married and focused on the fact that Vinny was down to weeks. Months no longer appeared to be part of the equation. He already knew what needed to happen for all of their sakes. “We’ll talk it over—weigh all of the pros and cons.”
Bella nodded again. “Okay.”
“If you’ll follow me,” the doctor said, “I can take you down to see your father.”
Reed wrapped his arm around Bella’s shoulders as the doctor walked them down the hall toward the surgical ICU.
“Your visits will need to be short. He’s breathing with some oxygen support, but he should be able to talk to you if he’s lucid enough. He’s been in and out of it.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
They walked through a door and turned, starting down another long hall of glassed-in rooms—some with curtains pulled for patient privacy while nurses sat in small cubby-like areas, keeping track of vitals on computer screens.
The doctor stopped in front of room ten. “One at a time is best.”
“I’ll wait right here.” Reed sent Bella a small smile of support, even as his mind raced. He needed to see Vinny—to gauge whether or not Operation Caparelli Takedown was officially fucked,
but that wasn’t the priority right now. “Go on in.”
Bella hesitated, wrapping her arms around him as her eyes filled.
He hugged her, holding on tight. “I’ll be right here,” he murmured for only her to hear.
She nodded against his chest. “Okay.”
“I’m right here, Bella.” He kissed her forehead before she stepped away.
~~~~
Bella’s pulse pounded as she slowly slid open the glass door to Dad’s room, not quite sure what to expect. Several different machines were beeping. She stepped around the curtain offering Dad some privacy from anyone passing by, and froze, staring at the pale, sickly man lying with his eyes closed. Every time she saw him, he looked less and less like Dad and more like a very ill stranger. She took several steadying breaths, struggling to keep her emotions in check, and sat in the chair by his bed, glancing around at the dozens of tubes and wires protruding from here and there. “I’m here, Daddy,” she whispered, touching his hand with gentle fingers. “The doctor said you did great—that everything went really well.”
His eyes fluttered open.
She forced a smile as she gripped his fingers. “Hey there.”
“Hi.”
“You just got out of surgery.”
“I feel like it.”
“You did really well,” she repeated, choosing to focus on the fact that he was still here with her instead of the doctor’s devastating new time frame. Weeks.
“Is Reed with you?”
“Yes. He’s waiting outside.”
“I need to see him.”
She frowned at his request. “Okay, I’ll send him in.”
“How long are they keeping me?”
Her gaze wandered to all of the intimidating medical equipment again. “For a few days.”
He nodded. “And you’re going to go to work and live your life.”
She pressed her lips together and blinked back tears, fighting the tug of war to honor Dad’s requests when she wanted to stay close. “I’m going to visit at night.”
“That doesn’t sound like you living your life.”
“You’re part of my life, Daddy. A very important part of my life.” She wanted to talk to him about coming home with her, loathing the idea of hospice care, but now wasn’t the time. “I want you to rest.”
“I want you to go home.”
“I will, but I’m coming tomorrow night—just for a little while.”
“Tomorrow’s a work day.”
“I know.”
“I’m not feeling well enough to argue.”
“Then don’t argue. Just say okay.”
He smiled. “Okay.”
She smiled back. “I’m going to let you rest. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She stood and kissed his forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She kissed him again, growing more afraid that one of these times might be the last. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“All right. I need Reed.”
“I’m going to get him.” She walked to the curtain and waved, then moved out into the hall.
Reed shoved his phone in his back pocket. “How’s he doing?”
She shrugged, afraid she would cry. “Dad wants to see you.”
“He does?”
She nodded.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She walked to the end of the hall, needing the view out the window. Typically she yearned to stay, but today the wretched hospital smell was almost more than she could stand. She clutched her arms across her chest and focused her attention on the sun sinking toward the horizon instead of the fact that in the very near future, she was going to lose Dad.
~~~~
Reed walked into Vinny’s room and shut the sliding door before he pushed the curtain aside. He stopped in his tracks and winced, slightly shocked by Vinny’s fragile appearance.
“I thought I was a goner,” he said, keeping his eyes closed.
He sat in the chair next to Vinny, studying the ghostly grayish cast to his skin. “For a few minutes, so did I.”
Vinny opened his eyes, looking at Reed. “I’m running out of time. We need to finish this thing up.”
Reed had texted Skylar and Joey, updating them on the current situation as soon as Bella had left his side. “You need to focus on resting and healing.”
“Did they get anything back on the bullet?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. The lab boys will get to it tomorrow.”
Vinny frowned. “Tomorrow?”
“It’s Sunday.”
“I’m dying and the lab’s closed. Do they want to keep him in prison or not?”
“They’re working on it. You need to focus on healing,” he repeated. “Remember that Bella needs you here for a while yet. So do I.”
“What’s the next step?”
“Uh,” he cleared his throat, “they want to transfer you to hospice.”
“Bullshit.”
“It’s time, Vinny. I was talking to the doctor while Bella was in here with you. There’s a facility in the Palisades—”
Vinny shook his head slowly. “I can’t—”
“It’s a couple miles from Bella’s place,” he continued, already knowing that Vinny would protest the Palisades location due to its proximity to Bella. “It’ll be easier for us to finish this and ease Bella’s mind to know you’re being taken care of just down the road.”
Vinny sighed.
“You need help. You’re in no shape to live on your own anymore. This will keep you out of her house—from burdening her with being your constant caregiver.”
“I don’t like it.”
“If I thought this was going to compromise her safety in any way, I wouldn’t mention it. It’s the best solution for all of us. Mostly for Bella. Think about Bella.”
“That’s all I’ve ever done.”
Reed nodded, knowing that was the absolute truth. “When she comes to visit tomorrow, you bring it up. She still thinks you’re coming home with her. If she believes hospice is what you want, she’ll go along with it.”
“You’re sure this is right?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll be able to get over to see you more often—keep you up to date on the investigation. As soon as we can get you out of here, I’ll have Skylar and Joey fly in.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to Bella tomorrow.”
Reed stood, knowing that Vinny needed to sleep. “Hang in there. We need you to pull through this.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know my little girl’s safe.”
“I’m counting on that.”
He closed his eyes. “Go take care of my daughter.”
“I’m going.” He walked back out, leaving the door open as he left. He started down the hall and frowned, surprised when he didn’t see Bella. He picked up his pace, eventually spotting her staring out one of the windows as he rounded the corner.
She whirled as he approached. “What did he want?”
“To make sure I’m taking care of you.”
“Oh.” She turned away and pushed through the door to the stairwell instead of heading for the elevators.
“Bella.” He grabbed her arm.
She yanked away. “I need to get out of here.” She moved faster, running down the three flights of stairs, rushing for the exit.
“Bella.” He snagged her by the wrist, turning her to face him as they made it to the parking lot.
She burst into tears.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her while she cried it out.
“He looks awful,” she said with her face still pressed to his shirt.
There wasn’t much use in denying what was so plainly obvious, nor did it do any good to tell her that everything was going to be okay, because where Vinny was concerned, it wasn’t. He was certainly approaching the end of his life. “I talked to the doctor for a couple of minutes while you were in with your dad.” He eased her back, sliding his fingers through he
r hair as he stared in her eyes. “They have a hospice facility in the Palisades—”
She shook her head. “I want him at home with me.”
“He’s not going to want that. He won’t want to interrupt your life.”
She sniffled, losing her composure again. “I want him to be comfortable and well-cared-for.”
“He will be. The place in the Palisades is supposed to be great. We can check it out together.”
“I just—I just—”
“He needs more care than either of us can offer.”
She shook her head again as more tears fell.
There was no way he was letting this go until Bella was on board with having Vinny at the facility. It was one thing to have Nicoli Caparelli close to his daughter’s residence; it was entirely another to make Bella an obvious target. “What happens when you’re at work? What happens if I’m out of town and he needs help getting to the bathroom? He’s thin, but as he gets weaker, he’ll be dead weight. This is a great compromise.”
She wiped at her cheeks. “Getting him into that place won’t be easy. I imagine there’s quite a waiting list.”
“I’m going to call Ethan when we get home. His father might have some pull.”
“Wren says their father is an awful man.”
“He’s a selfish bastard, but he’s chief of staff at Los Angeles General. He’ll be able to cut through some of the red tape.”
She pressed her forehead to his chest and inhaled a deep breath. “I’ll talk to Dad tomorrow.”
He rubbed his hands up and down her back, slightly relieved that father and daughter were both going to play things his way. “Let me take you home. You can take a bath, and I’ll see what Ethan can do to give us a hand while I go grab us some dinner.”
“I just want to snuggle up with you and watch TV and pretend my father isn’t wasting away before our eyes.”
“We can do that, but we’re stopping off at the deli.” He nudged her back until she looked at him again. “You need to eat and take care of yourself.”
She nodded. “We’ll stop at the deli.”
“Let’s go home.”
“Thank you.” She kissed him. “Thank you for being everything I need.”
He kissed her back. “You’ve got it.” He opened her door. “Buckle up.” Walking around to his side, he focused on all of the things that needed to fall into place, particularly Vinny’s hospice care. Nothing else could happen until they had a room secured. Time was nearly up, and Reed wasn’t even close to ready.
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 47