Page 22 of Always Mine

“That’s hard to believe.”

“Didn’t you call me because I help firefighters and cops heal?” Jon’s time was spent between the two departments.

“Yeah. Joe Romano recommended you. He said you worked magic with a lot of firefighters.”

“Then give yourself a break.” He sniffed. “Have you had a shower?”

“Can’t yet. Sponge baths. Maybe in a day or so I go under the water.”

“Let me help you get cleaned up then.”

“I’ll take you up on that. A nurse helped yesterday.”

Afterward, when Jon left, Diego was a bit dizzy. He slept.

And dreamed about Annie. When he woke up, he was hard. Though it was uncomfortable, he was glad his plumbing still worked. He picked up his phone.

Are you coming over today? I had a pretty good sponge bath and smell great.

It was a while before she texted back.I’m tied up with school stuff till tonight.I’ll come tomorrow.

He wondered briefly if that school stuff included Sanders. Shit, he was jealous as hell of that guy, too.

He dozed before dinner, then was able to get out of bed and eat the meal Elena and Sofia had brought over at the table. They downed spaghetti and meatballs, and he enjoyed the tart sauce and spicy meat. As soon as they cleared the plates, the girls sat back down with him. He knew what to expect.

“So, Annie’s been here?” Elena asked. “You’ve seen her?”

“Elena, I don’t want to argue with you about Annie. That’s my personal business.”

Her mouth thinned, making her look old. “It’s ours too if she hurts you again. Our whole family suffered over the funk you went into.”

Sofia slapped her hand on the table. “That’s a horrible thing to say. He doesn’t need a guilt trip.”

“He doesn’t need Annie.”

“What if he does, to be happy? You loved her like a sister.”

“She’s fucking engaged to someone else.”

“Elena,hermana, language.”

Her face flushed. Not with embarrassment. “Really, Diego. I’m not a child. I swear.”

“Be more careful in this house.”

Elena shook her head. Sofia glared at her. He’d seen these standoffs before. “I’m exhausted. I’m going to the den. Thanks for the meal.” With that he got up and walked to the room where he slept.

Leaving the small lamp in the corner on, he maneuvered under the covers, uttering several swear words because his shoulder hurt like hell. Still, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he zonked.

A shattering sound woke Diego. It took him a few seconds in the pale light to see the window was broken. He sat up. Glanced down.

A brick laid on the floor.

Moments later, his mother came running, the girls right behind her. All the women in his house were frightened. When he got everybody calmed down, he called the police.

They all went into the living room to wait. Sofia answered the door when the bell rang. The chief of police entered the room behind her along with four officers with CSI, crime scene investigators, written on their nylon jackets.

“Hey chief,” Diego said.

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