Page 38 of This Thing of Ours

“God, I was so scared. Are you okay?” She held on to him tightly, taking a deep breath to get her emotions under control.

“I’m fine, streghetta.” His voice was rough and scratchy, and he sounded anything but fine.

She felt his lips connect with the top of her head as his arm gave her a squeeze.

She heard a cry from her mom, and Gabby leaned around Marco to see her dad being wheeled out on a stretcher. Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she must have made a noise of distress because Marco reassured her, “He’s okay. A little banged up and his leg is most likely broken, but he’ll be fine.”

Leo emerged next, and he didn’t look great. But he was walking on his own, even if a firefighter was close at hand in case he was needed. Blood covered the right side of his face from a gash on his forehead, and he was holding his right arm cradled by his left. Gabby hadn’t even known he was in the house.

Gabby’s gaze swept the scene. The place was a madhouse, but the firemen who hosed down the house from the outside looked as if they had things under control. Flames were no longer visible, only some smoke and the charred remains of what used to be her father’s office and the guest bedroom on the floor above it. She wouldn’t know what other damage had been done or how far the fire had spread until she was allowed inside.

Nico was suddenly in front of them. “What happened?”

Gabby looked up at Marco. “I’m going to go check on Mom and Dad.” She eyed his right arm that hung limply at his side. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” he repeated.

Gabby was surefinewas some kind of badass dude code. He could probably lose the limb and still tell her he was fine. With a sigh, she disentangled herself from Marco and made her way to the ambulance and her parents.

Vincenzo Conti looked anything but happy with a scowl marring his expression. In fact, he looked about ready to leap off the stretcher and attack the paramedic who was trying to attend him.

Her mom held his hand and was speaking to him in a tone too low for Gabby to hear until she stepped in close and caught the tail end. “…and quit being so difficult. You need your leg looked at.”

“I’m fine,” he said in a booming voice that wasn’t hard to hear even if she’d been standing fifty yards away.

Gabby rolled her eyes. “You’re fine, Marco’s fine, the whole world is fine.” She stopped on the opposite side of the stretcher from her mom and took her dad’s free hand. “Dad, mom’s right. Quit being so stubborn.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, whispering, “I’m glad you’re all right. I was worried.”

“Sto bene, cucciola.”

These men! “Quit saying you’re fine when clearly you’re not.”

Her father held up a hand. “Okay, cucciola, you win. What I meant was, stop worrying because I’llbefine.”

A giggle burst forth that she couldn’t prevent as all the stress she’d been feeling over the last hour finally started to dissipate. Knowing that everyone was alive and that she could have such a ridiculous conversation with her father, left her feeling lightheaded with relief.

“We’re ready to leave now,” the medic said, sliding in close to Gabby in a clear hint he wanted her to move.

She gave her dad’s hand one last squeeze before letting go and stepping back. “I’ll be by as soon as I can.” She watched them load her dad into the ambulance with her mom climbing in behind.

“Don’t give the nurses a hard time,” Gabby shouted as one of the paramedics slammed the rear doors, sealing off her view of her parents and silencing anything they might have said.

She watched the ambulance drive away before turning to find Marco. He was still with Nico, and she approached slowly not wanting to intrude, only hastening her step when Marco spied her and held out his hand, beckoning for her.

And then she had a thought. In the craziness of all that had happened, she’d forgotten no one knew about her and Marco yet, and unless Marco had explained things to Nico, her hugging him earlier must have seemed out of place.

Her steps faltered as she drew near.

Marco must not have liked her hesitation because he gave her an unhappy look. “Streghetta, come here, now.” When she didn’t react fast enough, he took a step toward her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and yanked her against his side.

She looked between Marco and Nico a few times, her eyes settling on Marco. “I take it he knows?”

“I know.”

She looked back at Nico. “And you’re okay with it?”

“As I told Marco, you’re both adults and don’t need my blessing, but if you want it, you have it.”

She would have gone to her brother and given him a hug, but she didn’t think Marco was going to relinquish his hold on her any time soon so had to make do with giving him a bright smile.

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