Page 95 of Bellini Born

My eyes lifted to the ceiling as I walked toward the bathroom. Like I didn’t have to deal with enough without having to worry about Enzo running around the city deflowering virgins.

When I returned, I slumped in my chair, my skull banging against the wall as I tipped my head back.

“Tell me this was an accident.” I knew better than to make that request. When bad things happened in our world, it was never a coincidence.

“You sure you want to do this now?” Enzo asked.

“If there’s a threat to my family, by assuming ignorance, I might as well be signing their death warrants.” A vise tightened around my chest, thinking of how close I’d come to losing them all tonight.

“You’re right.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “The power was cut to the entire block, not only knocking out our security cameras but also ensuring we wouldn’t be able to gain access to the footage over the fence from our neighbors on either side. Since it was the middle of the night, Paulie was the only one on duty at the gate, and they must’ve gotten to him before he sounded the alarm.”

“Make sure his family is taken care of.”

“Already done,” Enzo confirmed.

“So just like with everything else—Allegra’s death, the stolen money—we have no fucking clue who is behind it. There’s a goddamn target on our backs, and we’re no closer to figuring out who the enemy is so that we can blow them out of the water.”

My cousin ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Sarcastic laughter fell from my lips, and I surged to my feet. “Apologies don’t erase the fact that someone out there is trying to exterminate us. They didn’t just come after me tonight. They came after my daughters, my woman. There are some lines you don’t cross, and when I find out who’s behind this, the streets of Chicago will run red with their blood.”

Every cell in my body demanded that I put my fist through a fucking wall, needing an external outlet for the all-consuming rage eating me alive from the inside out.

“How do you want to handle things in the meantime?”

“Full lockdown. No one in or out of the penthouse while my family is inside. Start making arrangements for us to leave the country.” He knew without me saying where I planned to take them.

“On it.” Standing, Enzo pulled out his phone and got to work.

“Mr. Bellini?” At the sound of my name, I spun around to find a doctor in a white lab coat on approach.

Unconcerned with how much he’d overheard of the conversation between me and my cousin, I asked eagerly, “Summer? Is she—?”

He dipped his chin. “She’s been asking for you.”

I bent over, breathing heavily with my head dropped between my knees. The overwhelming rush of relief was enough to make me lightheaded.

When the black spots cleared from my vision, I straightened. “Take me to her.”

“Of course. If you’ll come with me.”

Following behind as the doctor used his badge to lead me into the area where they treated patients, I silently vowed that once I laid eyes on Summer, I was never letting her out of my sight again.

Chapter 22

Summer

Withthelightfromthe hallway illuminating him from behind, Matteo looked like an angel of darkness from where he stood on the threshold of my hospital room, dressed in scrubs with soot streaked across his handsome face.

Swallowing, I winced against the roughness of my raw throat. “Hey,” I managed to croak out.

Matteo gripped the edges of the doorframe, hanging his head. “This is all my fault.”

I licked my dry lips. “What?”

“I should have never dragged you into this world. My selfishness put you in that hospital bed.”

“Pretty sure a random house fire did that.”