Page 18 of Wounded King

Under their protest, Doctor Waspo orders Marcello to be relocated to a different room, and I follow. Doctor Waspo takes the time to check on my injuries before I have to give my statement. Thankfully, I only have a small cut by my eye, but half of my face will be black and blue tomorrow, not to mention the swelling I see already coming. And my side is smarting with every breath I take from the kick to my ribs.

The four guards Luciano had stationed by the door are dead, and the station nurses are discovered bound and gagged in a storage room.Soft spot for nursesruns through my head—the words of one of the killers to the other.

I take a couple of aspirin and sit down on the bed next to Marcello. It's not something I normally do, but one, my shift is already over, and two… well, screw it.

"No worries, Mr. Orsi, Luciano has everything under control, and now there are six guards by the door and several others patrol the entire hospital," I tell him.

Rationally, I understand that he is in a coma, but I've heard stories of patients being at least partially aware of their surroundings while in a coma, and I don't want Marcello to have to worry about his security.

"The surgery is still set for tomorrow, and soon you'll be home, you'll see." I chipper away, forcing myself to sound happy and upbeat as if nothing happened tonight. Nothing at all.

Two days later…

Mina's screeching voice brings me back. I still can't open my eyes, but I can smell her cloying perfume. She has become too comfortable playing her role. Christ, I should have broken it off with her months ago, when she showed up holding out that four-carat diamond on her finger and announced we were engaged. A diamond that she chargedmycredit card without bothering to inform me. Granted, I gave her free rein, and the money doesn't matter to me; there's enough of it there, but the ballsiness of roping me into an engagement had me fuming for days. I'm still mad over it.

She does serve a purpose—shielding me from vultures who think my last name entitles them to my time or bloodline. She's been an excellent deterrent to keep other women and overzealous fathers and brothers away. There are many men out there who want me to marry their daughter or sister. I don't need that kind of distraction. I have an empire to run, a large family to take care of and protect, and a shitshow of problems to deal with.

Besides, Mina has many advantages. She has a nice body, knows how to dress and wrap the other mafia bosses around her finger, and is good in bed.What else could you possibly want? Luciano asked while rolling his eyes not too long ago.

I wasn't able to answer him then, and I probably couldn't now. Mina could give me beautiful sons and daughters to further my family. The fact that she isn't connected to any of the other families is a plus. Her loyalties are to me. So what more could I possibly want?

I want someone who isn't after my money, who sees me, the man underneath the hard capo. Someone who doesn't play games. Someone who will bring my sons and daughters into this world. Which isn't Mina. Hell, I wouldn't want her anywhere near a dog. Let alone my children.

The beeping of monitors reminds me where I am and why. I also remember the gunshots from… last night? Or was it days ago? I have no idea.

I remember hearing a small cry, and sweat breaks out all over my body. Chirps!

That cry wasn't Mina's. It was hers. Chirps. The nurse with the melodic voice who has been fluttering around me like one of those exotic birds in the Caribbean. If those bastards laid a hand on her, I swear on everything I've built, I'll cut out their tongues and feed them their fingers. The vehemence of my thoughts surprises me. I don't even know what this woman looks like, but she has every single one of my protective instincts set to full alert.

"When will he wake up?" Mina's fingers clasp my arm. I want to pull it away from her grasp, but frustratingly, I still can't even move a damn toe.

"The doc said any day now," Luciano says in the condescending voice he reserves for her. He doesn't like her; that should have been my first warning. Then again, Luciano doesn't like many women. The few he does are hard to live up to.

"Will he even remember that I was here?" Mina whines.

I envision Luciano shrugging. It's in the sound of his voice. "Probably not, since you're only here for an hour at a time."

I tune them both out, because worry about Chirps weaves through me once again. If those bastards hurt her, I will kill them, and if Luciano has already done so, I will kill their families.

Fuck, I need to open my mouth and ask about Chirps. I focus on moving my jaw—nothing. I try again, harder.

"He's sweating. What does that mean, Lucio?" Mina baits my best friend. He hates it when people call him Lucio, and she knows it. But she also knows that he doesn't like her. At first, she tried to win him over with her charms, but when that didn't work, she resorted to outright hostility, just like he does for her.

"Boss?" Luciano's hand grips my arm, and Mina's grip loosens; he must have pushed her to the side.Thank you, Luciano.

"Ring for the nurse. Where is that useless woman anyway?"

I want to get up and wring Mina's scrawny neck for referring to Chirps that way, but besides not being able to move just yet, it's coincidentally the same question I want to ask.

"Don't call her that," Luciano snarls, astonishing me. For Luciano to defend her? That means something. But I don't need him to fight my battles. Next time someone disrespects her, I want my own voice to make the room go still.

"Well? Where is she? She usually always hovers about with those lovesick puppy eyes."

Luciano grunts.

"Good morning, how are we today?" No sound has ever been more music to my ears than hearing Chirps' voice right now.

"He's sweating, do something," Mina demands.