Page 48 of The Associate

“She” — I take her hand in mine. She is getting colder. Is her body going into shock? — “She is Genevieve De Luca.”

His eyes widen at the sight of the blood around her collarbone and her hip. He runs back around the corner to where his supplies are kept.Good choice Doc, I think as I look down at her lifeless body again.

“I’m so sorry, Princess.” I put my lips by her ear. “I am so fucking sorry. I don’t care what you do to me when you wake up, just please, wake up.”

The doctor rushes back, needles and gauze in hand. “What do you want me to do, Doc?” I ask. I have to help.

“We need to see just how bad that cut on her side is first, then, when damage has been assessed, we stitch her up, put a fluid drip in her arm, and see how bad everything else is.” He begins opening the packets of the instruments he needs, one being a pair of scissors to cut her top. “The stab wound to the hip is the only thing that is of life-threatening concern.”

I move her hand and arm out of the way so the doc can cut away what he needs. The ring we bought earlier today is still on her finger. That means she can’t hate me too much.

“Mr. Hawthorne?” I hear the doc’s voice, and I look up at him, his gaze full of concern. “Are you ok, boy?”

“I’m fine.” I am, in fact, not fine. The room is spinning, and the sounds around me are becoming faint.

“Go outside, get some air. Clear your head.” He looks back down at the wound on Viv’s side. “I will be fine here. She will be ok, I promise.”

“Ok,” I nod and make my way back up the stairs, heading for the main foyer door.

As I reach the door, I start to push it open. “Viper!” Sal’s voice echoes through the room.

Pausing, I turn to face him. “Yes, Sir?”

“What in the seven hells is going on?” he asks, looking at all the men standing around with worried looks on their faces. “Why is everyone standing around here in the middle of the night?”

“I need some fresh air, Sir. Would you like to join me out here for a moment?” I motion to the open door. “I will explain everything.”

He follows me out to the front steps, annoyance and confusion flashing over his features. I’m exhausted and need to rest, but I can’t sleep until I know she’s ok. I lean against one of the large, concrete pillars. I glance up at Sal, who is leaning against an opposite pillar, arms folded across his chest, waiting for me to speak.

“So, we were woken by the sound of Genevieve’s dog barking outside these doors.” I gesture to the open foyer doors.

“But that dog should have been in its crate,” he says, eyes narrowing in my direction.

“That was my thought too.” I shrug. “It wasn’t until Genevieve came in, covered in blood, that we knew something wasn’t right.”

“Blood!” The sudden volume of his voice makes me jump slightly. “Whose blood!”

“A mix of her blood and Rico’s.” I watch him carefully.

His nostrils flare and his eyes narrow again. “Why was she out here alone?”

“We all thought she was in her room and that she was asleep.” I am also not going to mention my earlier blackout. I drop my head and keep my voice low. “She must have snuck out while everyone was sleeping.”

“Where is she now? How bad is the damage?” he asks, anger lacing his tone.

“She is with the doc, he is stitching up the stab wound to her side.” I look at him again. “She has a light cut from her collarbone to her breast and another stab wound to the back of her arm that I noticed.”

“What about the others?” he asks. “Any sign of them?”

“Honestly, Sir, I haven’t even looked.” I let out a sigh, hoping he doesn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary. “My main priority was to get Genevieve down to the medics and make sure she is ok after she passed out.”

“Smart choice.” He walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for looking out for her.”

“She is as important to me as she is to you,” I say as he removes his hand from my shoulder. “Respectfully, Sir.”

“You are a good kid, Mason Hawthorne.” He starts to walk back in towards the house. “Don’t forget it. Your father would have been proud.”

With that last comment, he walks back inside, leaving me out here to think about all the choices I have made that have led me to this moment.

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