Page 106 of Born into Mayhem
“Thanks, Sandro.”
When the nurse comes in to get me, I give my brother one more hug before following her out. I don’t know how in the hell I would’ve gotten through the last few hours without him.
Staying near the nurse, I follow her down the maze of hallways until she stops in front of one of the large private rooms that’s worth every penny it’s going to cost me if it means I get immediate, unlimitedaccess to Mia. The perks of being part of a powerful family have never been more evident or beneficial than right now, and I’m incredibly grateful for it.
I step into the dim room after the nurse, and a pained groan leaves my throat when I see Mia’s unconscious body lying in the hospital bed. She’s attached to machines, all of them quietly beeping, and there’s a nasal cannula hooked into her nose, the thin tubes running across her cheeks and hooking behind her ears. The pink highlights in her hair stand out against her pale skin and the white of the pillowcase, and when I take her hand in mine, there’s no response.
The nurse is quiet as she checks Mia’s vitals. When she’s done, she scoots a chair over for me and says, “If you need anything, press this button and a nurse will come in. She might sleep for another hour or two before she wakes, but she’s going to be fine,SignoreAlessi.”
Pulling the blanket further up Mia’s chest, she earns my gratitude when she takes the extra time to ensure the woman I love will be as comfortable as possible when she wakes.
“We were able to put surgical tape over her piercings so she could keep them like you requested,” she tells me while she checks the blood pressure cuff on Mia’s arm.
“Thank you,” I tell her. Leaning closer, I brush a strand of hair from my girl’s forehead and kiss the lips that are as pale as her skin.
“Ti amo,” I whisper against her mouth. “I’m right here,amore.I’m not leaving your side.”
The nurse makes a quiet exit, leaving me alone in a dark room while machines beep and I hold the small hand that belongs to the one person in this world that I cannot live without. Unable to resist, I pull the blanket down, letting out a pained groan when I see all the bandages wrapped around her stomach.
“Fuck, baby, I can’t believe you jumped in front of that knife.” I shake my head, feeling the familiar tightness hit the back of my throat when I think about what she lost by saving me.
Pulling the sheet back up, I cup her hand in mine and kiss the back of it, and then I let go, sobbing like I never have in my life. All the fearI’d felt at losing her, the very idea of having to face this world without her, to never feel her body against mine, never hear the sweet sound of her voice when she yells my name in anger or in pleasure—I let it all out, and then I cry for the children we’ll never have. I allow myself this one moment, this one time to feel the anguish of never being called dad by anyone, of never holding a baby that she and I made, and of never knowing the joy of raising a child together. I feel every part of that pain, and then I let it go, because I’ll be damned if I ever let Mia see even a glimpse of this hurt. I will not let her carry this.
I choose her, over and over again, I choose her.
My throat is raw, my eyes swollen, and my heart still feels like someone’s stepped on it, but by the time Sasha walks in, I’ve gotten myself under control. I look over, relieved to see that he’s no longer drenched in blood. The nurse must’ve made him shower, and she’s also bandaged his arm and made him wear a sling.
“How’s the arm?” I ask. My voice sounds hoarse, like I’ve been yelling for hours, but he doesn’t comment on it. He steps closer to the bed and pulls the covers down enough so he can see where the knife went in. He’s quiet while he tucks the blanket back up and around his sister.
“Did they have to do a hysterectomy?”
I’m not surprised that he asked. I swear Sasha knows enough anatomy to be a doctor at this point.
“No, but the damage was severe. If she ever did manage to get pregnant, it would be too dangerous to keep it,” I say, knowing with absolute certainty that I will never allow that to happen. I will never put her through that kind of pain. Mia will never get pregnant. I’ll make damn sure of that.
Sasha sits on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his. He’s careful of the IV that’s attached to the back of her hand. His movements far more gentle than I would ever expect from him. The last image I’d had of Sasha at the house was of him brutally stabbing a man’s chest, and now he’s gently caressing his sister’s hand. My brain is having a hard time with the dichotomy, and eventually I just give uptrying. He is what he is. There’s no point in trying to make sense of him.
“She never wanted kids,” Sasha says, “but not wanting them and having the choice taken from you are two very different things.” He looks over at me when he says, “She’ll pretend she doesn’t care. Don’t let her get away with it. It’ll eat her up if she tries to hold it all in.”
“I won’t let her,” I promise him. With a sigh, I kiss her hand again and then ask, “Do you think your dad will at least hear me out before he tries to kill me? I’d like to avoid any more bloodshed today if at all possible.”
“Fear and worry are what’s driving him now. Rage will eventually take its place, but no matter how much he hates you right now, he loves her more. He would never do anything that would cause her pain. My dad’s not capable of hurting his family.”
“He’s a good man,” I agree. “I’m hoping he’ll eventually accept me as a son-in-law.”
“He will,” Sasha says, and then he gives me a hint of a grin. “I don’t envy Dominic for the nine-hour flight he has with him, though.”
“God, no,” I agree. “He’ll keep himself in check for your mom’s sake, but I know they both must be worried sick right now. They trusted us to keep you both safe, and now their daughter is in the hospital and their son’s been shot. I’m not earning any brownie points here.”
“It wasn’t your fault, and my arm’s fine. Bullet went straight through and missed everything important.” He looks over at me. “What about her piercings?”
“I told them to keep them in.”
“Good. She would’ve been so pissed if she had to go through that again. It’s a detail you can leave out when talking to our parents.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on telling them. Your dad would definitely pull a gun on me if I start talking about his daughter’s body piercings.”
As I talk to Sasha, I keep my focus on Mia, watching to make sure her chest keeps rising and falling, checking that the machinesare still beeping as they should, while I caress the hand I’m still holding.
