Page 109 of Third Degree

“Of course I did. I left you in the midst of chaos, and I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to you,” I rasped, the sound a reminder of the pain throbbing in my shoulder.

My gaze drifted toward the bandaged wound and the bulky cast adorning my arm.

Seeking answers, I turned to Tatum, who explained the necessity of surgery to remove a bullet lodged in my shoulder. I nodded, absorbing the information before redirecting my attention to Chelsea, who lingered awkwardly in the room.

“Where were you?” I asked.

She hesitated, shuffling her feet and finally mustering the words. “I had taken cover in a corner of the club with that guy. Nothing happened between us. When the shooting started, we made a run for it, and Elio helped us escape. Are you mad at me?” she added.

“Mad? At you?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “No. God, no. I am mad at my father, but that is a story for another time.”

Chelsea practically bolted over toward me and gave me a hug, carefully avoiding my shoulder blade.

“Can we, like, talk about anything else other than what happened? I am tired and need to veg out,” I asked my friends.

Without missing a beat, Chelsea grabbed the remote, turning on a rerun ofThe Real Housewives, and we spent the next hour indulging in casual banter while simultaneously mocking the show. It was the perfect prescription, and I couldn’t help but be grateful that no nurse dared to disturb our momentary respite.

“Rosa mia,” Elio’s soothing and familiar voice entered the room just as the episode ended.

I snapped my head over to him, and immediately, my eyes filled with tears. From the corner of my eye, I could see Tatum and Chelsea packing up their things and scurrying out while quickly waving, both of them grinning.

My eyes were focused on him. The way he looked so lost yet so happy to see me. He also seemed exhausted, like he hadn’t slept in days.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, rushing to my side to take Tatum’s place.

“Other than my shoulder, I’m okay,” I replied, focusing on the pain radiating from the injured area.

Elio wasted no time in buzzing the nurse. “We need pain medication,” he asserted as soon as she answered, despite my attempts to dismiss his concerns.

“I’m fiiiiiine,” I insisted, but he seized the opportunity to hold my hand and plant a kiss on it. “Where were you?” I inquired after a few moments, his emerald-green eyes locking onto mine. I could discern the lines etched beneath them, evidence of the vast experiences he had encountered in a world I knew so little about.

“I went to see your father,” he responded quietly.

I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t expecting that answer. I knew the moment I woke up and figured out what happened to me where Elio was going to go. Honestly, I was hoping he’d find the answers I needed.

But I was also scared. I didn’t want him to… hurt him. I didn’t want to see him dead because he was still my dad regardless of what he did or his reasons behind why he did it.

“And did you… kill him?” The words caught in my throat as I spoke them aloud.

“No.” Elio shook his head, placing a tender kiss on my cheek. “I wanted to, but I couldn’t. The decision of what kind of relationship you want with him is yours alone. I cannot take that choice away from you.”

“You’re a quick learner,” I murmured, a strand of hair brushed away from my face by his gentle touch. He leaned in for a kiss, but I turned my head. “I must smell awful.”

He chuckled, undeterred, and kissed me anyway.

“There’s never a moment in life where I wouldn’t want to kiss you.” But then he sighed, pausing for a moment. “Carlo is dead. The funeral has already taken place. Everyone knows how he died except your cousin and father,” Elio divulged.

“How did he die?” I hesitated to ask, bracing myself for the answer.

“Not by my hand. It was my security who identified the shooter and neutralized him. Trust me, there are many other things I would have liked to do to him before ending his life,” he admitted.

“When can I go home?” I said just as the doctor entered the room.

We discussed the need for physical therapy and the necessity of resting my shoulder for six weeks. Eventually, they gave us the green light to return home—my home.

36

Elio

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