"Right this way, ma'am." A nurse led me down the hallway to where Luca's room was. No one had given me much information when I got here, and I had no idea what to expect. Except that it was probably bad. They didn't take murder suspects out of the hospital unless it was serious.
I was sick about it. That jail was like a death sentence for him, and I had to get him out as fast as possible.
I had tried to call Marco a few times on the way over, but I hadn't heard from him since he left my house this morning. That was unusual for sure, but he had been working around the clock to get those videos I had found put together, so I was sure he'd call as soon as he had something.
There were two guards and a doctor outside of Luca's room when I finally got there.
"Mrs. Catalano?" The doctor asked.
All I could do was nod.
"I'm Dr. Collins. Why don't you and I talk for a few minutes before you go see your husband?" He led me a little ways away from the guards.
"Your huspend was in an altercation at the jail. He has several fractured ribs and a severe concussion. Believe me, it looks and sounds worse than it is. We're keeping him for a few days to be sure that there is no internal bleeding from the broken ribs, and that there is no residual effect from the concussion. He's alert and talking and all those are good signs, and I have every reason to believe he'll make a full recovery."
"Oh, thank god." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
He glanced back at the guards before leaning in closer to me. "Here." He handed me a badge. "Those guys only call because they're required to let you know he was brought here, and they won't actually let you see him. Go down there and talk to them, but on your way out, there is a staff lounge. You'll find scrubs in there. You can change into them and pose as a nurse. The only people allowed to be alone with him are medical personnel. They'll stay out of your hair if they think you're a nurse. This badge will get you into his room and into the lounge areas."
He caught me completely off guard. "What... what are you..."
"I'm a friend of Luca's. Ever wonder where Angelo learned all his medical skills?" He smirked. "Just be careful. They change the guard in about 10 minutes and that will be your best opportunity. These guys will recognize you."
"Thank you so much." I whispered, tucking the badge into my purse.
He nodded. "It will be turned off at 6PM. Stay until then if you want. I know it's been a long time since you two have been able to see each other."
I smiled as he walked back to the guards and gestured to me. I made my way back over there.
"We will call with any updates, Mrs. Catalano. Unfortunately, prisoners aren't allowed any visitors while out of the prison and we can't be giving him any special treatment." One of the guards scoffed.
"I understand." I nodded. "Will you tell him I came?"
"Sure." He smiled smugly. "Drive safe."
I turned and left, walking around the corner until I came to the door to the lounge. I wanted to trust that doctor, but I was hesitant. It could be another trap of Whitaker's. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to make up my mind. Finally, I swiped the card and went in. Just like he promised, there was a wall of scrubs and I was all alone. I quickly changed into a pair, stuffing my things inside of a locker and slipping the badge into my pocket. I glanced out of the door and saw two other guards at Luca's door now. I walked toward it confidently.
"Ma'am, we're going to need some identification." One of the guards stopped me.
"Of course." I handed him my badge, and he glanced it over.
"And what is the purpose of the visit?" He asked.
"The patient needs a shower. Might take a while." I fought the urge to smirk. This was actually working.
He nodded. "Let us know if you need anything."
He opened the door, and I headed inside. Luca was sitting in the hospital bed, watching something on TV. He looked terrible. Big black and blue bruises and cuts all over his face. Whoever had done this had sure put a beating on him.
Luca turned when he heard me come in, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Maybe I am more concussed than I thought." He chuckled.
"Why do you say that?" I sat down apprehensively in the chair next to him. Why was I so anxious to see him?
The last time we'd been together, I had told him I wanted a divorce and then he signed the papers. For all I knew, he still thought that. And I was terrified he's be angry with me.
"Because fucking you in a nurse's costume is one of my top three fantasies. Am I so concussed I'm imaging this?"
I couldn't help but laugh. There was my Luca. I had been worried for no reason.
"No, you're not." I grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it gently. "Are you okay? What happened? Who did this?"
"Angelo." Luca chuckled.
"What?" My head nearly exploded. "You're fighting with Angelo now?"
"No Char, of course not." He shook his head. "I asked him to."
"I'm confused. Why did you ask your best friend to beat you to a bloody pulp?" I was highly skeptical of all this.
"Because I knew they'd bring me here. It's the only place you and I can talk without the chance of anyone hearing. There are no cameras or recorders here."
Was I hearing this correctly? "You two are big dumb idiots, you know that? He could have really hurt you."
"I mean, I think he did a pretty good job." He laughed.
"Yeah, well, it's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you when you finally get out of here." I rolled my eyes. He had nearly given me a heart attack and then I find out who orchestrated the entire thing?
"So, does that mean we're not getting divorced?"
"Luca, I..." I open my mouth but no words were coming out. I didn't even know how to properly explain this to him.
He shook his head. "You don't have to explain anything, baby. I know what you're trying to do. I realized it when Layla came to see me, and that's why I did this. I had to see you and explain myself. The only reason I signed those papers was because I thought it was what you truly wanted. And I thought it would finally make you happy."
"Of course it's not what I want. You're the only thing I want. Marco and I just..."
"I should have known this scheme was Marco's idea." He laughed. "How is the bastard, anyway?"
"He's furious with you two for putting us through this." I quipped.
"I know, and you both have every right to be. How are the kids?"
"They're okay." I sighed. "Leo has been helping Marco at the warehouse."
Luca's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"
I nodded. "He and Landon tried to fight each other the other night, but it sounds like Marco threatened them within an inch of their lives."
"Fight each other? Like physically?" Luca about had a heart attack.
"Yes, but it's been handled."
"Like hell." He scoffed. "I'll handle it my own way when I get home. What the fuck is wrong with them?"
"They're just struggling right now. Like we all are." I pressed my lips together. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. In fact, that's the last thing I want to do."
"Me too." Luca said.
"Please tell me the truth, Luca." I begged, tears welling in my eyes. "Please stop protecting whoever you're protecting. Let us help you."
Luca nodded. "You deserve to know the truth. Angelo and I have been trying to protect someone very close to us, but I'm not going to let it affect our family anymore than it has. But we're still going to be facing an uphill battle. No one is going to believe Angelo and I if we just go to the police with the information, so we're still going to need you and Marco to get whatever evidence from Whitaker that you can. All we need to do is prove that he's dirty and they'll have to drop the charges."
"That's all I want. I'll do whatever I have to do. Just tell me who you're protecting." My voice cracked with emotion. "Who killed that girl?"
Luca hesitated for a second, glancing away. I could see how difficult this was for him, and I was anxious that he would ever actually say it. Finally, he turned back to me.
"It was Carlo, Char. Right after he took over as Don. He got involved in some serious shit and he thought it was his only way out. He killed her, and we helped him cover it up."