A Thorn Scorned

Chapter 17

"No internal bleeding, but you do have a few broken ribs, Killian," Ben concludes as he peels his gloves off. "How'd this happen again?" Blue eyes flick to mine through the haze of the pain meds Ben had given him and I sighed rubbing my temples as I regarded my uncle. "They jumped him."

"We did not!" Luca growled, his brows furrowed, teeth bared, that vein in his neck visible and in that moment he's his father's son, the mobster prince. "It's Core business. If anyone ought to know that, it's you, Alex."

Just like that I'm reminded of all the times these guys have hurt me. While I get it, that need to keep our petty little squabbles away from the Collective, it doesn't make it hurt any less. If anything, it's a brutal reminder that I'm not the girl that left here three years ago and these are not the boys that I can trust with my life anymore.

"Trust me, Luca, my twice broken nose knows that, thanks to you," I retort and my uncle's hands stop their movement of bandaging Killian's ribs and ice and fire duel in his deadly glare. "You were the one that kicked her head in?" His voice is eerily calm and I have to place myself in between him and Luca or else I'd have a war with Gino over the death of his son on my hands.

"I already explained why I did it," Luca throws his hands up in annoyance, but Ben's eyes narrow on him as he assesses all the ways he can kill him. I place my hands on my uncle's chest and push him. It's obviously not enough to physically move him, but it's enough to deter his attention. "I'm okay and I've already punished him for it, Uncle. Please, just help Killian."

My uncle growled, but continued to wrap Killian's ribs, ignoring the groans coming from the giant quarterback. "Next time you put your hands on her, I'll forget that Gino's a family friend and kill you myself, got it?" His emerald eyes, much like mine and my father's glimmer with a deadly vow. The air crackled with tension and Luca pushed off from the wall he was leaning on to glare at my uncle. Dumbass, that one is.

"You have no fucking idea the things I've had to do to protect that girl. I fucked up, absolutely, but I've loved her since I was thirteen years old and I hate myself for what I've done, but if I hadn't, if we hadn't, she'd be fucking dead and buried next to her mother for real!" Luca's fiery Rossi temper has entered the space and his hands shake with rage as he paces the medical shack. "You don't know shit about what we've been dealing with. The things Nate's had to do just to keep the Collective and Tyler the fuck away from her if they find out she's actually alive." The fire in his eyes and the tension radiating off him cause me to step in between them once again.

My uncle was well trained in tactical and hand to hand combat and could pick apart his opponent's weakness and exploit them within seconds so I undoubtedly know he's well aware of Luca's one weakness... He longs for his father's respect and as the heir to the Rossi empire at his age, Luca should be shadowing his father in business and taking on his own jobs, other than the ones the Collective have him working on. Luca, is just a boy seeking acceptance from his father and I know Gino loves his son, but as a Don, he can't openly express those emotions.

I wrapped my hand around Luca's clenched fist and his gaze snaps to me lightning fast and I squeeze, rubbing my thumb over the vein on his wrist. His chocolate brown eyes soften and he takes a minute to regain his composure. "You're right," he breathes out and I could feel his pulse slowing down. "What we put Alex through was fucked up. All of it. But I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

"So you're dating them again?" Ben hands Killian an ice pack before turning to me with brows raised. Something flashes in my uncle's eyes and it's quickly replaced by the ice cold venom, a snake ready to strike at a moments notice.

I rolled my eyes and fold my arms over my chest as I stare at my uncle. "I'm not dating them again, Ben. It's complicated and not something I would like to talk about right now, Uncle." The guys snickered and both my uncle and I glare daggers at them. His eyes soften and I spy the youthful playfulness in their emerald mists. "Fine, but try not to have relations in front of the cameras. I'm sure Dad's having a heart attack from LA right now."