Page 6 of Enzo
There’s a groan and then “Present,” he says in a weak voice.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah, mostly.”
The pain is blinding, and it takes all my concentration to focus on what needs to happen. “G-got your…gun?”
“Yes…”
Darkness creeps into my vision. “Good… Now you n-need to go.”
“What?”
“Go, R-Roman!” I yell with the last of my strength. “I…it’s bad.” Everything is quickly being swallowed up by the darkness, but as I was trained to be, I’m more concerned with getting Roman out of the situation than my own safety. So as the world dims, I manage to get one final word out. “Go.”
Distantly, I hear more glass breaking, and as the pain and darkness swallow me whole, I fall into it, secure in the knowledge that if nothing else, I did what I swore I would always do: protect Roman Amato until my dying breath.
Ipull up to the scene at the same time Rose does, and we’re barely out of our cars before Doc is barking orders.
“One of you check on Roman and get him back to the house, the other will be assisting me.” Doc doesn’t say anything else, too focused on bringing his phone to his ear and calling someone.
Rose and I exchange looks, and with silent communication built from years of being friends and working together, we come to an agreement.
Rose grabs her medical bag and heads to where the intact SUV is. Amato guards encircle the vehicle, keeping the valuable target inside from sight. At a quick glance, I see none of them are Enzo. Even as I open the side door to my van, I scan the area, hoping for a glimpse of him.
Fear tries to override my senses, but I shove it down. Doc needs me more than Enzo does right now. Whatever happened, there’s nothing we can’t fix. I need to focus on my job now and my personal life later.
Grabbing my bag and the bodyboard I keep in the back of the van, I head to the destroyed SUV. The few guards standing there with Doc move out of my way.
In a firm, no-nonsense voice, Doc orders, “I want this done quickly. He’s already lost too much blood, and I’m worried he’s in shock. We need to move fast, without risk of injuring him more.”
Carefully, Doc and another guard drag the man in the front passenger seat out the window and onto the bodyboard I set on the ground. Only then do I get a good look at his face. I had a feeling I knew who it was the entire time—I just needed to see it to believe it.
Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I push away all my personal feelings. They have no place here.
The sight of the man I love lying on the bodyboard is too much, despite the professional compartmentalization I’ve established. A sob catches in my throat and my stomach twists with nausea at the sight of him so battered and barely hanging on. So as they pick Enzo up and carry him to the van, it’s all I can do to race ahead and get the door open.
Doc climbs into the back of the van and helps get Enzo situated. I climb in as well to assist while James, Doc’s bodyguard, gets into the driver’s seat. Once Doc and I are shut into the back of the van with Enzo, James gets moving.
We’re not nearly as equipped as we need to be for this situation, but that’s something I can’t worry about now, not when Enzo’s blood is all over my hands as I try my best to stop the bleeding.
His leg is a mangled mess, and I choke on a sob as I work on him. For the first time in my career, my stomach twists and nausea rises. It’s different when you hold the life of someone you love in your hands.
Doc makes a call, giving the hospital our ETA while I continue to staunch the bleeding.
“You sure the hospital is the right move?” I ask as soon as he hangs up.
“No. I’d prefer to do the entire surgery myself, but neither you nor Rose have the right qualifications, and I don’t have the equipment. Both things I will need to rectify.”
I grimace, knowing he’s right but hating it all the same. “I’m not going back to school. I like what I do and where I am.”
Doc nods almost absently, his expression dark. “Then I’ll tell Cristian to hire someone whoistrained in surgery.”
I want to ask why he hasn’t before, but that’s not exactly helpful, so I keep my mouth shut and focus on my job, working once more to push my personal feelings to the side.
Everything ischaotic once we get to the hospital. Doc and the head surgeon go toe to toe right away, and I worry for a moment we’re going to get kicked out because of Doc’s ego and brattiness. Thankfully, the surgeon just glares and jerks his head in a “follow me” way, and spins on his heels.
Doc doesn’t hesitate to march his way deeper into the hospital, and I follow behind like the lost little duck I am.
