“Why are you sorry?” He jerked his hand back. “It’s my fault!” The heart monitor started going crazy. “I didn’t save you!” Tears welled in his eyes. “I can’t save you, damn it!”
A nurse rushed into the room. “What’s going on?”
“He’s upset,” I said dumbly as more tears collected on my cheeks.
The nurse frowned. “Well, try to keep him calm.” She inserted something into his IV and checked his vitals. “Quite a close call, Mr. Abandonato. I imagine you’ll be more careful what neighborhoods you walk around in next time.”
Sergio didn’t miss a beat. “Right, it was foolish of me to think I was safe in that area of Chicago.”
She nodded and handed him his call button. “Be sure to let me know if you need anything. The police have already been by, so for now, just rest.”
When the door closed, he glanced at Nixon. “Police.”
“Gunshot wounds.” He shrugged. “But me and the chief go way back. His sons always wanted to attend Elite.”
“Amazing,” I whispered under my breath.
Tex grinned in my direction. “What’s amazing is the amount of cops we have on the ledger.”
Sergio’s breathing had evened out.
I glanced back at him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“But you’re not.” His eyes focused in on my hand; he gripped my fingers tight. “And I think I pointed a gun at you.”
“Thus, why Nixon shot your sorry ass,” Tex said.
“Caught that.” Sergio pointed at his clipboard. I handed it to him while he quickly read it. His face paled as he set it back down. “Maybe next time my cousin should aim for the less important arteries?”
“You seized.” Nixon crossed his arms and sat down in his chair. “I couldn’t have predicted that.”
“Yeah, well…” Sergio licked his lips. “…thank you… for coming for me. I should kick your asses but then I wouldn’t be here, with Andi, so… thank you.”
Nixon grinned. “You think this one…” He pointed an accusing finger at me. “…would have it any other way? She was ready to bomb the house just to find you.”
“I briefly recall a bomb actually going off.” He squinted in my direction while Tex and Nixon muttered, “Frank,” under their breaths.
Tex nodded at Nixon. “We should let them talk.”
Nixon rose from his chair and followed Tex out. “Let us know if you need anything.”
Sergio waited until the door closed before he turned his attention to me. His eyes were sad. I’d always heard that expression — even read about it — but never had actually experienced it.
His blue eyes were glassy like he was trying to hold tears back, his expression grim, his face pale. When he gazed at me, it was with utter hopelessness, and I hated that he’d been brought to that point.
“Chin up.” I winked. “At least Nixon didn’t kill you.”
“Remember how you said I sucked at pep talks?” He frowned, gripping my other hand in his.
“Vaguely,” I said innocently.
He cracked a smile. “Yeah, well… you’re not so good yourself.”
“Russians don’t have feelings.”
“We Italians feel all over the place. It’s in our blood. We feel, we worry, we eat pasta, we drink copious amounts of wine, and we shoot things to defend our family honor.”
I sighed and moved to the bed so I could lie by his side. “And what is this Italian feeling right this moment?”
Sergio let out a long sigh. “A bit helpless.”
“Well, you do have a few holes in your body.”
“I couldn’t care less about the gunshots or the pain or almost dying.”
I knew what was coming. I even closed my eyes, thinking it would help the impact of the words.
“I’m really not a match?” he whispered, releasing my hand and rubbing his fingertips up and down my arm.
I shook my head, not trusting myself.
His hand paused. “I believed it. I seriously believed it, Andi. I thought maybe if I believed it hard enough, it would make it true.”
I glanced up at him through hooded lashes. “Sergio, you can’t save the world.”
“I don’t want to save the world — I just want to save you.”
I pressed my palm against his chest. I could feel the heat of his body through the hospital gown, his heartbeat steady.
“Do you think you can miss people? Even when you die?” I blurted. “Because I can’t imagine not missing you.”
“Andi—” Sergio pressed a kiss to my forehead. “—it’s only over when it’s over, right? Until then, you fight, and I’ll fight right alongside you.”
“A lot of good that will do me. You’re basically handicapped. “I winked.
He chuckled low in his throat and ran his fingers through my hair.
“Italy?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad we didn’t blow you up.”
“You really know how to romance a man,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes. “Please, your idea of romance is using family members as target practice then washing down the blood with a large glass of wine.”
“Look who’s talking, bloodthirsty little Russian.”
I smiled against his chest. My cheek pressed against him, just wishing the moment would last forever. “You should sleep.”