Page 98 of Joey

MAX

Kat pulls off her rubber gloves and tosses them into the trash. The surgeon left after half an hour because there was nothing for him to do. Kat Moretti is an excellent nurse and sews the neatest stitches I’ve ever seen. Uncle Vito lies on the bed in the center of the room, propped up by pillows. His eyes are closed, but he looks a damn sight better than he did three hours ago.

“How is he?” Dante asks her.

“He’s sleeping but not unconscious. There was nothing life-threatening. All the wounds are superficial and will heal with time. Except for his two toes and his pinky finger, obviously, which are missing. He’s also had a couple of back teeth pulled out. His missing digits were cauterized so there’s no infection, but we’ve given him some antibiotics anyway. He was mostly suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. We’ve given him plenty of fluids and some pain relief. Now he just needs to rest.”

Dante pulls his wife into his arms and gives her a soft kiss. “You are an angel, vita mia.”

“Hmm.” She eyes him suspiciously. “You’re not going to let him rest, are you?”

“Can he talk?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Then, no. He can’t rest yet.”

“Can you let Kristin know he’s okay but that she can’t see him yet?” I don’t know what Kat can say that won’t send my little sister into a panic, but I trust her.

She rolls her eyes. “I’ll make something up.”

“Thank you,” Dante says, releasing her from his embrace.

“Love you,” she whispers before she leaves the room. As soon as she’s gone, Lorenzo steps inside and closes the door behind him.

I wake my uncle up, and he stares at us, scratching his beard, his eyes darting between Lorenzo and Dante. He doesn’t want to be here as much as they don’t want him here.

“Why did the Russians take you? Was it something to do with the piece of shit who got Kristin pregnant?” I ask, ignoring the thick tension in the room. The sooner I get some answers as to where I fit into all this, the sooner Vito can leave and take his daughter with him. I’ve grown to care for Kristin, but her father is a snake and she’s convinced that he’s some fucking saint. Besides, she’ll be far safer away from here.

Vito snorts, and from the corner of my eye, I see Lorenzo’s hands ball into fists. “I have much better things to do with my time than try to get information from this piece of shit. If he’s not going to talk, shoot him in the fucking head and let’s get on with our day.”

“Lorenzo,” Dante says quietly, trying to defuse the palpable anger rolling off his brother. I can’t blame him though. Every minute he spends in this room is another minute he can’t spend with his wife.

“Talk, Vito,” I snap.

“You think I’d tell these two anything, Maximo? You know you can’t trust them, right? You know they’re just like their father was? Lowlife scum.” Vito spits onto the floor, and Lorenzo surges forward and smacks him across the face with the back of his hand, causing Vito’s head to snap backward. Blood pours from his mouth and he spits again.

I frown at Lorenzo. “Let me handle this, yeah?”

He glares at me, nostrils flaring, but he gives me a subtle nod and steps back to stand beside his brother.

I crouch down in front of my uncle until we’re eye to eye. “These men are my family, Vito. You ever disrespect them like that again and I will put a bullet in your head. Tell me what the fuck is going on here and I’ll let you walk out of here with your daughter. You’ll never have to see us again.”

Vito narrows his eyes at me like he’s trying to determine whether I’m telling the truth. “They know why Pushkin and his sick band of fucks took me.” He nods toward the brothers.

Dante glowers at him. “The fuck?”

I hold up my hand and let them know I’ll handle this. “What are you talking about? It was Pushkin who took you?”

“Yes, and they know why,” Vito insists.

Dante and Lorenzo shrug.

“They don’t, so you tell me.”

“They had no idea what their father did? They don’t know what I had on that sick fuck? You think I believe that?”

My head is starting to throb with the weight of unanswered questions. “Stop asking questions and tell me what the fuck is going on, Vito, or I swear to god I will fucking end you right here. I don’t give a fuck if it upsets your daughter.”