CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Angel
THE NEUROSURGEON SAID Markie's surgery was a success, and he was able to remove the entire tumor, but when the anesthesia wore off, she didn't wake up. He said these things take time and Markie's body needed to heal itself. No telling when she'd wake up.
Hooked to machines with her head bandaged and her eyes closed, she slept peacefully while Father and I plotted revenge.
Tech had squealed like a pig, rolling over on the idiots stupid enough to support Adamo over my father. Uncle Carlo organized teams to close down their warehouses and cripple their operations while Father and I hit Adamo directly. The very next day we found him at his current whore's house. As much as I wanted to be the one to drive the bullet into his brain, Uncle Michael had done the deed.
"Two in the head, make sure he's dead," Michael said, lowering his pistol. "Fuck, that felt good."
Uncle Michael was appeased, but my old man sure as hell wasn't. So many people he'd trusted had betrayed him. After everything he'd done for them... done for the city. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that every single traitor would die before my old man let up.
"How can I help?" Dante asked, finally taking an interest in the family business.
Father gave him a team and sent him after one of the families who'd fucked up. Dante returned only hours later, refilling on ammo and requesting the next hit.
"He's becoming the hitman you'll need him to be," Father told me, sounding both proud and sad. "This isn't what I wanted for him. For any of you."
"We're lions, Father," I told him. "We can't pretend to be anything less."
He smiled at me. "You are your mom's child. You'll make a good capo someday."
Hopefully that day would be well in the future. As soon as Markie recovered, I had plans to marry her, buy a house, and fill it with little monsters of our own. Thoughts of her made my stomach clench with worry. I glanced at my watch. Almost eight p.m. Visiting hours would end soon, and getting past the nurses' station would be a pain I'd rather not deal with.
"I gotta get back to the hospital."
"I know you do," Father replied. "We have all the teams out still. This shit should be wrapped up soon."
He wouldn't rest until his city was cleansed.
No change in Markie. I spent the night by her side, and then went back to work the next day.
Days were filled with killing traitors and taking over their warehouses and nights were spent beside Markie's bed. By the fifth night, I wondered if she'd come back. I replayed our time together in my mind, wishing I could do things differently. If I could have gone back in time, I would have jumped from the Ozone tower with her. I would have dove into the freezing ocean by her side and spent more time helping her with those brats at the orphanage.
"Wake up," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "And we'll go feed and shelter every last bum in this goddamn city."
Silence was the only reply I got.
On day six, I was getting ready to head out when Markie stirred. Rushing to her side, I squeezed her hand.
She squeezed mine back.
My heart leapt into my throat. "Markie?" I asked. "Baby, wake up."
Ariana and Bones were sitting on the couch. They both jumped up and rushed to the bed.
"What? What's going on?" Ariana asked. "Is she awake?"
"She squeezed my hand," I explained.
Ariana grabbed Markie's other hand. We stood on either side of the bed, waiting for her to do something. Anything. Nothing happened.
Ariana gasped. "She squeezed my hand! Quick, get a doctor!"
Bones rushed off and Ariana and I stayed with Markie. One beautiful blue eye opened, and then the next. I stared into them, still holding her hand as I leaned against the bed. Relief threatened to pull my legs out from under me.
She looked at us and then glanced around the room. "The twins?" she croaked. Wincing, her gaze cut to the water bottle in my hand.
"They're fine." I popped the top and helped her take a couple of sips. "Worried as hell about you, but otherwise fine. Nonna is too. You did good, baby."
Ariana burst into tears and hugged her. Markie patted Ariana's head, still looking at me.
I kissed her fingers one by one, so grateful I couldn't even speak.
"The cancer is gone, Markie," Ariana sobbed. "You're gonna be okay. Ohmigod you've been out for a week! Don't ever do this shit to me again."
Markie took another sip. "A week? It's gone?"
Bones returned with a doctor in tow. He looked over Markie's chart and smiled.
"We were able to remove the entire tumor," he confirmed. "Now that you're awake, we'll need to run some tests and make sure your body's not hiding more. Now tell me, how do you feel?"
"Ready to jump from the top of the Ozone again."
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, reassuring me she would be okay. Patting her hand, I promised her we'd fly to the fucking moon as soon as she felt better.
* * *
Markie was released from the hospital two days later. The day Markie woke up, Bones, Ariana, Dante, and Pietro packed up Ariana's apartment and moved the two of them into the empty condo beside mine.
Or, at least, we'd moved Ariana into the condo next door. Markie was never leaving my bed again.
Despite her insistence that she could walk, I carried her upstairs while Bones, Ariana, and the doorman brought up the gifts, balloons, and flowers my family had filled her hospital room with. I parked her fine ass on the sofa and told her to sit there while I made dinner.
The four of us ate, and then Bones and Ariana cleaned up while I sat beside Markie and pulled her onto my lap. She felt so damn good. I wrapped my arms around her and breathed in her scent. The doctor had shaved the back of her head. It served as a reminder of how close I'd been to losing her.
"You okay?" she asked, turning to look at me.
"I missed you. You scared the hell out of me."
She cupped my face in her hands, and her lips landed on mine. She tasted sweet and warm, comfortable, but also exciting.
"I love you," I said, pulling back to watch her.
Her eyes softened. "I love you too, Angel."
Squeezing her against me, I said, "We moved Ari into the place next door, but I want you to move in with me. I can't stand being away from you. At all. Move in with me so I can see that beautiful smile every morning and fall asleep beside your sexy body every night."
Tears flooded her eyes.
"Ari will be right next door?"
"Yes. We wouldn't leave her in that pit by herself. Neither of you are going back there. Not ever. We still don't know where that Matt prick is." I was getting off topic, and she still hadn't answered me. "So what do you say? You tried to stay away from me. I tried to stay away from you. None of that shit worked. This... This works, Markie."
"Are you sure?" she asked. "This seems so soon."
Never been more sure of anything in my life. "You know my family. They fuckin' love you, especially after what you did for the twins. By the way, we're going to have to go see them soon or the little monsters will probably slip out on their guards and run away to verify that you're okay for themselves."
She smiled. "I'd love to go see the twins."
"Not today. Today you need to rest. In my bed and by my side, where I'm still hoping you'll spend every night. You're kinda leaving me hanging here."
"Yes." She nodded. "I'd love to move in with you."
A tear slid down her cheek and I brushed it away. "Good. Because your stuff is already unpacked in my room."
Her eyes widened, and then she giggled. "That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?"
"No." I kissed her nose. Then her forehead. Then her lips. "I just know I can't be without you. You know my world is dangerous, but I swear I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. I can't let you go. You bring balance to my life. I need your crazy jumpin'-off-buildings, feeding-strangers, helpin'-kids self."
"Yeah?" she asked, snuggling against me. "Good, because you're stuck with me now."
I held her, already plotting ways to keep her safe. Father and I had thinned out a lot of traitors over the past few days, but we still had work to do. Hell, I'd tear the city down for Markie if I had to, but she was like Mamma... the type of woman who'd rather help me build it up. To do that, my family needed to keep control over the criminal underworld. We had to rid our city of every piece of shit who thought they could bring us down.
We had to be lions.