Page 8 of Lines Drawn (Crimson Bonds #5)

“ D o I need to make some calls, Hollis?” Doc asks without raising his head.

“No. I’m fine. Just… I couldn’t breathe. But it…it’s not a thing .”

Doc looks up from where he’s dressing Hollis’s wounds with a new bandage.

“It’s okay if you need help, Hollis. We all do from time to time.

I had my fair share of therapy when I first came to the Family.

Enzo still talks to his therapist. I can see if he can fit you in, too.

Or find someone else who can be trusted. ”

“I… No. My demons are my own, and I am handling them just fine.”

Doc raises an eyebrow and Hollis sighs at the silent reprimand. “I promise, if I needed to, I’d let you bully me into therapy. I know this,” he gestures to his wrist, “isn’t fine, but I am.”

“Okay. I’m letting you get away with it because you’ve been managing your anxieties well the last few years, but I’m watching you. If I see you start to spiral, I will pull you from work until I believe you can be trusted.”

Hollis tenses against me, and as much as I want to step in, I don’t, because sometimes, Doc is right. A long moment passes between them before Hollis finally nods and Doc finishes up.

“I’ll check it tomorrow. It should heal fine, since you only managed to scrape the surface. Had you managed more damage, I’d be seriously speaking to Cristian about pulling you from duty. We’re all stressed, but self-care is important, too.”

Hollis blows out a slow breath and I wrap an arm around him. “Thank you, Doc,” he says lowly.

“Don’t thank me. Just don’t be an idiot. Come to me if you need help.”

“Yeah.” That’s all the agreement Doc is going to get, and he must realize that as he dismisses us.

Hollis moves to go back to Roman’s bedside, but I stop him, forcing him to turn and look at me. The dark circles under his eyes are still present. They're not as vivid, but not hidden behind his glasses either. He looks as beaten down as he did when he finally told me his story.

I hate—absolutely hate, like I never have before—that I can’t do anything to help him except be here when he needs me.

“Why didn’t you find me last night?”

He reaches up and threads his fingers through my hair.

“Because you needed sleep. You needed Benjamin. I…I needed space to think, to try to get my shit together, because I am so fucking helpless, Ten. I can’t do anything until I have a proper setup, and sitting around, waiting for Roman to wake up, waiting for something to happen, for the next bomb to drop on us… it’s killing me.”

“Hey, hey, you’re okay.” Cupping his face, I swipe away his tears. “Breathe with me, Hol. Just breathe.”

It takes him a few tries, but eventually, his breathing slows to match mine, and his eyes close as he tries to relax his tense muscles. Even the hand in my hair eases its grip.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’m okay.”

“You’re not,” I tell him firmly. “But that’s okay. I’m here, Jude’s here, Emilio is here for you. At least, I’m assuming that’s where you ended up last night?”

He quirks a smile and opens his glassy brown eyes. “Yeah. He found me and took me back to his room. He and Il Padrone cleaned me up, and then…cuddled me to sleep.”

I stare at him, letting his words seep into me before making sense of them. “ Il Padrone cleaned your wounds and cuddled you?”

Hollis lets out a strained laugh. “He's not so bad.

An asshole, sure, but he cares. If he didn't, he would have sent me to one of the docs and judged me for not having my shit together.

I'm worried this will make him see me differently.

That he won't trust me to take care of Emilio, but I'm grateful for him all the same.”

“If he doesn't see the strength in you then he doesn't deserve any of his Boys. Not after the way he tears them down.” Leaning in, I brush my mouth over his.

“You're stronger than anyone I've ever met, Tesoro.

After everything you've endured, you're still standing, still willing to be the pillar we need.

Your pain doesn't make you weak, Hol. It never has, no matter what those fucks tried to tell you.

If I could, I'd kill them both brutally.”

As it is, all I can do is hold him up when he thinks he's going to crumble.

“I love you,” he says quietly. “So fucking much. Thank you for always being what I need.”

“I wish I could do more.”

He gives me a watery smile. “Il Padrone has an impressive playroom, I hear. Maybe he'll let us borrow it. Since I don't feel comfortable whisking you away to one of our kidnapping rooms.”

I grin and kiss him harshly. “Who will be locking who up in there?” I murmur against his lips.

“Guess we'll find out.”

Yes, we will.

We're interrupted by Roman groaning loudly and we break apart, crossing the room quickly to be by his side.

Doc is already there, checking on him as the little shit moans and his eyes flutter open. He's been waking up on and off over the last few hours, but when he opens his eyes this time, there's a clearness and coherency in them that says he's actually awake now.

He cries in pain and Doc fusses over him, checking his injuries before injecting something into his IV. “I've given him a lower dose of the painkillers, but if the pain is too much, I can push a little more. You with us, Roman?”

Roman nods carefully and then winces. “Hurts.”

“Anywhere specific?”

“Everywhere,” he whispers.

“You had a chandelier fall on you, so I'd be surprised if it didn't hurt. But is there anywhere I need to be concerned about?”

“My throat.”

Doc nods. “I'll get you some water.” Doc walks off and Hollis and I sidle up to the bed.

“You’ve got to stop scaring me, Amore,” Hollis says, setting his hand on Roman’s uninjured cheek.

Roman tries to smile. “How much trouble am I in, Tesorino?”

“A lot. This is punishment worthy.”

“I'm sorry.”

Hollis gives Roman a strained smile. “You will be.”

Doc comes back with a small cup and straw, and I help Roman take a few soothing sips.

“Dad? Jude?” he asks at a more normal volume.

“Hopefully, still sleeping. Cristian was down here for a while, until Carter forced him to bed for the second time, and Jude stayed with you until Cristian came to trade places with him.”

Roman hesitates before asking, “Ignacio?”

“He stayed until I came back down,” Hollis tells him. “I'm sure he'll be back after he gets some rest. It's only been an hour or so since I sent him to bed.” He moves his hand to Roman’s hair, stroking it gently.

Roman tries to shift, but cries out at the movement. Hollis tugs on his hair in reprimand. Roman’s gaze goes to the bandages on Hollis’s wrist and he sucks in a breath. “Your arm?”

Hollis sighs and follows his stare, sorrow crossing his features a moment. “Don't worry about it, Amore. I… I'm going to be okay. I'll tell you about it after you rest some more, okay?”

“Promise?” He stares at Hollis intently.

“Yes. I promise.”

“Okay.” Roman sighs and seems to settle against the bed again, once he's reassured that those he cares about are okay and taking care of themselves. At least, relatively.

Holding his unbroken hand in mine, while Hollis strokes his hair, we sit with him until he falls back asleep. Though we're missing Jude, the quiet between us is exactly what we need to soothe our frayed nerves.

As the reassurance that Roman is okay seeps through me, the need to spill blood pushes its way forward. I'm itching to have a chat with those that the Martellis captured.

I don't want to leave either Roman nor Hollis, but the urge to do something, to play with those who thought it was okay to go after what's mine, overrides that sense.

Hollis sets his free hand on my arm, and I look at him. “Go find Emilio,” he says quietly. “I know they were waiting for you before… interrogating our guests. Roman and I will be okay. Cristian and Jude are here, though maybe you should take Jude with you?”

“I do like the little lamb’s initiative when it comes to torture,” I muse. “You sure you'll be okay?”

He nods. “I'll be even better knowing you've made them pay for hurting our giocattolo. That is our job, no one else's.”

I grin. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

I lift Roman’s hand and kiss his fingers, before kissing Hollis deeply. “Call me if you need to.”

“I will. Go, show them why they shouldn't touch what doesn't belong to them.”

I can almost taste the blood on my tongue, feel it on my fingers. “I will.”

This is going to be fun.