Page 117 of Ruthless Vengeance
“You okay?” His voice is hoarse.
“I’m fine,” I lie, but he’s already looking over my shoulder.
“Get a doctor. She’s pregnant. I want her checked over,now.”
“Marco—”
He looks down at me, his expression one of pure determination.
“Please…” His voice cracks. “I need to know you’re both okay.”
And just like that, I let the fight go.
Somehow,I manage to keep it together even when the sound of my baby’s heartbeat comes through strong and steady on the machine, though I can’t ignore the fact that Marco is not at my side.
This moment should be joyful, but right now, all I feel is a hollow sort of relief.
I want to cry and scream and collapse all at once.
When I return to the waiting area, I find Marco sitting with his elbows on his knees, staring down at the floor. I’ve never seen him look so…defeated.
But before I even take a step to approach him, the double doors to my left burst open, and I glance over to find Lila and Rosa hurrying toward us, carrying Holly and Zoe.
Seeing my daughter breaks the last thread of control I have, and I instantly burst into tears at the sight of her.
“W-where is he?” Lila’s panicked as she rushes over to us.
“He’s still in surgery.” Marco calmly gets to his feet.
Rosa hands Zoe over to me, and I hold my baby tightly, breathing in the smell of her hair as she buries her face in my chest.
“I love you so much, baby girl.”
“Why would someone do this?” Rosa asks quietly, and my chest tightens
How do I tell her the truth? How do I look her in the eye and tell her that her brother is dying because of mine?
Lila collapses into a chair, looking shaken beyond belief, as she listens to Marco’s update. There is not an ounce of color left in her face, and her eyes are red and swollen as she holds Holly.
Rosa doesn’t look much better.
I did this.
I’m the reason they’re feeling this pain right now.
Marco must see the guilt on my face as he subtly crosses over to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder, guiding me away from Lila and Rosa.
“This wasn’t on you,” he murmurs in my ear. “Ben’s actions are on him. No one else.”
I nod, but the guilt is so heavy on my chest that I can barely take a breath.
I might not have been the one to pull the trigger, but if it weren’t for me, Ben and Andre would’ve never crossed paths.
If Andre dies, Marco will have every right to want to avenge him.
Even though I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ben never really was my brother in the way that matters, there’s still a hollow ache in my chest when I think of what’s to come. A faint echo of something I can’t name.
What I do know is that I won’t be the one to stand in the way of Marco when he ultimately decides to make Ben pay for what he’s done, because Andre has been more of a brother to me than Ben ever was.
