Page 79 of Mob Princess

“Mr. O’Rourke?” A middle-aged woman walks around the privacy curtain wearing scrubs and her lab coat. “I’m Dr. Garland.”

I extend my arm out of habit, but my IV tugs. I drop my arm, and she nods. I hold out my left hand, palm up. Lina doesn’t hesitate to take it and stand by me. It’s not like I’m expecting news that I’m terminal. I don’t like distance between us. Physical or emotional right now. I want her to know that we’re an us as far as I’m concerned.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“You got very lucky yesterday. The bullet nicked your spleen and ruptured it. That’s why your girlfriend and cousins saw so much blood. But the injury wasn’t as severe as it could have been, or I’m certain they feared. If you’re able to handle moving around tomorrow and pass some other tests, I’ll discharge you. That said, it’ll be at least two weeks before you should try to return to your normal activities.”

Her gaze darts from me to Lina and back. She doesn’t need to spell it out.

“That might be what kills me.”

Lina gasps, and the doctor looks away.

“Um, just how limited should those activities be, Doctor?” Lina’s cheeks are rosier than Santa’s.

She looks at me when she answers. “Nothing strenuous that could rupture your internal stitches. Too much movement will strain the muscles around the wound in your abdomen, and you have bruising you can’t see. Go slowly. See what you can tolerate or explore other types of intimacy.”

Lina looks like her neck to her roots is ablaze. It makes me wonder what she’s envisioning. I want the doc to go, so we can continue our conversation and add this topic to it.

“We’ll remember that. So, if I can do everything you expect by tomorrow, I can go home?”

“That’s the plan. You’re young, and in excellent health, so there’s no reason to think you won’t make a full recovery. Hopefully, the police catch the men who put you in the middle of their fight. You’re lucky it wasn’t anything more serious.”

I don’t react besides nodding and smiling. Lina’s fingers curl around mine a little tighter. The doctor says her goodbyes with a promise to check on me midmorning. I want out now. No one comes to a hospital to get better. How can you when they wake you every three hours to take your vitals? For fuck’s sake, if the machine’s alarm isn’t going off, then I’m fine. I’m alive until it tells you otherwise. Let me fucking sleep. I was better off unconscious.

When I look up at Lina, I know that’s not true. I’m definitely way better off seeing her and touching her.

“We’ve been in here alone a long time. You might have kicked Seamus and Cormac out, but at least they saw you awake. Your brothers must be ready to lose their minds.”

I release a beleaguered sigh. “I give Shane five words before it’s about him.”

She lets go of my hand and walks to the door. I hear her murmur something, then my brothers are there. Finn casts an assessing gaze over me. Ever the big brother—when he wants to be. He’s careful when he hugs me. I don’t miss the sigh of relief. We speak at the same time.

“Mo chúram.” It means my family, but its literal translation is my responsibility.

It’s something my family’s said for as long as I’ve heard stories about the past. It’s a reminder that we are family, and without family, we are nothing. It’s each of our responsibility to preserve that.

Finn flicks my ear because we can’t be sentimental for too long. It’s not mobster manly. Shane sighs. Here it comes.

“That was my suit you ruined.”

I ignore him and look at Lina. “Three.”

She snickers and covers her mouth with her hand. I was generous, saying it would take my twin five words to make it about him. When he shoots me the same grin I have, I roll my eyes and flick him off.

“If you weren’t on your death bed…” Shane flicks me off in return.

We never swear at, to, or about one another. But an obscene hand gesture here and there never goes amiss.

He practically chokes me when he hugs me. I use my one good arm to return his hug. He doesn’t let go when I ease my hold.

“Don’t fecking do that again. We arrived together. We leave together.”

That’s something just between us. We’ve been saying it since we were in middle school when kids would try to exclude one or the other of us. We said it in high school when our rivals tried to flex and draw us apart in fights. Whoever heard it usually wound up with a broken nose and broken collar bone. Those were our preferred injuries to dole out. Matching to the core.

“I’ll get you a new suit. Jeez. It looked better on me, anyway.”

“Be glad we have company.” He smiles at Lina, and she doesn’t know what the fuck to make of our family. Mair and Ally went through the same thing. Apparently, we’re shockingly normal. Who knew?

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