Page 7 of Rise
I drag my free hand through my long, wavy hair and let my fingertips scratch my thick, unruly beard. I haven’t taken the time to have a fucking haircut or a shave sinceall this shit went down. I hate the feel of all this facial hair, and my long hair disgusts me every time I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror. Maybe I’m just punishing myself. A part of me wants to let it grow out because it helps to hide the look of failure on my face that I know I’ll hate seeing even more than all this fucking unruly hair.
Pausing in the corridor around the corner fromVinny’s room, I do what I can to shake off all these questions, doubt and guilt before I walk into his room. I need to be strong for him. He might still be in a coma, but the way I see it, if there’s a chance he’s even the least bit aware of what’s going on, then I need to be calm, to show a brave face, and to give him every reassurance that things are under control while he works on healing hisbody and his mind, while he tries to make his way back to us.
I freeze in place as I round the corner to Vinny’s hospital room and find Lombardo, Nonna Romano’s personal bodyguard, standing at the door with one of my men.
She’s still here?
Fuck.
I’ve been so careful up until today.
For the last month, since Nonna Romano’s been back from Italy, I’ve stayed clearof her at the hospital. We both visit Vinny every day, but as soon as I figured out her routine, I took every precaution to avoid crossing paths with her here. It’s another person I don’t want to face, on top of everyone else on my crew.
It’s the accusatory glances, the repeated questions on what more I’ve done, whether I have something new to report, whether I’ve made any progress andfound her granddaughter, and the fucking obvious disappointment I am to her now.
That’s what I’ve been hoping to stay far away from.
But she’s here and I’m not ready for this.
Why the hell is Nonna Romano still here?
She comes here every morning after mass, promptly at seven o’clock. And she leaves by eleven thirty, like clockwork.
I check the time on my phone,and it confirms this error wasn’t entirely my fault. Yes, I was wrong to push this fucking door open before checking through the little reinforced glass window built into the door. But it’s after two o’clock. She’s never here this late.
Fuck.
But today, she’s still here.
Clearing my throat as I walk past the men, I give them a nod and take a small step into the hospital roomdoorway, feeling her familiar pair of eyes on me.
I know what to expect.
I know it won’t be sweet, or kind like the way she used to treat me.
That was before.
Before I let someone snatch up one of the two people in the world who means the most to her.
