Page 6

“ O h, stop being a damn baby,” Dr. Ranlen snaps as she checks my stitches.

I growl, but shut up when she turns those steely gray eyes on me. Fuck .

“Perhaps if you let me have some pain relievers?” I grit out, tired of this shit already.

I move, only to cringe from the pain. Fucking Hollis. Those damn Amatos. What the fuck is Lio thinking working with them? Just because their asshole of a leader got kidnapped, doesn’t mean we should care.

“Leave her be.” Lio strolls in and glances at me, quickly dismissing my situation.

“Seriously? I’m here to help and you don’t give a shit? You should have broken from the Amatos as soon as they crossed the line and fucking stabbed me!”

His bored look doesn’t change. “Dr. Ranlen is treating you enough to get you on the fucking plane, so you can go back to what you’re supposed to be doing. Il Padrone had you in place at his cousin’s for a fucking reason, and you know that. Hell, I’m surprised you’re not getting calls, because it’s such a fucking delicate situation. And fuck knows he does not need to come home to a headache.”

I cringe, not wanting to acknowledge that I’ve had several missed calls from the mafia Boss I’m supposed to be taking care of—permanently. I left abruptly and didn’t follow up, which put me in a precarious position. But fuck, I have the longest history with Il Padrone, and damn if I wanted to entrust his safety to Lio, despite the agreed upon hierarchy.

“Fuck!” Lio snarls as he starts to pace. “You don’t even need to say the words. It’s obvious you’re fucking up, again, and now we need to come up with a plan to fix this shit.”

He whirls around and glares at me. I lean back at his wordless growl, hating being on the examination table. There’s nowhere for me to move, and when Lio is in this mood, it’s dangerous. I have no idea why Benjamin calls him a homicidal teddy bear. Homicidal? Yes, but a teddy bear? The man in front of me gives no inclination of that.

“I’ve already fixed one hole in him, I don’t want to fix another,” Dr. Ranlen drawls, appearing unfazed by what’s going on. Then again, I haven’t been her favorite for quite a while.

Lio grunts in agreement and waves his hand in acknowledgment. Studying me with a sharp look, Lio exhales deeply. “Against my current feelings, I’m not going to kill you. Master gave an order, and unlike you, I can follow them. However, while he wants you alive, he also wants you to do your fucking job, which means getting your ass on a plane. I’ll have one of the guards take you, and they will be responsible for making sure you get on the fucking plane. So, if you don’t want them to die, you’ll do what I’m telling you.”

“I can’t just leave! Not without finding Il Padrone!” I sputter.

There’s no fucking way. If he thinks I’m just going to skip on my way, he’s more insane than I thought he was—and I’ve questioned his sanity for a long time.

“You can, and you will.” Lio’s steely voice softens as he continues, “Look, despite so much evidence to the contrary, I know that you care deeply for Master. Due to this, I personally promise to keep you up-to-date, and if we need you, I’ll recall you immediately.”

I grind my teeth, looking around the room but not seeing anything. This entire situation… Fuck. I know that’s the best offer I’ll get, though. If I press, Lio will shut me down—hard.

With a slight incline of my head, I snap, “Fine, I agree. I need to be kept up-to-date though. It’s important.”

“Yes, whatever. I understand.” Lio’s shoulders slump in relief, and I briefly feel sorry for him.

This isn’t an easy life, and his current position certainly doesn’t make it any easier. Huffing, I decide to be kind. After all, what he’s doing now is all thanks to my training.

“You are doing fine. You’ve been prepared for this. And although I’m a better candidate than Benjamin, I do believe he’s the next best choice for you. Hopefully, Tennant was able to actually train him.”

Narrowing his eyes at me, Lio goes to say something before shaking his head. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he doesn’t even look at me. “Luca…just get on the plane and go. I’ll call you when I have any information. I’m assuming he’s good to leave today, Dr. Ranlen?”

“Eh, use the private plane. He’ll live.” Sarah looks at her nails, like she doesn’t care whether I do make it back to my assignment alive or not. At least leaving means I’m no longer in danger from her scalpels.

“Very well. Have a safe trip. Once you’re finished here, Tony will take you to the plane. I’ll call now and have it ready for when you get there.”

Lio doesn’t wait for my reply before he turns and exits the room. Dr. Ranlen coughs, trying to cover up her amusement. I roll my eyes at her and her expression shifts quickly. I swallow at the anger flashing in those eyes.

“Alright, you’re done. Get your shirt back on, pack your shit, and get out of here. Do what Allesandro ordered you to, and maybe he won’t want to kill you when he comes back. Although, you know what side I’ll be on.”

“Jesus. I made one mistake and you all act like I’m a horrible person,” I mutter as I put my shirt on.

“One? Do you want my list?”

I keep my mouth closed and step outside the room, finding Tony there waiting. I clasp his shoulder. “Well, it’s time for me to get out of here. It appears they think they can do this without me. Perhaps you can call me when they run into problems?”

Tony doesn’t say a word, he just gestures for me to lead the way. I roll my shoulders and shake my head. They’ll learn, and when they do, I’ll be back. Hopefully, in time to save Il Padrone…