The Lawyer

49 He didn't make it

Sophie POV

Everything hurts. I try to open my eyes but I can't. I try to move my hand to my head but it doesn't cooperate. It's like my ears and mind are awake but everything else is asleep.

I listen to figure out where I am, the steady beep of a heart monitor tells me I'm likely in hospital.

Oh my God! The gun.

Was I shot? Am I paralyzed? Is that why I can't move?

The beep of the monitor speeds up.
"Nurse! What's happening to her!" I hear Matt's panicked voice.

His presence washes over me like a calming tonic slowly soothing my heart rate back to normal.

"Sophie, can you hear me?" I desperately want to tell him yes. "Listen to me, you're ok. Just get some rest and then wake up for me ok?"

With Matt's assurance I let sleep take me.

I drift in and out of my slumber catching the occasional voice around me. But my eyes still don't open. I can move my fingers a little but I don't think anyone noticed.

I wake again at a bang, and I know the mood has shifted. I can hear a woman sobbing and pray it's someone else on the ward.

The sound tears at my very soul. I can feel the pain emanating from her being. My hope is dashed when I hear Lili's Voice.

"What's going on? What happened? Ma?" The choked sobs continue and it's Maddie I hear replying.

  "Lili, I'm so sorry." She says clearly in tears, "he didn't make it."

Someone didn't make it? Like someone died? I can hear Lili's denials as she begins to sob too.

Where is Matt? Or Marco? Nico? Is the baby ok? I try my hardest to speak but it feels like something is in my throat choking me. I start to panic.

"What's happening?" I finally hear Matt ask.

"She's just panicking, we'll give her a little something to help her rest." Someone I don't know replies. No, I don't want to rest. I need to know what happened.

My body starts to feel heavy as I fall back under. 

It's dark when I wake. I can finally open my eyes, scanning the hospital room. I still have a bump, I sigh in relief running my hand over the taut skin. I see Matt's head resting against the bed, his dark hair a few inches from my hand.

I reach for him stroking his hair.
"Matt?" My voice is hoarse and it hurts my throat to speak. "Matt?" I croak again, finally seeing him stir. Turning to face me, his eyes look puffy and swollen. Making me frown in concern.

"Soph? How do you feel? Let me call a Doctor"

"Wait, how long was I asleep? What happened? Is everyone ok? What happened to those people?" The questions start flooding out of me.

"Alright, alright calm down." He sooths taking my hand and sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. "You had a tube in your throat for a while, so try not to speak to much. You hit your head and knocked yourself out. Usually it wouldn't be so bad but you were pretty dehydrated so your body was exhausted. You've been asleep just over a day."

"And the baby?" I check, my nails digging into the palm of my hand.

"They ran tests and did a scan when you got here, she's fine, you just need rest"

"She?"

"Yes, we're having a girl" he says with a small smile.

"Are you disappointed?" I frown.

"It's not that, I'm just tired. After you hit your head the police rushed in. They got them all, and the paramedics showed up not long after and brought us here"

"I thought I heard crying? Was it a dream?" Matt turns his face away not meeting my eye.

"I should let the Doctor know you're awake" he mutters moving to stand.

"No! Don't go! Tell me what happened?" I plead grasping his hand.

Matt lets out a long sigh before sitting back beside me.
"Marco didn't want to hand over the files" he begins.

"I know. He was stalling" I agree.

"What makes you say that?" Matt asks a little surprised.

"You both have the same tell. I'm gonna clean you both out at our first poker night" I smile. Matt gives a forced smile and swallows hard, his eyes starting to glisten.

"He was bluffing" he says more to himself than me, but I nod in agreement. "Mia shot him, it punctured his lung"

"But? But I pushed him away!" I object.

"Sophie" he sighs, "that was so brave and so stupid of you. You could have been really hurt. But you are not faster than a bullet. By the time the medics arrived Marco had lost a lot of blood." The tears have started to spill down Matt's face but his voice remains low and steady.

"He was in surgery for hours, but there was nothing they could do. He didn't make it" his voice finally breaking at the end.

My chest feels tight as the tears start to fall. This was my fault, they came to find me. I said not to hand over the files. There's blood on my hands.

"Matt" I gasp, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have argued with them"

"If you are planning to blame yourself, you need to get in line." He sighs pulling me closer. "I made Marco come, I told him if you were hurt I would kill him…" he gulps.

"And Ma blames herself too, it turns out the reason Andre kept his relationship with Marco so secret was because Ma knows his family. We don't think Marco knew, but Andre's Nonno and my Pa had a business deal that went sour years before I was born. Their business went bust as a result that's why they targeted us" Matt explains dragging a hand down his face to dry the tears.

"So Mia? And the orange lady" I ask

"Camille is Andre's sister, I've had Leo do some digging and it turns out Mia was Andre's long term girlfriend. She worked as my secretary to get access to the business, gradually transferring parts of the company using a lawyer they paid off. Then you showed up and she saw I liked you, having a new lawyer come in  freaked them out so they changed plans."

Matt looks awkward for a moment,
"Mia knew I was having you watched and followed in Venice, I didn't know it then but it is probably the only reason they hadn't put a hit on you"

I lay against Matt's chest absorbing this information. I've been so oblivious. Thinking it was as simple as a jealous love rival.

"I need to go back to Venice" Matt says suddenly breaking the silence. I pull back to look at him, is this is breaking up?

"Can I come?"

"No." He replies avoiding my gaze. "The doctor wouldn't clear you to fly, I already asked. It won't be for long, a few weeks, I need to stabilise the business and Marco's funeral" he chokes, "Leo will be staying with you with some of his team. I need you to stay inside except for appointments. No more working. Stay at the new house it's easier to secure."

"You can't keep me locked up" I object.

"Sophie please." He begs taking both of my hands in his. "Just do this for me, I won't be able to focus if I'm not certain that you're safe. I'll call you every day and I'll be home as soon as possible"