Instead, André had driven us to Dr. Valderrama’s private clinic. She put him in a sanitized treatment room used for minor operations at the farthest end of the facility and cordoned it off.
Security guards moved in minutes after we arrived to patrol the hallways and secure the entrance.
The doctor arranged for a surgeon friend of hers to bring extra medical equipment and together they removed the bullet stuck inside of him. Afterwards, she hung around to oversee his recovery.
In the beginning, when I first met her, I thought they had a dirty past. Turns out, her love affair is with the flowing cash Giovanni pays her for discretion and professionalism.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time he’s landed on her doorstep in the middle of the night demanding medical assistance. Since then, she’s purchased various operating room equipment to ensure the clinic is his one-stop treatment facility, and her bank balance is topped up regularly.
Although, it is the first occasion the top leaders of the Souza cartel have paid her a visit. Her complexion turned ghostly pale when Tomás introduced himself, and during the meeting with Matheus, her cheeks burned hot pink. However, André wasn’t interested in meeting the woman. His twin—his only concern.
While Giovanni was in surgery, I’d spent my time away from him in a shower cubicle, shaky and unsettled. In the quiet aftermath, I realized my skull was pounding and my lip was bruised beneath the thin cut Fabian had given me. I hadn’t noticed my own injuries, probably since I was so freaked about Giovanni’s blood loss.
So, when flashes of death hit me, I revisit the exact moment when he had thrown himself on top of me and put his life on the line to save mine. I vividly recall the blood spewing from his abdomen, and with that memory, an overwhelming rush of devotion and gratitude shakes me to the bone.
Thankful to be alone so no one could see me break down, my tears blend with water droplets, and I palm my heart to settle it. Somehow, I hold my other hand over my mouth to silence my sobs.
Gio did that forme.
And I would do it for him in a heartbeat.
No hesitation. No regrets.
I would protect my monster and gladly wear the battle scars.
When I’d told him he was my everything, it was the absolute truth—I couldn't be more certain of my feelings. He’s my soulmate, no matter the obstacles we continue to face or how ugly our future could be in his dark world.
I take temporary refuge under the jets to pull myself together. The warm water helps to ease my tense muscles and cleans off the dried blood. Afterward, I’d returned to his designated room with my hair dripping and wearing a clean dress given to me by the doctor.
Once Tomás and André were certain Giovanni was in a stable condition, they’d taken Leo and left.
Initially, I argued against it, wanting to keep the little guy close to me. But Tomás had already made up his mind, and I knew better than to lock horns with a man like him.
I’ve earned his respect and trust, and he’s always had mine. These powerful men may well consider me family, but Tomás is still the head of it.
André told me Carina and Sinéad were excited to welcome Leo into the family, which means he’d likely be treated like the cartel prince he’s become.
That being said, Leo was hesitant to go with them at first, but then he’d taken André’s hand after he promised to tell him stories about his Papá when they were kids.
A little tug of jealousy had me wishing I could hear those tales too. Despite myself, I would never leave Giovanni’s side. Not when he’s hooked up to an antibiotic IV and twitching from the nightmares running amok in his mind.
Rather than leave with his brothers, Matheus had stayed behind and parked himself in the corner of the pale green room on a comfy-looking leather armchair. Following Giovanni’s operation in an improvised operating theater, Matheus walked behind the nurses as they wheeled Giovanni through the corridor and moved his bed into a quiet position under the window.
One rogue grin and a husky thank you from Matheus was all it took for them to offer him a drink from the staff kitchen. He went with them and returned a few minutes later with a big mug of coffee for me too.
It's been a few hours since then and Matheus had to dip out to answer his cell phone. He hasn’t returned yet. I continue sitting in this armchair, next to the narrow bed Giovanni is lying in, trapped within the same four walls for what feels like eons—quietly waiting. Patiently, I watch his chest rise and fall as I twist the chunky ring on my wedding finger.
What does it mean for us now?
I remember the sincerity in his eyes when he’d slid his ring onto my finger in front of two witnesses. It was real—me and him declaring our feelings for each other in that moment together.
“You’re mine and I’m yours.”
Our heart-felt commitment is all that matters. Well, that and him getting out of this bed.
When the door opens, I keep my tired eyes on the manly hand I'm stroking and make a silly comment about Matheus needing to leave the nurses alone to do their job.
He clears his throat. “Have you met my mother yet, India?”
