Page 63 of Omega's Vengeance

“Oh.” I grimace.

“It can be very serious. But you were lucky. While there was internal bleeding, it was relatively controlled and minor. That means, if all goes well, the body will eventually reabsorb the leaked blood without the need for extensive medical intervention”

“I see.” I touch my tender abdomen. “How long will I have to stay in the hospital?”

“Dr. Brown will discuss that with you when he does his rounds.” She gives me a reassuring smile. “He’ll be here soon.”

I really don’t want to stay in the hospital. I’ve had enough of hospitals from when my father had his stroke. I just want to get out of here.I just want to go to Dario. That last thought fills me with confusion, and also excitement. I instinctively know that being near Dario will calm me.

The nurse leaves the room and I doze off. When I wake up, I hear someone moving around in the room. My pulse races when I think it might be Dario, but then a tall, less bulky figure appears beside my bed. Shock rocks through me as I recognize who it is.

Carlo.

At my startled expression he says, “Don’t panic. I’m not here to hurt you, Alessio.”

“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” I growl, struggling to sit up. My stomach aches painfully when I do that, but I feel way too vulnerable lying flat with Carlo looming over me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Calm down.” He glances around nervously. There are scratches on his face, and he limped when he approached. “Look, things have spiraled out of control. I want to make things right. I need your help.”

“That’s not possible.”

“You haven’t even heard what I have to say yet,” he rasps.

“You’re a snake. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

He exhales. “I understand why you’re upset. If I could turn back time, I’d never make a move against you again. It was dumb. Unnecessary. You and I have always had a good relationship in the past.”

“Right. Which is why it was shocking to have you try and fuckingmurderme multiple times, Carlo.” I lean toward him, bristling with rage. “Did you or did you not literally just try to kill me and Dario? I’m in this hospital with a hematoma because of you.”

He winces and once more flicks his uneasy gaze toward the door. “I get why you’re mad, but just hear me out. I’ve done a lot of thinking and I’ve realized you and I don’t have to be enemies after all. I… I have a proposition for you.”

“Save it,” I grate. “I’ll never trust you again.”

“Do you trustValentino?” He scowls. “Do you trustDario? Aren’t they forcing you into a marriage, and grabbing your syndicate for themselves? How are they any better than me?”

Shocked he knows about Valentino’s strong arm tactics, I don’t say anything.

“Don’t look so surprised, Alessio.” He shakes his head. “I know you’d never have agreed to that marriage if they weren’t threatening you into it.”

My face warms. “You don’t know anything.” He has no idea I have Dario’s bite, I’m sure. Who knows what he’d say if he knew that little tidbit. I doubt he’d be pleased.

He licks his lips, sweat glistening on his forehead. His desperation is palpable. “Listen to me, Alessio. There are other syndicates that aren’t happy about the Abella Syndicate being absorbed by the Black Knives. We all know why Valentino is doing it. He wants to be untouchable. But these other syndicates are willing to fight with me to take down the Black Knives.”

“Good luck with that. There’s no way you can succeed. The Black Knives are way too big and powerful.”

“Even they can’t withstand a coordinated effort to destroy them.” He laughs gruffly.

“If you have these other syndicates, why do you need me?”

His smile is sly. “Your impending marriage to Dario could be our ace in the hole. With you on theinside, we could rip them to shreds. They’d never see it coming.”

“You want me to betray Valentino while living in his home? Sounds like a good way to die. But then, what would you care about that? You’ve tried killing me twice already.”

He winces. “I told you that was a mistake. Can’t you see the big picture? Can’t you put the past in the past?”

“I’m literally in the hospital because of you. How do I put that behind me?” I grip the railing on the hospital bed, wincing as my stiches pull uncomfortably.

He sighs impatiently. “I should have thought of this plan sooner. It would have saved me a lot of trouble, and you wouldn’t be so upset with me. But, there’s still time to fix this. If you’ll join with us, instead of going along with Valentino, you’ll have your freedomandyour syndicate back. I’m serious. Valentino will never see it coming. He’s so arrogant he assumes your just going to go along with his plan. But if you work for me instead, just think, Alessio, you could be so rich and powerful, no one would ever dare come against you again.”

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