Dangerously Delicious

8.

Gianni

"How... is she?"

Stubborn man. I've told him so many times, no talking since he woke up. Stephen got up four days ago, the same four days Ari was to be awake and breathing on her own.

"She-She coded last night. They said her heart is under distress from the kidney surgery and her body's fight to get better. She's not breathing on her own and in a coma. Her body is on full shut down mode. They used so much medical shit I nearly shot them between the eyes," I grumbled pacing the floor beside his bed.

"Don't make me laugh. It hurts," he replied hoarsely trying not to laugh also.
Giving him a wry smile, I leaned closer to kiss lips. Brown eyes filled with so much love and remorse, stared up at me with a small smile.
He feels guilty for not protecting Arianna and something else he couldn't tell me. I suspected it was pertaining to my brother and the situation we were currently in.
When he uttered the word, Omertà, I ended my pushing immediately. Stephen was under the code of silence given by the Mafia lord. My brother.
If he breaks it, he's to be executed immediately. A tough place to be but I was still angry, more so to my brother.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I took Stephen's hand in mine. "In three days time, we'll be moving her to the house. Gio and I have prepared the left wing and decided on two RNs. They're both screened, given NDAs and are currently being tracked," I said.

"Guards?"

"Ray, surprising left his two best men with her. Gio and Hanes. There will be guards on the property and two extra within the house with the staff."

"Give him time. It wasn't easy.... being Renith's first son,"  Stephen has always been the voice of reason. Ari was the same, probably that's why Michael and I always go to them whenever we are bothered with something.

I nodded in agreement, "Michael is having a hard time about it all. Man, he's brave," I said.

"Love.... is his.... strength. Just like us," he said right before a yawn escaped him.

"And our weakness also," I said softly. Returning to my seat beside his bed, I watched on as he fell asleep, holding my gaze. In a few days, he'll be discharged. His parents and I decided it's best if he returned to the Caine estate due to his injuries. His family home had proper wheel chair access and rooms on the ground floor. I'm dreading his physical therapy. He may want to start before everything is healed. Stephen hated to be confined, always on the go.

"Knock Knock," the voice of the elderly nurse assigned to him, filtered through my thoughts.

"Good afternoon, Aileen. He just went down for the count. Stayed up for the entire morning and used the painkillers three times," I rattled off. I became silent when she simply stared with that knowing smile.

"I tend keep track of every single thing," I murmured.

"Like when you noticed the morning nurse didn't give him a hair comb and shave," she teased.

"I'm sorry. He hates to be unkempt," I said looking at Stephen.
Aileen chuckled and began her duties, placing a kiss on his head, I left the nurse to her duties before I start to hover. Outside his door, were two of his personal bodyguards. "I'll be by Ari," I said to them before walking to the few steps to my best friend's room. I wasn't surprise to see Michael by her side. Dark circles under his eyes, a beard was now forming on his face, overall he looked haggard. Heck, I know I look the same. The past few days have been hell on both of us.

"You need rest, Mikey. Do you want a tongue lashing from her when she wakes up?" I commented.
A tired laugh escape him as he hung up His coat and unpacked a large take out bag.
"I brought lunch for you and the guys. Patrick said it's comfort food. The staff believed the vacation bit and promise to keep up their work ethic," he said sitting by the small table near the window.