Page 28

“ I ’m here. Always.” Lio’s words break the dam, and all the emotions I’ve been holding back—not only since the news of Carter, but the start of all this—come rushing forward.

Lio holds me through my emotional plight, though his arms are stiff, and I can feel his uncomfortableness. I appreciate the gesture, more than he’ll ever know.

Normally, I’d curl up in my childhood bed with Leandro and Boston, but my best friend is needed elsewhere, and while getting information on Carter is more important, that doesn’t mean I’m not floundering without that anchor.

Hollis has been doing his best, but…it’s not the same. It's not what I need from him. Having Lio here helps. When the initial onslaught of emotions ends, I pull away from the hug, though I put my hands on his shoulders, forcing his emerald eyes to meet mine.

“Thank you,” I say in a rough voice.

“It’s what friends are for. That, and to take down your enemies with you.”

I give a watery laugh at the sadistic grin on his face as he says that. “I don’t know if I can do this…” I whisper.

Lio covers my wrists with his hands, squeezing tight enough for the bones to grind together, but the emotional numbness I'm still experiencing helps me ignore the pain.

“You can ,” he says fiercely, his eyes hard. “You are Roman Amato, and you're better than some asshole wanna-be bad guy who thinks they can take us on. We will find Il Padrone and Cristian, and we will show everyone who thinks they can fuck with us why that is a very bad idea.

“We are Amato and Martelli, and we rule for a reason. We'll burn every corner of the fucking world down together if it means reclaiming what's ours.”

Swallowing down another bout of emotion, I nod. “Sì. Si pentiranno di averci considerato deboli. Insegneremo loro la vera sofferenza. We'll burn down the world together.”

“We will.” He lets go of my wrists and they begin throbbing with pain. I'm for sure going to have bruises, but it's worth it.

Having Lio here is grounding in a way I didn't expect. I knew we were friends, and the thought of losing him was shattering, but this… connecting through the pain and suffering we're both experiencing, it is never how I wanted to, but I know from experience that the bonds we're forging will last a lifetime.

Hollis cuts in, breaking Lio and I further apart. I can tell in his voice that he regrets interrupting, but this situation is bigger than any of us individually, so I stamp down the irritation.

“Tennant and Jude are on their way back. They'll give a full report once they're home. But…there's nothing to salvage at De Luca’s.”

I can't keep my voice from shaking as I say, “Carter?”

“Doc has him. He's alive, and unconscious, but for now, he doesn't think there should be any serious complications. He'll have a better understanding once he's here, though.”

“Dr. Ranlen is at your disposal as well,” Lio tells me.

“Thank you.” I look to the doctor, who's done her best to be unobtrusive. “I'll have you escorted to Doc’s office. His medical staff will be prepping the room for his arrival.” I hesitate for a moment before adding, “I'm sure you're good at your job, but Doc is very…territorial. So please, don't be offended if he is resistant to help. You're welcome as a guest here.”

The doctor gives a bland smile, though I can see amusement in her eyes. “I'm used to arrogant men trying to tell me how to do my job. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.”

Sighing internally, I decide to let it go. I have too many other things to worry about than that headache.

“What's Doc’s ETA?” I ask.

As I glance over at Hollis, noting how Benjamin seems to have sequestered himself to Hollis’s corner, and how he seems to barely be able to look in mine and Lio’s direction. Which is weird. Normally, he's glaring daggers at me whenever I'm in Lio’s vicinity.

I can only assume that whatever issues cropped up between them, after Benjamin threw himself at Ten, are still lingering. Whatever. So long as it doesn't affect our ultimate goal—rescuing Dad and Il Padrone—I don't really care what Lio does with his Second.

Neither Benjamin nor Tennant are my favorite people right now. Both of them fucked up and almost cost us not only our allies, but our friends. That's something I can’t forget quickly.

“Ten minutes, maybe less depending on how many traffic laws James decides to break. I sent a map of where all of the current patrols are to Kail, so they can use that to keep under the radar.”

“Maybe we should buy Doc that ambulance he wants,” I muse.

Hollis snorts. “Don't encourage him.”

“Do you have any idea who attacked you?” Benjamin asks.

“The same fuckers who sold us out and got Tennant arrested,” I say darkly, watching as the Second’s expression changes from dejected, almost sad, to angry at my words.

“Do you have a plan to deal with them?” Lio asks, bringing my attention back to him.

I smile, a true grin as giddiness rises up in me. “We're going to take everything they hold dear from them, and then…maybe we'll burn them alive.”

Lio’s answering feral grin has my blood heating in anticipation of all the fun my friend and I are going to have.