48. Gigi

48

GIGI

I'm shattered. I just left Stephano. And that after he told me he loves me .

He let me go.

He forced me to leave because he was going to flip, and he didn't want me to watch him potentially die. The mere thought makes me want to break free and run back to him, but I can't. Benedict made sure to carry me, still bound and gagged, into a dead-end road that was empty. He helps me into a back passenger seat of and SUV that's parked right outside the warehouse's garage door. Nobody is going to notice what's happening here.

I glance to where Burley has carefully propped Carla up next to me and is now holding her head. She moans, but doesn't open her eyes as he straps her in.

"There's no blood, and she's coming to," he says as he flicks his gaze to mine. "Both good signs."

Benedict holds my gaze for a long second. "Don't run back inside, Gigi. Any distraction can cost him."

I nod. He cuts the ties binding my legs and wrists. I've never felt this helpless in my life. I'm free, but I can't run to the man I love. I can't protect him. I couldn't even protect my sister.

My body trembles without my restraints, and I struggle to get a grip on the duct tape covering my mouth. I rip it off in batches that burn my sensitive skin. I must give Stephano the space he needs, but I can still be there for my sister.

"Carla, sweetheart."

I reach for her hand, my heart in my throat, but she's still out of it. I meet Benedict's gaze as he leans in on that side, but everything is blurry with the tears in my eyes.

"Concussion at a minimum," Burley says as he cuts her ties.

"She could lose the baby."

"I know," Benedict says. "The doctors will do their best."

"You know about the baby?"

"It's going to be okay." Benedict gets into the front passenger's seat. "We're going to the clinic immediately."

"See you on the other side," Burley says as he closes Carla's door.

As we drive off, panic flares in my chest. Stephano said those words to me too.

"What do you guys mean?" I ask as I lean forward to touch Benedict's shoulder. "See you on the other side?"

He turns to look at me. "See you in Hell? But we aim for at home at the after-party."

Oh, God.

Those words are their final goodbye in case they get killed. A light way of saying so many things. We're in this together. I've got your back as I know you have mine. We'll make it. And if we don't, we'll catch up in Hell. I'll find you there, and we'll carry on as normal . Remember, I love you.

I've left my tormented angel behind to fight his own demons. I close my eyes and weep, praying Stephano will come home.

Benedict makes several calls as we head out of the industrial harbor area and back into the city. One call is to Luca. I can't make out what's happening from his one-way, one-word conversation with his brother, and when he rings off, the tension radiates off him.

"How bad is it?" I venture to ask. I'd hate for her to be dead. This unknown woman who was as much Franco's hostage as we were.

Benedict hesitates, then says, "Pretty bad, by the sounds of it. Do you have any clue who she is?"

"No, we didn't have a chance to talk. How did she get shot?"

"Could have been a bullet ricocheting, or it could have been Franco's direct hit." He drags a hand through his hair. "We'll know once we have the bullet."

I shake my head. "Franco said there was only space for one on his jet. He was planning to kill her from the start."

"Hopefully, she'll make it and get to tell us what happened."

I nod, clinging to Carla's hand in desperation. Everything could have been so much worse.

When we head into a neighborhood and then down a short, empty service road, I get nervous. "Where're we going?"

"We own a medical center for situations like this when a home visit won't cut it. Dominic will make sure the other woman gets there as soon as possible. We call in some of the best doctors in town. They'll look after Carla and this other woman until they can come home."

The best doctors are surely bought or owe Il Consiglio something. Mafia smooth, keeping the police and anybody else out of it.

I bite my lip to force it to still. I have zero control over any of this, and I can do nothing but blindly trust. How did they know about Carla's baby when I didn't even know? Tasha could have guessed it. Maybe Carla confided in her and she then told Matteo.

It doesn't matter now. The only thing that matters is that both women and the baby pull through.

We drive into a double garage at the back of a house. A nurse and doctor in a white coat wait for us with a gurney.

"Come have a look for yourself. Otherwise, you're going to keep worrying," Benedict says as he pops open his door.

A lot of things happen at the same time, and when Carla is finally in a hospital bed in a private room, I exhale the breath I've been holding. This is first-class medical care, and already, I'm at ease.

When Carla opens her eyes, but groans at the light that's already dimmed, I reach for her hand. What I wouldn't do to wipe this whole day from the face of our memories. "Carla…why didn't you tell me about the baby?"

She presses her hand to her head. A bump has ballooned where she hit it on the concrete floor.

"God, Gigi. How could I?" she murmurs. "With everything going on and you always so…perfect?"

"Me? Perfect?" I'm shocked my sister would even think such a thing. "I'm the furthest there is from perfect."

Carla shakes with a sob. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be coddled by this one person who you look up to, who has done everything right? The one person you love above everybody else but who always corrects and tells me to do things differently? I'm so sick of not being you that I've…that I've gone too far."

She tugs her hand from mine where I've been clutching hers ever tighter and cups both hands to her face. "Worst of all is he died for me—for us — and I'm… I'm in love with him. If I don't lose this baby, I'm keeping it. I don't care what you think or say, it's mine. The last thing I'll ever have of Vito."

"It's all right, sweetheart. I understand." Better than you'd ever know. I lean into the bed, too weak to stand. We're not so different after all. "Carla?—"

She raises a hand, but it slumps back onto the bed. It's enough to cut me off.

"Your sister needs to rest, Mrs. Scalera."

I glance at the doctor in charge. It's the first time a stranger has ever called me Mrs. Scalera. "Yes, I know, but when will we know about the baby?"

"For now, we assume everything is all right," the doctor says. "She isn't too far along, and I don't want to subject her to an exam right now."

Heavens, I don't even know what that would entail, so I only nod. I need to go, but I don't want to leave her. If I lose her and Stephano both in one day, there'll be no more reason for living.

"She's going to be fine. The baby, too," the doctor says. "As soon as she's mentally able, I'll arrange for an ultrasound. If she wants you to be here, we'll make sure you are." He holds his hand out to the door, indicating I should step out of the room. "We'll let you know how she is tonight and again tomorrow, three times a day until she's ready to go home."

Home . Who knows where it will be for Carla?

All I know is, home for me is wherever Stephano is, and I never had the chance to tell him that.