Page 73 of Dirty Big Sins

“You son of a bitch.”

Romeo chuckled. “No, son. That would be you. By the way, buying your girlfriend’s studio today was a solid move. Zia’s always needed a man who can keep her under control. She’s a nice girl, but a little too much at times, if you know what I mean.”

“Excuse me?” Zia had stopped moving and I lost the grip she had on my hand.

“Zia,” I called, but it was too late. They were ushering me down the stairs and toward the waiting ambulance.

As the doors closed, I could no longer see anyone beyond the medical professionals. Romeo had dropped one final bomb and there was going to be hell to pay.

Chapter Thirty

ZIA

Usheredinto the hospital by security, I made a beeline for my assistant, who stood waiting for me not far from the entrance with a duffel bag in her hands. I needed to change quickly and get up to the fourth floor where they were rushing Vincent into surgery to remove his bullet.

“Is there any update?” I asked.

Julie shook her head, handing me the bag before she led me to the nearest restroom.

“I feel like the whole world is on fire.” I stripped out of the evening gown and tossed it onto the counter. Julie grabbed it and shoved it into my bag.

“It kind of is. There is so much happening I don’t know where to start.”

“First things first. Is it true?”

“About Vincent buying the network that owns Zia’s Kitchen? Yep.”

“Son of a—”

“The press is losing their minds. Between your godfather being alive and in custody and Vincent shot and in surgery, no one can stop and take a breath. And the whole studio thing is like a bonus side show for the circus that is your life right now.”

I emerged from the bathroom stall in sleek black pants, a vintage, but designer sweater with hip bell sleeves and my favorite pair of leopard print Jimmy Choos.

“This is what I should wear in a hospital? I look like I’m about to go out to an event or something.”

“Zia, I’m not kidding about the press. Hold still under the light so I can fix your makeup real quick.” She swiped my face with a makeup wipe and then grabbed a small travel bag from the counter. “You aren’t going to be able to move two feet without someone wanting an interview or a photo and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take care of making you look good when you have more important issues on your mind.”

My eyes blinked open so I could get a good look at her face. She was seriously more concerned for the well-being of my career than I was at this point. Despite everything, including the anger still festering, I could think of nothing but seeing Vincent.

“You are the best assistant and I am so lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that. But let’s save the praise until after this is all over. We still have a busy road ahead of us.”

I reached out and pulled her to me, giving her a hug. I didn’t say anything else, but hopefully I didn’t need to. Her constant support and above and beyond work ethic meant the world to me.

“Okay,” she said, pulling away. “Let’s get this done so you can go see your man.”

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek to take my attention away from the tears welling in my eyes. Now was not the time to cry.

It was the next morning before I actually got to see Vincent. Since I wasn’t family, they wouldn’t allow me into the ICU. Which meant no one got into see him because Romeo was still in jail and he had no other family outside of the Rossis in Italy.

They did tell me his surgery had gone extremely well, and with time and physical therapy, he would regain full range of motion in his shoulder. Although no one said anything about his future in boxing and I was afraid to ask.

During my waiting time, I’d refused all interview requests, ignored phone calls from Zack my show producer, dealing only with restaurant issues. Gabe and Nina had insisted on postponing the opening of Zia’s Kitchen until Vincent was out of the hospital and on the mend.

What did surprise everyone was the outpouring of support we both were getting from the general public. Julie’s plan to sell our romance via social media had worked even better than anyone had thought. Seriously, the number of fans shipping our relationship astounded me. Especially since I didn’t know anymore where we stood.

The night on his plane had cemented my feelings, but the bomb Romeo dropped on me had served as a stark reminder that Vincent and I had obstacles we still needed to work out. Namely his interference in my career.

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