Page 100 of A Touch of Fate

“May I?” Pietro asked, opening his arms.

I nodded with a small, embarrassed smile. Accepting help often still made me uncomfortable, especially with people I wasn’t very close to. Pietro was always very kind, but I wasn’t as close to him as I was to Ines. He was a reserved man like Samuel, so bonding took longer.

“I’m heavier than I look,” I joked.

Pietro chuckled. “And I’m not as old as I look.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t look old.” He was in his late fifties, with gray streaks in his brown hair to show for it, but he was in shape and as tall as Samuel.

He picked me up and lifted me into the bed. “There you go.” He met my gaze, and the mirth disappeared from his face, sadness and worry taking over. “Samuel feels horrible as he should. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

“Guilt and loss,” I said quietly. “Denial.”

Pietro nodded. “He’s strong. He can handle it.”

I shook my head. I didn’t like contradicting Pietro. He was my father-in-law and the Underboss of the city, at least until January when Samuel would take over, but he was blind to the truth, like so many Made Men.

“He won’t be able to handle it on his own. Especially if he becomes Underboss in January. That’s even more weight that will be resting on his shoulders.”

“It was announced officially that he’ll take over in January. We can’t change it now without raising suspicions.”

I had feared he’d say that, and I knew Samuel would see it the same way.

“I know.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Pietro assured me. “Samuel needs you, and I think you need him.”

I nodded, then touched my bump. “And the baby needs me to protect it.”

“Samuel won’t ever do anything to risk your life or that of the baby again, I know it.”

Pietro’s phone beeped with a message, and he scanned it quickly, then looked back up.

“Your brother is on the way,” Pietro murmured. “Samuel told him about the crash.”

That wouldn’t go over well. Danilo would lose his shit on Samuel, and this time I couldn’t even blame him. “Does he know about the alcohol?”

Pietro’s lips tightened. “I don’t know, but I’m not sure if it’s wise to tell your brother this detail.”

I wasn’t either.

Fifteen minutes later, Danilo stormed into my hospital room. One look at his face told me things would be out of control soon. His eyes burned with fury. After he hugged me carefully, he straightened again. “Where is he?”

“Danilo, please calm down. We’re in public, and I’m fine,” I said, trying to avoid a huge scene. I wasn’t fine, not in the mental sense at least. The bruise on my arm would fade soon, but the almost crash would surely haunt my nights for a while.

The door opened at that moment, and Samuel stepped in. Danilo lunged at him and smashed his fist against Samuel’s face. Samuel shoved Danilo away but didn’t otherwise retaliate. His expression burned with guilt. I assumed that held him back.Pietro stepped between them. “Enough. Emma doesn’t need to see this.”

Danilo glowered at Samuel over Pietro’s shoulder. “I think she does. I think she needs to dump your sorry ass. You aren’t worthy of her.”

“This is between my wife and me,” Samuel said in a deadly whisper. A bruise was already forming on his chin.

Danilo walked toward my bed and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he turned to Samuel once again. “Emma almost died because of a drunk driver. She is in a wheelchair because of a drunk driver. And you fucking bastard get behind the wheel stinking drunk with her in the car? You could have killed her and the baby.”

Tears burned in my eyes, the heavy reality of the truth sinking in.

“I want a word with Emma,” Samuel said, his eyes locking on mine. His words had been a command, but his gaze asked me if it was okay.

I nodded. Danilo didn’t budge. “Don’t forgive him, Emma. Not for this.”

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