Page 140 of Married with Mayhem

Shortly after the doctor leaves, a nurse shows up to check my vitals and ask about my pain. The pain isn’t terrible now but I can feel it gnawing at the edges and know it will become worse later.

There’s still no sign of any pancakes but luckily Big Man Bowie saves the day and arrives with fresh hamburgers.

“I snuck them in,” he declares proudly.

Indeed he did. Two burgers, one for me and one for Monte, were lovingly prepared and then stored in a white paper bag, which he ‘hid’ under his shirt in a very visible way that fooled no one. He would be a dreadful smuggler.

Daisy, nearing the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, must be feeling very maternal because she insists on helping me while I try to eat my food. I could use some help so I don’t complain. Then she carefully brushes out my hair and ties it up in a loose bun to keep it out of my way. My sister will be a wonderful mother, just like Anni.

Sal and Nico need to return to the city to deal with pizza business so they take the car. Nico says he’ll be back tomorrow. I’m told that I won’t be discharged for another couple of days. I know without asking that Monte won’t be going anywhere until I do.

Daisy doesn’t want to leave but she is tired so Big Man Bowie takes her to the cabin to get a few hours of sleep. She wants to be here when Mama and Vittorio arrive this afternoon.

The room becomes very quiet with all of our company gone.

I scoot over and pat the bed. “Reclaim your rightful place.”

Monte grins and slides in next to me. The television is on but the volume is turned down. Neither of us are too interested in watching whatever bubbly morning show is playing.

Monte touches my cheek and kisses my temple. His sigh is filled with sorrow.

“Are you really okay?” I pat his leg.

“No. I almost lost you.”

“But you didn’t.”

He nods and his breath tickles my neck. “Do you remember when I asked you to go for a walk?”

“Yeah, but I think we’ll have to postpone it. I’m not really up for hiking today.”

He sniffs out a laugh and then grows serious. “There’s a reason why I suggested a night hike. I planned to bring you back to that meadow we found yesterday. And then I was going to propose to you under the moonlight.”

He takes my hand and laces our fingers together. He brings my hand to his lips for a soft kiss and needs a few seconds to compose himself before continuing.

“Sabrina, you are my wife. But when we got married, it wasn’t your choice. I’m asking you to choose me now. Will you marry me, Brina?”

“Monte.” I pull him closer. “Of course I’ll marry you. And you are my choice. You always have been.”

34

MONTE

Sabrina is sleeping when Ethan Krull shows up at the hospital again just before noon. He has some morgue photos he wants to show me. From what he said earlier, he’s technically no longer the police chief but fuck if I know how the small town police hierarchy works

I look at the photos of a pasty dead man and I’m not shocked to recognize him.

“His name is Derek Bianco,” I say.

Ethan withdraws his phone with a nod. “Yeah, we ran his prints and he had a record. What’s his connection to you?”

I think the less said the better. Bianco, I’m remembering now, had recently joined Lenny Lombardo’s crew. And the question of how he knew where to find me is answered when I remember Rochelle’s scowling face. She was sitting right there in Gino’s when Sabrina and I discussed taking a trip up here this weekend. We even mentioned the carnival. It doesn’t matter what her motives were when she went blabbing to her fiancé. The result is the same. Bianco must have figured this was his golden opportunity to take me out far from the city without suspicion being traced back to him.

The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach returns. Though there was never any doubt the gunman was aiming was for me, there are mixed feelings that come with putting a name to the killer.

At least the Tempestas were telling the truth. But Sabrina nearly lost her life because of a man who had multiple reasons to hate me.

How was I ever so foolish to believe I could collect endless enemies and pay no price?

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