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Chapter Fifteen

Julia

I always thought being in Matteo’s arms was the safest place in the world but right now, as he carries me through the hospital, I know I’m not any safer than if I was back in my hospital room.

When the security guard steps in our way, I know how this looks.

Me, in my hospital gown, looking tired, and Matteo carrying me.

It looks like he’s trying to take me out of here before I should leave.

Well, that’s exactly what’s happening but none of these nurses and doctors can know about Connor.

It would cause a panic and that would only make things worse.

I just have to trust that Connor won’t shoot at us in a crowded hallway.

I glance over Matteo’s shoulder and see that Connor is still talking to the nurse at the nurse’s station.

“Please,” I say to the security guard. “We’re in a hurry. I’m not in danger.”

“She needs to be in her room, resting,” the nurse who stopped us says. “The doctor hasn’t given her orders to leave.”

“But she can leave,” Matteo says. “You can’t hold her here.”

“Of course she can leave but… you need to sign the discharge papers first. It states that you left of your own accord and we’re not responsible for anything that may happen to you after you leave.”

“I’ll sign it,” I say before Matteo can argue. Anyway we can get out of here faster.

The security guard eyes Matteo over. “Ma’am, are you in danger?”

“No. I’m not. This is my husband.” My head rushes at the word.

Husband. Matteo is actually finally mine and yet we’re not technically together yet.

We never had our wedding night. We’ve been denied the chance to be happy because of what Connor has done.

My arm screams in pain now that my medicine is starting to wear off.

“Why don’t you set her down until the nurse can retrieve the discharge papers?” he suggest.

Matteo tightens his hold onto me. “We’re good. Now if you could move out of the way. We’d like to go.”

The guard plants his feet firmly onto the ground, making it clear that he’s not going anywhere.

“It’s ok,” I murmur to Matteo. “I’ll just sign the paper and then we can leave. And don’t turn around. Connor might not recognize you from the back.” I keep sneaking glances over Matteo’s shoulder. Connor nods at the nurse and starts to walk away from the station.

Towards us.

I quickly turn my head. “Matteo, get behind that wall.” I nod to the closest wall to us. “Connor is heading in our direction.”

Matteo tries moving but the guard, once again, doesn’t let him. “Please. Can I set her down?” He nods to a row of chairs against the wall. “At least let me do that.”

The guard slowly relents and Matteo is able to hide us behind the wall. But Connor is heading this way which means it won’t take long before he turns the corner and finds us.

“Is there anyone I can call for you?” the guards asks me.

“She’s not in danger from me,” Matteo growls. “I’m the only one who can keep her safe.”

“Ma’am?”

“I’m fine,” I snap. I know this officer is just trying to do his job but he’s getting on my nerves. I can hear footsteps heading in our direction. Is it Connor?

“You don’t seem fine. Let me help you.”

“Matteo is my husband. I’m safe.”

The security guard frowns. “You said you wanted to set her down on a chair.”

Matteo doesn’t let me go. “I did say that.”

The guard and Matteo stare each other down. This is not going how I expected our wedding night to go. Me getting shot in the arm. Emergency surgery. On the run from Connor.

And my own brother.

If Connor catches us, he’ll bring me right back to my brother and I’m not sure I can handle Viktor’s judgement of me. His betrayal. It might just kill me.

Matteo and I were supposed to be enjoying our time together. We were supposed to finally make love. I was supposed to be happy. But Viktor has made that impossible.

“Set her down,” the guard says.

“Why don’t you stop telling me what to do?”

“Your wife came in with a gunshot wound. Who’s to say you didn’t do that?”

“I spoke with the police.” Matteo’s jaw is wired tight. “I told them about the shooter. In fact, I saw the man who shot my wife. He’s here. That’s why we’re trying to leave.”

The guard turns white. “The shooter is here?”

“Yes.”

I look at Matteo, confused. What is he doing? I thought he didn’t want to involve anyone in Mafia business.

At that very moment, Connor turns the corner and sees us. His smile deepens like he knows he’s won.

“And there he is,” Matteo says. “That’s him. Julia?”

“Y-yes,” I stutter. “That’s the man.”

The guard takes out a taser gun and points it towards Connor. “Hold still, man.”

Connor looks between us and the guard. “You think this is funny? You think you can stop me? You belong to me, Julia. I will have you.”

“We have a situation here,” the guard says into his radio. “Code silver.”

Connor whips out his gun and points it right at the guard’s head. The nurses and doctors passing by all gasp and lean against the walls, trying to seek safety. So, Connor has really lost it.

“You’re going to step out of my way,” Connor says to the guard. “And you’re going to let me at them.”

The nurse rounds the corner with the discharge papers (took her long enough) and stops dead in her tracks when she sees the situation.

Slowly, Matteo begins to back up.

“Don’t,” Connor warns. “Or I’m going to shoot this innocent man here.”

“Go ahead,” Matteo says. “I don’t care about him.”

“Maybe not you. But Julia? Can you handle being responsible for the death of an innocent person? Or has your brother hardened you more than I thought?”

The guard looks at me, silently begging for help. He doesn’t deserve to die. Not when this isn’t his fight.

“We should go with him,” I murmur to Matteo.

He looks at me like I’m crazy. “No, we should not.”

“What if he starts shooting at all these people? We could be shot too. We should leave with him.”

“He’s going to shoot us then.”

“He might not shoot until we’re out of the hospital. Maybe we can escape before then. It’s our only chance, Matteo. All these doctors and nurses don’t deserve to die. The innocent patients. We have to do this.”

Matteo slowly nods, knowing I’m right. This is why I love him. He’s not as violent as other Mafia men are. He has a conscience. I just hope it’s not the thing to get us killed.

“Ok, Connor,” Matteo says. “We’ll go with you. Now, lower the gun. Come on.”

“You’re not leaving with him,” the guard says. “He’s the man who shot your wife.”

“We’re leaving,” Matteo says, ignoring the guard. “Let’s go.”

Connor keeps his gun trained on the guard as he walks around him, closer to us. “Ok then. Let’s go.” He points his gun at anyone who moves when we begin to walk down the hallway. No one intervenes.

Except, until, a doctor does. He’s in his fifties and has a kind looking face. “Don’t do this,” he says. I don’t even know this man’s name.

Connor scoffs. “Don’t try to stop me, doc.”

“Just think about what you’re doing. Do you want to be defined by this moment for the rest of your life? So far, you haven’t shot anyone. You can make it out of this.”

“Get out of the way, doc.”

Matteo can’t try running past the doctor as there’s a good chance Connor will start shooting. We just have to hope that this doctor will stop playing the hero and move.

“I can’t do that,” the doctor says. “So, you’re going to have to either shoot me or lower your gun. Don’t do this, man. Don’t.”

Connor doesn’t even waver. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. We’re the fucking Mafia, man. We’ve killed countless of people. And you’re not an exception.” He shoots the doctor in the stomach. I cant stop my scream. It’s joined by countless others in the hallway.

“Fuck it,” Matteo growls and takes off running down the hallway.

Connor shoots at us but Matteo ducks around a corner just in time. The only thing we can hope for now is that someone will stop Connor before he kills us next.

People get out of our way as we run through the confusing hallways of the hospital. When I glance over Matteo’s shoulder, I see that Connor is following us. He raises his gun.

“Get in that room,” I tell Matteo, pointing to a patient room. Matteo dives inside right as Connor fires. The bullet hits the hall we were just in front of.

The patient inside the room is a little girl, who’s sleeping. A woman is with her and she stands up the moment we enter.

“What’s going on?” the mom demands.

“Shit,” Matteo mutters.

“What do we do? If Connor comes in here, he might…” I nod at the girl and her mom.

“I need to fight the fucker.” He sets me down onto my feet.

“Matteo, no. He’ll kill you.”

“Have faith in me. Get in the bathroom. All of you.”

The mom frowns. “I’m calling security. You need to leave.”

Matteo grabs the woman’s arms and shakes her. “You and your daughter need to hide in the bathroom. There is an active shooter out there. He already killed a doctor. And he’s coming for us. Please. I’m trying to save your life here.”

The woman looks stunned but she picks up her daughter and takes her into the bathroom without question.

“Go with her,” he tells me.

“No.” I grab his hand. “It’s you and me together. I’m not leaving you.”

“Then hide. Because I can’t be distracted.”

I nod and hide in a corner, so I can still see him and help if need be, but hopefully Connor won’t see me right away.

Matteo sticks his head out of the room and says, “In here, asshole.” He takes out his own gun and gets it ready.

Connor enters the doorway. “You’re not going to shoot me. Not in here.”

“Think again.” Matteo pulls his trigger and lands a hit to Connor’s shoulder, knocking him back. I can hear the screams of the woman from the bathroom. I feel so bad for her. She’s just an innocent woman trying to save her daughter.