Page 42 of Assistant to the Mafia

The doctor turned another glare on him. “That is privileged information.”

“I asked him to read it,” Grace said. “I am completely certain that, as the patient, it’s within my right to designate another person to look at my medical information on my behalf.”

“Only when you’re competent yourself,” the doctor returned. He reached out and hooked his fingers around the tube looped under her nose, swiftly tugging the protruding ends from her nostrils and jerking it up and over her head. The motion was rough and dragged against what must have been a bandage, and again Grace winced, suddenly coughing from the change in oxygen flow.

“Oh, would you look at that, doctor’s hours are over,” Ryoma said. He physically spun the doctor around with a hand at the older man’s neck and marched him forcefully back to the doorway. “Thanks for popping in, doc. You were super helpful. Feel free to come back when you’ve gotten that attitude adjusted.” He gave the doctor a good shove and offered a calm finger wave when the doctor turned to glare back at him.

“I ought to have security throw the lot of you out,” the doctor said, his grumbled words barely carrying to her.

Ryoma chuckled low. “I wouldn’t advise that.” He turned, done with the conversation, and moved over to the chair against the far wall. It looked particularly uncomfortable, but still he dropped into it voluntarily, even kicking his legs out and crossing them at the ankles. He watched the doorway until the doctor had stormed out of sight, then shifted his stare to her. “You okay?”

Grace nodded slowly. “Yes.” Her nose felt a little funny, but everything else had been a fleeting discomfort. She scrunched up her lips. “He was unnecessarily rude.”

“So he was.”

They lapsed into silence then and Grace found herself drifting off as her mind wandered. How long would it take Romeo to get to her? Ryoma had mentioned something was wrong with Lucy, or at Lucy’s school. She’d been so overwhelmed with relief at just hearing he knew where she was that she’d barely heard the words initially. But of course his daughter came first. So she needed to brace herself for a long wait. It could be hours still before he made it to her.

She told herself not to worry unless morning came with no sign of him, no word from him.

The nurse from earlier returned at some point, looking a little less comfortable but nonetheless making an effort to go over Grace’s vitals. “And how’s that headache, hun? You want me to get you something to help?”

Grace paused at the question. “It’s … feeling better, I think.” She could still feel a dull ache, but the demanding pain from the trunk and even the throbbing she’d had when she’d first woken up had all faded. She hadn’t realized.

The nurse smiled. “That’s great. I’ll swing by in a little while to check on you again. Don’t be afraid to let yourself sleep if you get drowsy, okay?” With a pat on her shoulder, well away from any sore spot, the nurse departed.

Grace stifled a yawn and closed her eyes, telling herself it was in protest of the overhead light. “Wake me when Romeo gets here….”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ryoma said, his voice quieter than before.

It took Romeo another half an hour to get to the hospital after leaving Dante’s house. Thirty-two more fucking minutes where all he could do was sit in the car and fume about everything that had happened since they’d parted ways earlier that afternoon. Hell, he didn’t even know if Dante had resolved the cloned phone number issue or not. Nor did it matter for the time being.

He spotted the two men standing guard at a closed door marked with the number Ryoma had texted him and adjusted course. Both men straightened their shoulders when he stepped in front of them, one of them immediately reaching for the doorknob.

Romeo motioned for Mo to hang back and squeezed inside as soon as the door was wide enough. He swept his gaze over the room. It was a brightly lit, stereotypical hospital room. Grayish equipment mixed with faintly beige furniture and off-white linens. Ryoma stood swiftly from the sole chair, approaching with only a whisper of a sound, so he could speak quietly. Romeo paid him a partial glance before letting his gaze focus on the sleeping woman in the bed in front of him.

Her dirty blonde hair was obscured by a bandage wrapped around her head, which managed to make the bruise still darkening her jaw only look worse. Did it look worse? His gaze slid down to the equally white bandage covering her wrist from the base of her thumb down about four inches. He didn’t take his eyes off her while he listened to Ryoma’s whispered report, which provided infuriating explanations for the bandages as well as mention of a doctor he wouldn’t mind giving some fresh perspective.

But he wasn’t there for violence.

Romeo inclined his head. “Thank you, Ryoma. Step outside.”

Ryoma nodded. “Sir.”

Romeo carried the ugly chair up to the bed, ripped off his winter coat, and settled in to wait. He wanted her to open her eyes, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away her pain, but he wouldn’t disturb her rest. So he would wait, as long as he had to.

He lifted her hand gently up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m so sorry, angel,” he murmured against her skin.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, watching her sleep, her hand tucked between both of his, before her brow finally furrowed and she moaned softly. A moment later she tensed in his grasp. He rubbed his thumb along her knuckles. “Easy, angel. It’s me. You’re safe.”

Grace blinked her eyes open quickly, the beautiful hazel reflecting greener than usual. She stared at him, almost disbelieving for a moment, and then the tears poured over. “Romeo…” Her hand latched onto his, trembling. “I-I thought I would— I thought I was going to—”

“Shh.” Romeo leaned up, keeping hold of her hand with one while moving his other to gently swipe some of her tears away. “I’m so fucking sorry, angel,” he said quietly, his own voice roughening at the sight of her bubbling emotion. “We’ll be more careful. I swear.” He pressed his lips gently to her cheek. “I’m so goddamn glad you’re all right.”

Grace gasped. “I love you. I don’t know why, with everything else we talked about, I hadn’t said that.”

Romeo eased back, staring into her still watery eyes. Everything she’d just gone through, and that was the first thing she wanted to say? Part of him had been afraid it would be too much and that she’d want to get away. That might even have been the more rational choice. He grunted and leaned close until their noses touched. “Fuck, Grace. I love you, too.” He closed his lips over hers for just a single moment, needing at least a small taste.

The sound she made when he pulled away went straight through him and for a second, he caught himself wondering if he could climb onto the bed without hurting her.

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