Kon (Trassato Crime Family Book 2)(54)

“Did you see the person who shot you?”

“No.” She closed her eyes. A shudder rippled through her body and her breathing quickened. “The window rolled down and a gun slid out the window. My shoe got stuck in a metal grate and I-I couldn’t move. I was scared out of my mind. Then there was the pain and I was falling. I woke up at the hospital. That’s it.”

I sat in a chair next to her bed and smoothed her tangled hair away from her face repeatedly, being careful not to put too much pressure on her. “I’m sorry, Carmela.”

“It’s not your fault. More than likely, it was completely random. I could’ve been anyone, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Tears beaded in the corners of her eyes, and I felt like I was coming out of my skin. If I found the person who did this to her, I’d rip him apart piece-by-piece and flush the remains down the toilet like the disgusting piece of shit he was.

“You’re probably right. Get some rest. I’ll sit here for a while longer.”

My gut screamed at the lie. I’d bet my life she was the target. I couldn’t speculate about the motivation, though. There were so many possibilities, I didn’t know where to start.

I had enemies. Nico had enemies. Her entire family had enemies. As a rule, the Italian mafia didn’t touch wives or sisters. With a few exceptions, the women stayed above the fray, living a more traditional, sheltered life. Gian knew this, which meant he’d be gunning for me. He’d try to lay the blame for this in my lap, and I couldn’t prove him wrong.

Renzo DiTonno likely wanted to kill me. His family had demoted him to a lowly soldier. Renzo wasn’t my only enemy floating around either. I’d pissed off plenty of people by refusing to do business with them. I could probably fill an entire notebook with names of people who didn’t like me.

I lowered the safety railing and rested my head on the mattress. This was fucked up. I’d never forgive myself if my involvement in her life caused this. It was one of the reasons I hadn’t jumped into anything vaguely resembling a relationship since Laney. Being part of my life wasn’t easy.

I disappeared without explanation from time to time, I traveled a shit ton, and I had more than my fair share of blood on my hands, but that wasn’t the worst part. My world opened doors to destructive shit like drugs. Laney was a testament to the hazards of being in my life.

“How long are you staying?” she whispered about twenty minutes later.

I glanced at the rectangular window in the door. Carlo hadn’t returned. Anger pulsed through my veins. There was no way I’d leave her unprotected. I’d stay here until Gian or someone else in her family returned, and I’d tell him exactly what I thought of his half-assed attempt at protecting his sister.

“Until morning.”

Her eyes widened.

“I’m well aware of what’s gonna happen in the morning, and I don’t care. I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“Do you think I’m in danger?” she inquired, her voice unsteady.

“I don’t want you to be alone. Let’s leave it at that.”

“All right.” She scooted away from me and patted the open sliver of bed. “If you’re going to stay, share the bed with me.”

“You’re hurt.”

“Please. I need you. I don’t want to be alone either.”

Unable to resist her pleading tone and the fear in her eyes, I climbed into the bed and wrapped my arm around her. I breathed in her lemon scent now mixed with the smell of antiseptic and my muscles unfurled for the first time since Evie banged on my door and told me someone had shot Carmela.

“Now sleep or I’m leaving.”

Within minutes, she was back asleep, her ribcage rising and falling steadily against my body.

“I love you, Kon,” she mumbled so softly against my chest I almost missed it.

She loves me.

A sharp pain ricocheted through me and my gut twisted into knots. I froze mid-stroke of my hand on her back, clueless how to respond. Everything inside of me screamed to claim Carmela as my own, damn the consequences.

Without a doubt, I felt something close to love, but I wasn’t one hundred percent there, and I refused to toss the words around casually only to take them back when it suited me. Too many people had done that to me, and I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

Laney told me she loved me thousands of times. My parents claimed to love me. Even Evie had promised we’d be there for each other. All of them, the people I thought would stick by me and love me forever, turned on me or picked something over me.

Laney loved drugs more than me. My dad loved me for what I could do for his business. My mom loved the money I sent her. Evie loved me until it was inconvenient.