Page 41 of Lines Drawn
I grab my friend and pull him into my arms as he breaks down. Rocking him, I murmur nonsense words to him as I desperately try to figure out our options. Fuck Allesandro and Cristian. They don’t deserve any of us. But…fuck. I have no clue what Hollis and Tennant will do, and those two are part of us now. There’s also the rest of the Boys…
“Alright. Uh. We need to be smart about this. When would you want to leave? We need to talk to Sarah and find out if there's anything we should be concerned about with transferring Ignacio—if he even wants to come. There’s also Roman, although I’m not sure if he’ll come. And if he doesn't…I’m not sure Ignacio will. Or Tennant,” I pause before softly adding, “Or Hollis.”
Lio flinches at Hollis’s name, the pain on his face deepening as he pulls away from me. I wish I had a magical answer for him to make this better, but the truth is…we fell for people who were already in relationships. That makes this harder. Granted, they’re not assholes like Cristian and Allesandro.
Sighing, Lio picks at my comforter and I slap his hand lightly. Rolling his eyes at me, he shrugs one shoulder. “I guess…talk to Sarah about the medical care, and I don’t know…do we call ameeting with everyone? To let them know our plans? Offer them the option of coming with us.”
“It won’t go over well,” I warn Lio. “Even if the others embrace it, that’s more than standing up to Allesandro. He’ll take this as mutiny. Those are his Boys. And I have no idea what he’d think of the Amatos leaving.”
“If he were a worthwhile leader, there would be no reason to break away. But he broke the rules. Where is his loyalty? His courage? It’s like he’s stuck back in that cell with Cristian, refusing to walk away from it. They’ve bonded, yes, but…it’s warped.
“I’ve been kidnapped before. Fuck, look what Peter put me through. And Jax for you. We both understand the psychological impact that shit has on a person. But nothing excuses what they’re doing.”
I stare at the engagement ring he keeps playing with; moving it, pulling it as close to off as he can, before putting it back. There’s no words I can give him on this decision. I know he already feels like he’s betraying Allesandro, but I worry he’ll go too far. Allesandro isn’t exactly known for being rational.
“I understand. And agree. Alright, you want me to set up a meeting tomorrow? That way you can talk to everyone after you’ve gone on your rescue mission. You need to get some sleep right now. There’s time for a nap. I can talk to Sarah and start putting things in motion while you rest.”
“You’re a perfect Second. And the best friend I could ask for,” Lio whispers as he blinks away tears, and my heart clenches at the sight. My strong friend is hurting, and fuck do I want to stab Allesandro. Sadly, I already pushed my luck with Cristian.
“Get some sleep. You need it.” I kiss the top of his head and slide off the bed.
“You okay with me bunking in here?” Lio asks softly. “I…”
“I know. You don’t want to go back to your room. Yeah, go ahead. I’ll kick you out when it’s time for you to start getting ready to meet Antonio. I’m going to track down Sarah, Tennant, Roman, and Carter. If I’m lucky, some of them will be together. I’m sure they can help spread the word for me. But I’ll make sure everyone knows to show up.”
Lio strips down to his underwear and slides between the sheets. He curls into a ball, before mumbling, “After breakfast. I want this shit taken care of. I…just can’t stay.”
“I understand.” I stare at him as he drifts to sleep before exhaling.Fuck. This is not what I want to be doing, but…I’m his Second for a reason.
Fucking Allesandro. And fucking Cristian. I hope those two assholes know exactly what they’re doing, because they’re tossing the best of us away.
They don’t deserve us. I hope the others understand why we’re doing this—and…that we’re not trying to force them. We have to take the best route for us. And that means saving my best friend from the pain he faces here, because even in sleep, his face doesn’t lose the lines of anxiety and heartache. And that can be laid right at those two assholes’ feet…
“You should be resting,” Roman’s raspy, sleep-roughed voice says.
Leaning forward carefully, I grab his water and help him take a few sips. “I thought you’d sleep longer. Leandro said Kail had to drug you again.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “I’m going to have to have another set of x-rays done tomorrow. Doc wants to double check I didn’t make any of my ribs shift out of place, or break the ones that were only cracked but not broken completely; because then we’ll have to worry about one of them puncturing a lung.”
“Roman…”
“I watched what happened at dinner,” he says quietly. “Leandro…I don’t know why, but he bugged the dining room and was watching it, and then when Lio and Carter madetheir stands… What the fuck is happening, Tennant? I don’t understand?”
I sigh and try to get comfortable in the chair. My side hurts like a bitch, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. “Your father stabbing Chaos set off a…chain of events. Il Padrone not only allowed it, but he is condoning the gutting. If Cristian had only stabbed him, no one would have batted an eye, but going as far as he did… Il Padrone has declared he’s not raising a finger against Cristian.”
“What?” he asks sharply. “So Il Padrone is perfectly okay with one of his Boys possibly dying? That…that doesn’t seem like him.”
“Right. I don’t know what’s going on with Emilio and him, but apparently the puppy isn’t too happy with his Master. It’s a smart move either way, if done correctly. Emilio’s influence over his birthright would only make the Martellis stronger, but I’m not sure if Il Padrone will see it that way. He’s currently on Team Be-An-Asshole.”
Roman huffs a laugh and then groans. “And Carter? I know he and Dad had words and Carter took some space away from him after their argument—at least, according to Leandro, but what was that with Carter claiming to be a De Luca?”
“What else has Leandro told you?” I ask, my suspicions rising at my son’s sudden interest in everyone's interpersonal lives.
“That’s it? Why? Is something else happening? Besides the rescue plan?”
I shake my head, deciding not to worry him until I find out more. With Leandro, nothing is ever as it seems. He purposefully chose what information to relay to Roman, and right now, with him possibly injuring himself further from worrying about his friend and his fathers, it’s not a good time to give him any more to stress over.
There’s a knock on the door before it opens and Benjamin steps into the room. “You should be resting.” He scowls when he sees me.
