Page 25 of Malicious Marriage (Mafia Lords of Sin #9)

DEAN

T he call that Clover is in the hospital comes just after my evening workout.

I abandon everything and rush to be by her side, but just as I get there, Don calls with more bad news.

Out of the three men he sent to take care of Clover’s ex, two of them didn’t make it.

The third lost him in a car chase and now can’t get to him because it turns out he’s also in the hospital.

All of the pieces don’t come together until I rush into Clover’s hospital room and her wide, tear-filled eyes lock onto me with open confusion. “Dean?” She sniffles and quickly wipes her damp cheeks. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you think my fiancée could end up in hospital and I wouldn’t hear about it?” I say gently, carefully placing a lid on my confusion and anger so as not to alarm her. “Tell me what happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

I approach slowly and stop a foot away, mindful of the boundary Clover placed between us when it comes to physical affection, but the urge to reach out to her is strong.

“It’s all such a blur.” She hiccups and balls up the damp tissues in her hand. “It all happened so fast.”

“Tell me,” I coax as gently as I can. “What happened to your face?”

She gently touches a small cut on her lower lip and shakes her head. “I–I was just driving. I wanted to go to the bakery and then I was going to come and see you—” A sob cuts her off and she closes her eyes.

As tears roll down her cheeks, I can’t hold myself back any longer. She flinches faintly at my touch to her cheek so I delicately brush her tears away with the back of my knuckles and return my hand to my side. “Take your time.”

“I was parking when someone hit me from behind. I’m fine, mostly. The doctor says I have some whiplash and they’re worried about a concussion because I was sick, but I’m mostly okay. I was climbing out and then suddenly, Ryan was there.”

My blood ignites. “Your ex?”

She nods, sniffling. “I’m sorry. He just… he was so angry. Accusing me of all these things. He seemed to think someone was trying to kill him but that doesn’t make sense because he’s…”

“A loan shark?”

Her eyes snap up to mine. “Y–Yeah. How did you…?”

“I make it my business to find out these things.” I want to hug her.

I want to draw her against me and hold her until her tears dry and calmness overtakes her, but she doesn’t reach out to me so I resist. “After his gala appearance, I wanted to see if he was connected to anyone I ran into.” A white lie. “So I looked him up.”

She squints up at me. “Is that why he thinks someone is trying to kill him?”

I scoff dryly. “Hardly. Something like that is not worth my time.” Did I do this? My men who were sent to take care of him were killed and he made a beeline for Clover. This is definitely my fault. “I’m sorry, Clover.”

She shakes her head again. “It’s not your fault. He s–slammed me against the car and I hurt my lip, and then he was yelling and saying all these terrible things and then he—” Her eyes widen. “He stepped back and I thought he was going to kill me or something, and then he got run over.”

My brow twitches. “Excuse me?”

“It was Bobby. I’d left him behind because I thought this would be a quick trip but he caught up to me, and he just did what he does. He reacted and he ran him over. God, it was awful .”

This time when the tears well up, I can’t hold myself back. Sliding onto the bed, I wrap one arm around Clover’s shoulders and hold her close while she sobs softly against my chest.

“His body was all twisted and contorted and then Bobby crashed into the wall. He climbed out and I thought he was okay, but then he got faint and he collapsed and I don’t know if he’s okay!”

Poor Bobby. Words of scolding rise at Clover because how dare she leave her home without protection?

In our world, it’s a death sentence. But given how upset she is about all this, I remain quiet.

She’s clearly punishing herself enough. “I will find out what’s happening with Bobby. Has the doctor been back to see you?”

Clover lifts her head from my shoulder and shakes it. “No.”

“When they do, I want you to get a full checkup.”

“I’m fine, it’s really not that?—”

“No. You need to. Car accidents, even minor ones, can often mask injuries. I’ll station Jack at the door and I’ll be back, okay?”

Clover suddenly clutches at my wrist as I stand. I caress her face with my other hand and focus on the small cut on her lip. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “Thank you.” She buries her face back into her tissues as I exit the room. One glance at Jack is all he needs to take up residence outside her door while I head down to the nurse's station.

“Good evening. My name is Dean Savoy.” That gets the tired nurse's attention immediately. “My fiancée is in room 216. Can you ensure that the doctor who tends to her gives her a full workup?”

“Of course, Mr. Savoy.” The nurse nods quickly and scribbles something hastily on the chart in front of him. “I’ll get right on that.”

“Actually, first could you show me to the room of the man she came in with? I’d like to check how he’s doing.”

The nurse gives me a faintly confused look but nods all the same. “Of course, right this way.” He slips out from beside the desk and leads me down a long, quiet corridor to a room at the far end. Opening the door, he walks inside and extends an arm for me to follow. “Here you are.”

“Thank you, I…” Catching sight of the man in the bed, my heart clenches as if caught in a fist. This isn’t Bobby’s room. This is Ryan’s. I’m about to correct the nurse about who I wanted to see but the words don’t come, and after a few long seconds of silence, the nurse excuses himself and leaves.

Ryan.

Twice now he’s had his hands on my girl, and while he hasn’t walked away unscathed, it’s an insult that he still breathes.

He appears to be sleeping or perhaps unconscious.

One leg is strapped up in a cast and several bandages wrap around his bruised, bare chest. Countless wires and lines spin off from his body and the neck brace he wears shifts subtly with every slow, careful breath.

I hate him, this man I have barely met and only spoken a handful of words to.

Everything that happened tonight is my own fault for letting him walk away from the gala.

I should have killed him the second he said such nasty things about Clover.

I try to pride myself on being a better man and not rising to the comments of those who are beneath me, but I can’t let this slide.

He’s a stain on this earth and Clover deserves better.

I approach his bedside, studying his bruised face and making a mental note to praise Bobby on his aim.

Suddenly, Ryan’s eyes snap open and two pain-filled pupils lock onto mine and then widen in fear. His lips part but as soon as a sound gurgles out of his mouth, my hand slams over his lips and silences him.

“Do you remember me?” I growl, putting my weight behind my hand as I slowly lean down.

Ryan nods as his heart rate skyrockets on the machine.

“The woman you attacked tonight is my fiancée and I don’t take kindly to bullshit like that.

I’m a quiet, possessive man and you harmed something very dear to me.

And more than that…” My fingertips dig hard into his jaw while calmness sweeps through me as Ryan’s eyes water.

“You killed my men. My mistake for not coming to kill you myself .”

Ryan tries to speak, but other than the warmth of his restrained breath against my palm, no sound escapes.

He begins to thrash in the bed as I hold him down with one hand over his nose and mouth while my other arm wraps around his entire head and holds him down.

I lean down on him with my full bulk and as my arm rests against his chest, I apply pressure with my elbow to keep him down.

The machines around us beep and scream as his heart pounds, desperate for life. His injuries gradually mean nothing as his desire to survive unlocks something inside him and he tries to fight me. A weak punch here, a glance of a knee there. Nothing of worth.

Because he is nothing.

I tremble as anger courses through my veins and every muscle in my arms bulges with how tightly I cradle his head and how firmly I smother him. He killed my men and almost killed Clover. There’s no future for him here.

Not in this life.

Before long, his struggles grow sluggish and the frantic scream of the heart rate monitor dulls until it settles into the flat, empty whine of death. Ryan’s body slumps, and I hold him until I’m certain he’s dead.

Pulling back, I see that Ryan’s face is twisted open in a silent scream of panic that no one heard. His limp limbs flop down onto the bed as I move, and the whine of the machine ends as I switch it off.

A deathly silence falls as I stare down at his body. Adjusting my tie, I smooth my hand through my hair to catch any flyaways and sort my shirt, then I leave Ryan’s room and quietly close the door. The nurse stands outside with wide, scared eyes so I smile warmly at him.

“There’s been a mistake,” I say quietly. “This man is not who I’m looking for.”

“O–Of course, Mr. Savoy. My apologies. This way.” The nurse barely looks me in the eye as he leads me back up the hall and into another room where Bobby greets me warmly.

“Dean!”

“Thank you,” I say to the nurse. “Bobby, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Bobby grins. “Doctor said the excitement was a little much for my heart but I’m all good. Dean, this is my husband, Frankie. And that sleeping rascal is our son, Thomas.”

“Frankie.” I extend my hand to the worried man sitting by Bobby's side and he shakes it with the touch of a man who has no idea who I am. It’s rather refreshing. “Your husband is an incredible man.”

“Yeah, incredibly stupid,” Frankie snorts. “Who drives their damn car into a wall?”

“The wall wasn’t part of my plan,” Bobby groans. “The man was.”

Frankie rolls his eyes and glances over at the sofa that holds a peacefully sleeping baby boy.

“He’s beautiful,” I say as the sight of him drags Trisha into my thoughts. “You have a beautiful family.”

“Thanks.” Bobby smiles, then his brow furrows. “You’re not pissed at me, are you?”

Our gazes meet. “For?”

“For not being with Clover.”

I shake my head. “She explained. I actually came to thank you for being there for her. I feel responsible for not taking care of Ryan sooner.”

“That fucker,” Bobby mutters. “He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

“I can only hope. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Bobby nods, so I turn my attention to Frankie who also nods. “He’s fine. Just stupid.”

“Indeed. I must get back to Clover. She’s been eager to find out how you are.”

“Thanks for checking on me.”

“Of course.”

Back in Clover’s room, her tears have dried and the doctor seems finished with her examination.

“I’m all clear to go home,” Clover sighs. “I can’t wait to get into my bed. Is Bobby okay?”

“He’s fine. Surrounded by loved ones.”

“Oh, Frankie.” She rubs at her eyes. “I feel so guilty for putting Bobby in these situations when he has a family.”

“I won’t speak for him, but I get the impression that he includes you in that family.”

She smiles sadly. “I’m lucky.”

“Well, I know you want to sink into your own bed, but I must insist that you come home with me. In fact, I won’t take no for an answer, so don’t even think about arguing.”

Clover doesn’t look as happy as I’d hoped at my suggestion, but she doesn’t fight it either. Instead, she nods and her gaze falls away. “That sounds good because actually… there’s something really important that I need to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”