Page 142 of The Crowned Garza

“Mr. Luciani, you can’t—”

“I’ll rip your lungs right through your fucking throat if you keep trying to tell me what I can and can’t fucking do!”

I’m in horrible shape, but I manage to stand, and hell if it doesn’t feel like a monumental accomplishment. Before I can chance a step, however, my phone rings.

Stefano.

“WHAT?” I bark out.

“Whoa. Who pissed in your sombrero? Anyway, funny story. Hilarious, actually. Do you remember that meeting about a hostage situation I mentioned?”

“Stefano, I don’t have time for this right now. Tillie is—”

“With me.”

“What?”

“If you figured out she’s missing, then you’re probably trying to fight your bruised and crippled ass out of that room right now. But please, for the love of all things unholy,trustme and stay where you are. We are on the way to you right now.”

“Let me—”

He hangs up before I can ask him to let me hear her voice, for proof she’s safe, assurance she’s…alive.

I don’t trust Stefano as far as I can throw him, but when a team of armed men rush into the room, posturing and preparing to tackle me, I have no choicebutto trust him. I can barely walk right now, let alone deliver on the threat I issued.

Cursing under my breath, I drop down on the bed in defeat.

I’m infuriated with myself. In the name of honor, of respect, of caring too damn much about those Garzas who couldn’t give a flying fuck about me anyway, I’ve made the dumbest fucking mistake. And all it did was cause the person I care about the most in this world to be left exposed and unprotected.

“For a smart man, you are exceptionally stupid.”

That I am.

That I fucking am.

But never again.

~

THE WAIT FEELSlike a lifetime.

My phone keeps going off, but I’m interested in nothing at all except setting eyes onmia regina.

“For shit’s sake, you can all stop hovering now,” I snipe at the armed babysitters crowding the room. “What do you think I’m going to do in this state? Get the hell out so fresh air can get in.Vaffanculo!”

They ignore me, as they’ve done the last three times I tried to kick them out.

When Stefanofinallystrolls into the room, he’s alone.

Son of a bitch. “Where. Is. She?”

“I forced her to go take a shower. She stunk to the high heavens. I guarantee you that ungodly stench would’ve broken the love spell between you.” He looks around at the armed men. “You really are the new favorite, huh?”

A chime goes off somewhere, then one by one, the men leave the room.

I glare down the two hovering nurses until they dip their heads and leave, too.

When only Stefano remains, he sits back against the dresser and eyes me. “Do you know what happened to the last member JB favored this much?”