Page 117 of Raging Inferno

He wasn’t sure he could make his feet move. If something happened to Presley, he would lose it.

“I’ll watch Gia,” Sam offered.

“Thank you.” It would help to have Kayne with him.

He and Kayne followed Erin to the same room he’d left a few minutes ago. Dom concentrated on breathing to lower his skyrocketing pulse.

“She’s going to be okay,” Kayne said.

“How can you be sure?”

Kayne shrugged. “The power of positive thought.”

The door opened, and a woman with gray hair and wire-rimmed glasses entered. She consulted her clipboard. “Mr. Bianchi?”

“Yes.”

“And you are?”

“Kayne Serruto. I’m a coworker and friend.”

The woman nodded. “I’m Dr. Burton. I treated Ms. Presley Parrish for a stab wound. She has a pneumothorax or collapsed lung. We operated to repair the tear. She didn’t require a chest tube.”

That was good, right?

“Yes.”

He didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud.

“The blade missed her heart by millimeters. The correct protocol was followed by keeping the knife in the wound and applying pressure. She is still under sedation from the surgery.”

“She’s going to recover?”

“Yes.”

Dominic exhaled the breath he’d been holding. Kayne did too.

“You’ll be able to visit her soon.”

They both thanked her and then bro-hugged with backslaps. When they returned to the waiting room, Gia had fallen asleep on the couch. Sam looked up.

“How is she?”

“Going to be okay.”

“Thank God.”

Soon, Erin came for Sam and led him to Jessie. Ten minutes later, she stood in front of Dom. “Follow me.”

Dominic scooped Gia into his arms. She mumbled but snuggled against his shoulder. Kayne brought up the rear as they entered Presley’s room. The space was dim, with only a small fluorescent light above the bed providing illumination. An oxygen mask still covered her face, but he was happy to note that the blue tint was gone.

In a panicked voice, Gia asked, “Daddy, is Presley okay?”

Dom ran a hand down her hair. “She will be, honey.”

A nurse adjusted her blankets. “She’ll be out for a while if you want to get some rest.”

Dominic wasn’t about to leave her. “Is it okay if we stay?”

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