Page 47

Rocco groaned. I leaned over his bent form.

“I can keep going. You’ve been aching for a fight from the moment you found out about your sister and me.

I want to know why, but not right now. At this moment, instead of beating the stupidity out of you, I need to concentrate on praying that the woman I love survives.

Once that’s guaranteed, we’ll figure out who did this, and they’ll pay royally.

Once all that’s over, we can figure out our relationship, or lack thereof.

Will you sit and act like an adult, or shall I continue the lesson? ” I growled.

It took him a few moments to answer. He said it in a pain-filled voice. “I’ll sit.”

I backed off, allowing his brothers to come over and assist him into a chair.

I went back to pacing—time dragged by so slowly.

This person or that occasionally spoke to me, but I wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Alphonso was the one I talked to the most, and it was to see how he was doing.

Rocco kept his mouth shut, and I reluctantly asked how her brothers were a few times.

My family was the one who watched out for them the most. Cillian took Reign out of the room, and when he returned, he was wearing scrubs, and the blood was off his hands.

As much as we wanted to bug the staff for updates, we knew they wouldn’t have any until she was out of surgery.

And there was no way Dr. Dunn or Keim wouldn’t speak to us immediately when it was over.

We’d been notified of Keim’s arrival when he texted to inform Darragh.

I’d sighed in relief when we heard it—no disrespect to Dr. Dunn, but Keim had been with us for years. I trusted him implicitly.

Five hours after arriving at the hospital, there was a knock on the door.

Then it opened, admitting Drs. Keim and Dunn.

My heart skipped. Why would both of them come?

The only reason I thought of was terrible news.

I stumbled back a step. The next thing I knew, Darragh was on one side of me and Daid on the other.

Their hands were pressing on my back, holding me upright.

Dr. Keim came to the three of us. He didn’t waste time, thank Dia . He knew us well.

“Patrick, Darragh, and Rian, it has been a while. We wanted to tell you that Gianna’s surgery went well.

I won’t lie. It was touchy a couple of times.

The bullet she took to her thigh nicked an artery.

The one in her side missed everything vital.

Whoever applied pressure to her wounds saved her life.

She’s in recovery and still asleep. She’ll be moved to the private suite as soon as she’s awake.

You can see her there. The two-person rule is out the window, but don’t descend on her en masse.

She’ll need rest to heal and possibly some therapy. It depends on how that leg heals.”

My relief made my head spin. However, I had enough sense to shake their hands and thank them.

As Daid and Dar did the same, I waved Alphonso forward.

I made introductions. Dr. Keim and Dr. Dunn shook his hand and those of her brothers, who had joined their dad.

To the others, they waved and smiled. My family called out their thanks before the doctors left.

There were murmurs of thank God and more all around. A weight seemed to lift partially off my chest. It wouldn’t be gone until I saw her with my eyes, and the one responsible was caught and dealt with.

???

I sat beside Gianna. Her dad and brothers had initially been here with me.

All of us were impacted by how still she looked with the machines and lines connected to her.

Gianna was always moving and full of life.

Seeing her like this scared me. She was still asleep, so they didn’t stick around long before Alphonso herded his sons to the private waiting area.

It served our family within the private wing of the hospital.

We built it and used it whenever someone needed care.

We could lock it down and ensure only trusted people, including staff, were allowed in.

I sat beside her, holding her hand. It was the one with my ring on it. I rubbed gently over it.

“ A stór mo chroí , you need to wake up and start your recovery. We have a wedding to plan. I’m not letting you use a couple of pesky bullet holes as an excuse to torture me and wait for months and months to marry me.

I can’t survive that long, Gianna. If I could, I’d marry you tomorrow.

I can see you so clearly in my mind, in your dress, walking down the aisle to me,” I told her.

I was rambling to keep myself from panicking because she was still asleep.

“I hope not. The dress is supposed to be a surprise,” she said weakly. My gaze snapped up to find her eyes open. She stared at me, a faint smile twisting her lips. I came to my feet.

“ Buíochas le Dia , Thank God you’re awake.” I didn’t say more until I’d thoroughly kissed her. She returned it. When we parted, she had more to say.

“I’ll marry you as soon as we can arrange it, and I have a dress. But you have to have Reign as one of your groomsmen. He was being bossy with me as he put pressure on my wounds. I told him I’d force him to wear pink and be a groomsman.”

I threw back my head and laughed. “I can’t wait to hear what he did that you call bossy, and to tell him the news, but it can wait. First, how do you feel?”

“Like, I’ve had my ass whipped, I lost the fight, and someone added insult to injury and shot me.”

“ Chíost , don’t joke about it. You’re lucky to be alive, Gianna. Not only did you survive the wreck, but the bullet in your thigh nicked an artery. Dr. K said Reign saved your life by applying pressure. I’ve been so damn scared, leanbh .” My voice cracked as I fought not to cry.

“Shh, Rian, Miele , don’t. I’m tough. It’ll take more than that to take me away from you. I’d fight the devil to get back to you. Crap, you know what this means. I owe Reign. He’ll probably lord it over me.” She huffed. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Knowing him, he will. Do you need me to see if you can have something more for pain? You’re grimacing,” I told her.

“Not yet. I want to know what I missed.”

“That can wait,” I protested.

“No, it can’t. I want whoever did this to pay,” she growled.

“Damn, Reign said you didn’t see who it was, but I hoped he was wrong. We have Cody working on CCTV feeds to see if he can track and find whoever it was.”

“Great, I was hired to relieve Cody of work, and here I am making more for him.”

“He doesn’t mind. He said to tell you he’ll get it done, and then he expects to meet you.”

“I’d love that.”

“Your dad and brothers are here. They were in here but left since you were still asleep. I should tell them you’re awake.”

“They were? All of them?” she asked.

“Yes, all of them. They might be assholes, but they love you, Gianna. And before you hear about it from one of them, I’ll tell you straight up that I punched Rocco twice.

He smarted off at the wrong moment, and I’d had enough.

We were waiting to see if you’d be okay.

That was the extent of it. He has a bruise on his jaw, but that’s it.

” I explained as I typed out a message to Alphonso and hit send.

“You did? Wow, to be honest, I’m amazed you haven’t done it already. He’s been asking for it. He’s my brother, and I love him, but I’ve been holding back from doing it.”

We were still chuckling about her confession and my recounting of the punches when there was a knock, and the door opened. In came the DeSantis crew. I hated to back away, but I thought she might want privacy with them. I let go of her hands and stepped back from the bed. She stopped me.

“Rian, don’t leave. I need you here.”

“I’ll be right over here. I’m just making room for them for now.”

After she nodded, I stood against the nearest wall.

All of them, including Rocco, kissed her.

Her dad asked her how she felt, and some of the questions I already had.

She assured them she would be fine in no time.

I let them stay until I noted she was grimacing more.

I didn’t ask this time. Instead, I pushed the call light.

She was assigned a private nurse, so there was no waiting.

Within moments, her nurse popped into the room.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good. What can I do for you, Ms. DeSantis?” Connie asked.

“Connie, she’ll say she doesn’t need it, but she does. Her pain is ramping up. Could she have something?” I asked.

“Of course, and Mr. O’Sheeran is right. You have to stay ahead of it.

You’ve had surgery, been in a wreck, and been shot twice.

Pain control is a must. This machine will be your best friend and won’t let you take too much.

” Connie took her through how to use it.

When she was done, and a dose had been administered through her IV, Connie told us to call if we needed anything else and then left.

“That was the fastest I’ve ever seen a nurse answer,” Gianna admitted.

“That’s because you’re her only patient. You’re in a private unit at the hospital. It’s kept here for their family,” Luc told her. I listened but didn’t hear any snideness in his voice.

“I’m what? Oh God, Rian, this is too much. I don’t need this. Put me on a regular floor. My insurance won’t cover private care,” she informed me.

It was Gerardo who snorted and replied. “Gia, do you honestly think he’ll do it because you’re worried about insurance not covering it? This stay won’t be billed to insurance, will it, Rian?”