For Luca (Chicago Syndicate Book 2) (33 page)

***

I sit on the white bed in the emergency room at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and wait for Adriano to return with an update on Luca while a young doctor removes glass splinters from my palms. The wait seems to take forever as my gaze is focused on nothing in this sterile room. I’m feeling numb, not because of the horror Ashton has inflicted on me and my loved ones, but because I have no idea what’s going on with Luca.

Tears keep streaming down my cheeks as I wait and wait after the doctor is done with my entire examination while not even knowing if Luca is still alive.

Adriano finally enters with an unrecognizable look. “He’s in surgery.”

What is with these guys and always being in control of their emotions and expressions? “Was he breathing? Where was he shot?”

“He was breathing, but he lost a lot of blood where two bullets penetrated the chest wall and damaged his lung. However, we transported him to the hospital fast, so the doctor said that at least the chance of infection is minimal.” I start to cry again, so he joins me on the bed and throws his arm around my shoulder. “The most important thing is that we got him medical attention quickly. The human body is much more resilient than you think, and gunshot wounds are usually not fatal, Fallon. Only shots to the heart or a major artery are potentially lethal when not treated immediately.”  

“Is Doctor Calderone operating on him?”

“No, he’s not a chest surgeon, but I called him in so that he can take care of the hospital’s legalities: hospitals are required by law to contact the police when a bullet wound victim is brought in. Luca won’t be in any trouble because there will be no report of his admittance here; Doc will take care of that part.”

“Do you think he’ll survive?”

He snorts and locks eyes with me. “Of course. He would never leave you.”

CHAPTER 33

Luca

“Has he woken up?”

“Not yet.”

Slowly, I open my eyes and blink to adjust to the severe lighting.

“Mr. DeMiliano, welcome back,” a doctor greets.

“Fallon?” I inquire in a hoarse voice and swallow, hurting my sore throat, but he doesn’t hear me.

“How do you feel, Mr. DeMiliano?”

“Sore throat.” I move my body slightly and experience severe pains.

“You were out for a day; it’s now evening. You were brought in last night with two bullets in your lung, but I removed them and had to remove a lobe, a section, of the injured lung. You have a thoracostomy tube in place. It’s a plastic chest tube that is attached to a suction device to withdraw air, residual blood, or any body fluids from the chest. This helps to keep the lung inflated and once it heals after a couple of days, I’ll pull it out.” He checks my chart, and he continues, “You’ve been on the ventilator all night and are now being given antibiotics to prevent lung and wound infections, along with pain medication. I would like to see you walk around a little today to prevent pneumonia, and we’ll start respiratory therapy as soon as possible. Therapy will offer you deep breathing exercises to help the lung heal steadily. You don’t have any rib fractures, but the extensive bruising on your body will hurt while healing.”

All I want to know is whether she survived and is unharmed, so I repeat, “Fallon?”

With a kind smile, the nurse answers, “Oh the beautiful brunette who wouldn’t leave. She’ll be right back, sir. She just stepped out.”

I feel the breath ease out of me. “I want to see her.”

“I’ll tell Fallon if I see her before you do,” she replies.

The doctor starts speaking again. “Since you’re otherwise healthy and in perfect condition, I believe you’ll have a speedy recovery.”

That’s good news because I can’t afford to be bedridden or physically weak for a long period of time.

“We’ll come back later,” the nurse informs after she checks my vitals.

She and the doctor leave just as a furious James enters and starts talking without saying hello. “My underboss almost gets killed because of a woman?” Gritting his teeth, he closes the distance between us, and a look crosses his face that I’ve never seen before: a mixture of regret and pain. For the first time ever, I see remorse flash across his eyes, and I realize right away that he’s here to kill me because he knows I’m putting Fallon before the Syndicate. Her survival was my only concern last night.

“Don’t make me choose, James, because I
will
choose her,” I answer his unspoken question and cough.

A vicious glare is thrown at me. “Don’t be ignorant. You know damn well there isn’t a choice. What are you going to do? Be on the run with her forever?”

“Did you talk to Adriano? Did he bring you up-to-date? This wasn’t solely about her. It was about Ashton Banks who’s a huge liability against our organization.” It fucking hurts to talk this much, and my throat is extremely dry, but I need to defend myself so I can take advantage of the doubt I sense in James. I didn’t survive last night to be easily offed in this hospital room. James becomes disconcertingly quiet and turns away from me, gazing out the window, so I play my last card. “I’ve seen Camilla.”

His body pivots around quickly. “When?”

“Last week.” What the hell is his interest in Camilla? I’m seriously starting to think these two had an affair. “You need Adriano and me to find her again and, James, deep down you must realize I wouldn’t jeopardize the Syndicate. Adriano and I took care of everything. Don’t make a decision in anger that you’ll regret later. Adriano isn’t only loyal to you, but to me too. If you lose me, you’ll lose him as well.”

Rubbing his fingers over his mouth, he scowls at me first then softens his look. “You two handle everything with the hospital because I’m not lifting a finger to interfere with this mess.”

I nod in promise because I’m positive Adriano has already done that.

“I need Camilla found, Luca.”

“Tell me why.”

His chest rises, and he blows out a troubled breath. “I’ll tell you both later. Do not disappoint me like this ever again. You scared me last night; I think I aged ten years in one day, son.”

Mission accomplished because he’s gone back to referring to me as ‘son’.
“Lo prometto.”
I promise.

“Luca!” Her voice makes me forget about everything else, and I’m instantly appeased when I see her in the doorway with Adriano. Fallon, my positive counterpart in everything, comes at me and kisses my forehead while looking back and forth between James and me.

“Hi,” she greets him timidly.

“Miss Michaels, I’m glad you’re okay. Luca, we’ll talk later.” James heads out and takes Adriano with him.

Fallon sits on the chair to my left and rests her head beside mine on the pillow.

“Ashton?” I quickly mouth to Adriano.

Adriano nods and leaves with James as Fallon strokes my jaw.

“
Dolcezza
, what happened to your hands?”

“It’s fine, just some cuts.” She looks up, and tears wet her cheek.

“Don’t cry. I just heard that I’m going to be fine.”

“I know. I was so scared to lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me. Come lie in bed with me.”

And she climbs in.

CHAPTER 34

Fallon

Luca has recovered quickly, and after a month, he’s back to his old controlling and dominant self as we sit around his kitchen island, and he demands answers from me.

“Stop overthinking every little thing. Do you know what I want? You. You, just the way you are. I want us to live and love together and to create new memories because today is our chance to live. Not tomorrow. Live in the present with me, and stop fighting your love because I’m not waiting around forever. Do you want to be with me? It’s a simple question.”

We loved each other, then hurt one another by being apart, and nothing, nothing broke our bond – our invisible tie. Sometimes the course of your life is determined when you’re at your absolute worst. The worst moment of my life led me back to the love of my life. Since the day my parents died, Luca hasn’t left my side. He fought for me, he protected me, and he put me back together, broken piece by broken piece. And the defining moment in my life was when I decided to call Luca on the day that I lost the two people I will forever miss. That day brought us back together. That day sparked a love that we so desperately suppressed. That day shaped me into the person I am today. There isn’t a doubt in the depth of my heart and soul that I want to be with him.

“Yes,” I answer.

“I want you to move in with me permanently because I want you to be at
our
house when I come home at night,” he explains and comes up behind me, warming me in a cuddle while his hands find their way under my shirt, searching for bare skin to touch.

Happiness is right within my grasp as I look over my shoulder into Luca’s piercing green eyes. I’m tired of always worrying, and he’s the one that protects me. He deserves my commitment. He deserves to have the love we shared when we met a year ago, and I deserve it as well.

“I want that too.”

His lips curl up.
“Bene.”
Good.

However, there’s something else I want to discuss with Luca, but I’m not sure how to start. “Luca…”

He kisses my neck. “Yes? You can tell me anything.”

“The police called today. They pretty much told me that the investigation is going nowhere. Nothing has led them to Ashton, even though I’ve dropped his name several times. They still treat me like I’m an annoyance. I-I’ve been living with this…this longing for revenge, and I didn’t tell you because it’s scaring me somewhat to admit it to myself, let alone to someone else.”

He turns the barstool I’m perched on and cups the back of my head reassuringly.

“I just want justice for my parents, and it’s eating me alive that Ashton’s still out there after everything he’s done to me, my parents, and to you.”

“I told you the police won’t give you justice.”

“I’m starting to understand that.”

“What do you want? Do you want me to take care of it? Because all you have to do is say the word,” he offers, unaffected by my admission, probably because he’s detected this change in me.

“Yes… No.” I palm my forehead, but Luca takes my hand and entangles our fingers.

“You’re not an evil person because you want retribution for all that’s been done to you. Do you want me to take care of him without giving you the specifics?”

I nod an approval, and Luca’s mouth turns up into a devilish grin.

“This is kind of turning me on,” he admits in a deep voice, laced with yearning.

I shake my head. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy to get inside you.”

His lips trail kisses across my collarbone and up my throat as he
takes my hips in his hands. I hook my legs around his waist, and my skirt rides up, exposing my naked thighs.

“I’m happy that you’re moving in,” he comments.

My hands come around his neck, pulling our bodies close together as his mouth claims mine. I’m absentmindedly playing with the hair at his nape as he massages my hips and his hands move over the rounded curves of my behind, making me writhe into him. His grip becomes more solid as I feel him hardening quickly through his pants, and I relish in his taste as our tongues push and pull roughly. Luca’s hands stroke down my arms and position my hands, palms flat, on the granite top.

“Keep them there,” he commands.

He nuzzles my neck, kneading my breast with one hand, and quickly unbuttons his pants. Then he slides his knuckles up the inside of my bare thigh, nudging my panties aside to rub the head of his arousal against me. My hips jerk forward as just the tip moves inside, and he bites my lip, groaning.

“You are always so wet for me.” He bunches my skirt in one hand to watch himself sliding slowly inside me, making us one.

Locking my feet behind him, I lean back, whimpering and arching from the exquisitely delightful sensation of him filling me completely. “Luca…”

“I love it when you scream my name,” he mutters through short breaths and thrusts in hard.

No more slow. He takes my hips in his hands and drives into me, rattling the barstool and almost tipping us back, but I keep a firm grip on the island behind me as his eyes hold mine.

“I love you,” I pant. My husky voice not holding back any emotion, and I meet his passionate thrusts as he growls and leans forward to bite and suck the bare skin of my shoulder.

“Ti amo così tanto.”
I love you so much.

He circles his hips, and I immediately explode with pleasure traveling from my core to the tips of my toes as Luca keeps up his brutally rough thrusts until I feel him swelling inside me and releasing with a low groan, collapsing against me. I cradle his head against my breasts as our chests rise and fall rapidly.

“Do you have time for a shower together?” he whispers and bites my nipple through the fabric of my shirt, causing me to shriek.