Page 146 of The Crowned Garza

“Break up with him.”

“What?”

“If you love me and you’re on my side, then break up with him. Not permanently. Just make a stance that you’re on my side for the time being.”

“Why? I-I don’t understand what’s happening.” Before I can answer, she yells in the background, “Tripp, what on earth did you do to make Tillie so mad at you? ... What do you mean you don’t wanna talk about it? … No, not unless she’s okay with it... Tillie? He’s asking to speak to you.”

“Tell him to go drown himself in a bucket of hog piss,” I snap. “And then break up with him. Otherwise, be assured that I’m safe and sound. I’ll call you later.”

“Tillie—”

Hanging up, I power off the phone then crawl back into bed with Saint.

He’s so still, it’s like he isn’t even breathing. I place my palm over his heart to reassure myself that he hasn’t gone anywhere. He hasn’t left me.

He’s still here.

Alive.

~

SAINT IS STILLasleep even as the sun climbs high the next morning.

“Is it normal for him to be asleep this long?” I ask the brunette nurse who’s checking his vitals.

She confirms that it is and goes on to inform me he’s recovering from a severe allergic reaction that almost killed him, followed up by an extreme fever. With the addition of the beatings, paired with the strong medications he’s on, his body’s demand for rest to recoup means he could be like this for the next seven to ten days.

While she tends to him, I head downstairs in search of Stefano but find his twin, Lorenzo, instead. He’s cleaning guns at a wicker table out by the indoor pool area, while sipping whiskey from a highball glass.

Has he even had his morning coffee yet?

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“Murderous.”

“It’s fucked-up. I like Guy. He’s solid.” He shrugs. “But, you know, blood over everything.”

“And that’s why they came all the way here, isn’t it?” I bite out, tamping down my rousing anger. “Because they knew you wouldn’t stop them. You support all their bullshit.”

He shrugs again. “Like I said, blood over everything.”

“Am I not blood, too? Did you bother to think about what it would do tome? Your ‘blood’?”

Another careless shrug as he polishes his weapons. “You’ll live.”

Oh my God, they’re all the same! Unbelievable. But nothing I say right now will matter. Especially to a soulless Castello who has a gaping black hole where his heart should be. In the chain of relevance against my siblings, I’m at the very bottom.

“Whatever,” I mumble. “You have a stocked pantry, right? I need to make breakfast before he wakes up.”

“No need. Just tell the kitchen staff what you want and they’ll make it.”

I glance in the direction of the kitchen. “Of frickin’ course you have a kitchen staff.”

“I’ll order some clothes for you.” He eyes my hair. “Some hair products, silk pillowcases. Those curls need moisture. It’s starting to look like a bird’s nest.”

Uh, what? Did he just—huh?“What do you know about Black hair or what products I need?”

He takes a sip of his whiskey. “More than you know.”