Page 35 of With this Ring (Mastered #7)

“I’m okay, Mom,” she promised, but that didn’t matter.

As if needing to see for herself, her mother brushed hair back from Sasha’s face and studied her carefully.

In the doorway, she saw her father.

The weight of his worry made his shoulders roll forward, and she experienced another wave of regret.

Unlike her mother, he didn’t rush in, but he took in everything—the IV in her arm, the hospital gown she hated, the ugly bruise blooming along her forearm.

“Che diavolo è successo?” His voice was low, gruff with the kind of emotion he didn’t show easily as he softly demanded to know what had happened. “You should have called us sooner.”

For their sakes, Sasha forced a small, tired grin. “I’ve been a little busy.”

“Madonna santa!” Her mother scowled. “Don’t joke about this.”

“I’m sorry.” Instantly, she was contrite.

In their situation, she’d be scared, too. And, really, she should have known better.

This was how things seemed to go in their family.

Her mother led with emotion, and her father was always more reserved, stoic, keeping his voice even, never overreacting, pretending he had everything under control.

She landed somewhere in the middle, balancing between the two, keeping it together because she didn’t know how to do anything else. Her older sister was much more like her mother—dramatic, always going to the worst-case scenario.

Had it always been this way? Or had that been a result of that night that changed all of their lives?

The moment her father’s focus shifted, she knew it.

His gaze landed on her wrapped ankle, then lifted to meet her eyes. “Sprained?”

She nodded. “And some bruised ribs. I’m fine.”

“You’re in a hospital bed, Sasha.”

“Would’ve walked it off, but they frowned on that.”

His mouth pressed into a tight line, but it wasn’t from amusement.

Her mother sighed, brushing a hand lightly over Sasha’s forehead before her fingers trailed down her arm, landing just above the IV tape. “They said you weren’t shot,” she murmured, “but… You were in the middle of it, weren’t you? That story on the news this morning… The shooting.”

Sasha exhaled, closing her eyes for a beat. “Yes. I was there, Mom.”

“At least two dead.”

“I’m afraid so.”

Before they could ask any more questions, Adriana rushed in, still wearing her pajamas with whimsical coffee cups on the pant legs.

“God, Sash! You’ve done it this time.” She rushed over, her bunny slippers making no sound on the floor. “What happened?” she asked, standing way back from their parents, as if afraid that whatever was happening to Sasha might be contagious.

“What do the doctors say?” her mother asked.

“That I can go home today.” If she hadn’t passed out, she wouldn’t be in here to begin with.

“So what happened?” Adriana demanded.

In response, Sasha offered only vague details. “I was working on a case where the wife thought her husband was cheating—”

“Don’t they all?” Adriana interrupted.

Rosa scowled at her oldest daughter. “Shh.”

Unconcerned, Adriana shrugged. “Two out of three of mine have.”

Which brought them back to…

There was no choice but to drop the news like a bombshell in the silence. Once more holding onto the bedsheets, she said, “Gregorio was working the case with me.”

Silence ricocheted around them as her parents and sister exchanged glances.

On some level maybe she’d been a coward, hoping she’d never have to have this conversation with them. But now there was no choice.

“Gregorio?” her mother asked, perching on the side of the bed while Adriana dropped into a chair. Her father folded his arms.

Adriana narrowed her gaze. “How did he get involved?”

Wishing her stomach wasn’t flip-flopping, she looked at her sister. “I called him.”

“Because?”

“I had a stalker. And I was scared,” she admitted.

“A stalker?” their mother demanded.

Thank God for the interruption.

“So you needed my ex-husband to protect you?” Adriana asked.

Her heart was pounding in her ears. “I didn’t know who else I could trust.” She left the words hanging. Her answer was clear, even though she hadn’t overtly said it. Yes. Gregorio had been the only person she’d trusted to take care of her.

And she’d make the same decision again.

Mr. DiLuce looked between his two children, then he settled on Sasha once more. “And where is Gregorio now?”

Taking a steadying breath, she told them, “Recovering from surgery.”

In Italian, their mother swore and crossed herself. “Surgery?”

For now, she wasn’t mentioning the fact he’d been shot.

“How is he?” Adriana asked.

“Beyond stable, I don’t know.” A knot of emotion threatening to choke her, she swallowed hard and added, “I haven’t been able to see him yet.”

Her eyes narrowing even further, Adriana snapped, “Is that how it is?”

They’d never been able to keep secrets from each other. “Adriana—”

“Don’t, Sash. Just fucking don’t, okay?” She stood and flounced to the door.

“I…” Because she didn’t know what to say, she trailed off. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

She threw a look over her shoulder. “Are you? Are you really? Sorry for hurting me? Or for fucking my ex-husband?”

As if slapped, Sasha recoiled.

“Adriana!” their father scolded.

Maybe she shouldn’t have gone to Gregorio, but at the time, that had been her best—maybe only—option. And once she’d seen him at the Den, she’d been confident she’d made the right decision.

Then heart had gotten involved, and she’d been lost.

But now…? She’d never want to cause this kind of hurt.

“I’m sure your sister—”

“Mother!” Adriana interrupted. “Will you listen to yourself? Sasha knew exactly what she was doing.”

Falling in love.

Her heart constricted, and she couldn’t breathe.

Love?

Was that what this was?

Ever since she’d been young, she’d adored him, and that feeling had turned into hero worship.

But love?

Until now, until Gregorio, she hadn’t even understood what the word meant.

She’d give her life for his.

And he’d risked his to save her.

Saying nothing else, Adriana left, grabbing the knob to slam the door.

The sound echoed from the ceilings.

Then, the noise faded, leaving only the constant sounds of beeping.

Her parents looked at each other as the silence descended.

Finally, her mother touched her hand. “Sasha…”

“I…” Sasha shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said again. But even if she repeated it a thousand times, things wouldn’t get better. “Honestly, I never meant for any of this to happen.” Furiously, she blinked so the tears didn’t fall. “Go ahead and leave. Adriana needs you.”

“So do you,” her mother said.

Once more, her parents exchanged glances, and a moment later, her father walked out of the room.

Feeling even more miserable, she allowed a tear to fall. “You have to believe—”

“Shh,” Rosa soothed, reaching for a tissue to dab Sasha’s cheeks. “You’ve spent your life making other people happy. Maybe it’s time that you thought about Sasha.”

Stunned, she stared at her mom. “You can’t mean that. This is a disaster.”

“After what we’ve been through…”

That night.

“You were stronger than you ever should have had to be. You took care of us. Then you became our warrior child.” Rosa smiled, part with pride, part with regret. “Adriana didn’t want to go out with Gregorio that night. Did you know that?”

“What?” Furiously, trying to remember, she thought through the layers of her memory. “No.”

“She’d fallen in love with someone else.” Rosa scoffed. “Was planning to go out with the other boy…Luigi, I think it was.”

The name didn’t sound familiar.

“We told her she had to do the right thing and tell Gregorio first.” She shrugged. “Then…”

He’d become their savior. Adrianna had sobbed in his arms, and he’d gently cared for her.

“She never really loved him. But that night, when he proposed, she was swept up in the romance of the moment.”

The news left her speechless.

“I kept telling her she didn’t need to marry him, but she loved being the center of attention in the news stories.

Their picture was everywhere.” She sighed.

“Everything was fine until she got tired of his job and being alone. Being ignored.” Her mother sighed, as if debating whether or not to go on.

“She met someone else. For once she did the right thing and asked for a divorce.”

Sasha sank deeper into her pillow. “I had no idea.”

“No reason you should have. You were at school, focused on your guns and self-defense.” She spoke to herself in Italian for a moment. “You should never have had to go through that experience.”

“It wasn’t fair to any of us.”

“You were so young. Only a child.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier for you,” she insisted. “To be scared for your family…”

Her mother’s eyes filled with emotion. “I was so frightened. And you were so brave.”

She didn’t remember it that way at all. All she could recall was the terror, the sight of the gun barrel waving in her daddy’s face, the man screaming, so hysterical she couldn’t make out the words.

“Do I like this situation?” Rosa picked up one of Sasha’s hands. “No. But we love you. And we love Gregorio. Always hated that he wasn’t still part of the family.”

“Adriana will never forgive me.” Nor would I, if the situation were reversed.

“She’s getting married soon. I’m sure she’ll enjoy the drama of the story.”

“How her little sister betrayed her and stole her man?”

A smile ghosted across Rosa’s lips. “Quite thrilling, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.” But it wasn’t at all true. The pair had been divorced for years. Enough time for Adriana to marry and divorce another two times.

“You need to spend your energy getting well.”

And out of this hospital bed.

“God will sort everything else out.”

She wished she had a fraction of her mother’s unshakable faith.

The door opened again, and she looked up, expecting to see her father or sister. Instead, the nurse from earlier was there.

Her face was set in a serious line, sending Sasha’s tummy topsy-turvy.

“Would you like to see Mr. Conti?”