Vittorio stirred as if he might protest, but Stefano dropped down beside him, running his hands over his brother even as his formidable gaze was on Mariko. "You're a shadow rider."
She nodded. "But my explanation belongs to Ricco. He's also injured and needs medical attention."
In the distance they could hear sirens.
Ricco glared at her. "I'm fine. Concentrate on saving my brother. Emme, get over here. You're better at this than any of the rest of us. I can't move. I'm plugging up the deepest hole. Get him to breathe properly."
"Let me see," Mariko said gently.
Terrified of letting go of his brother, Ricco shook his head. "Get him breathing right." Vittorio's lungs didn't appear to be working properly.
"They broke his ribs," Mariko said patiently. "His lung has collapsed."
Ricco closed his eyes and shook his head. He'd been late again. For the second time, and someone else had paid the price.
"Ricco, I need a report," Stefano said. "The police will be here any moment. Let the others take care of Vittorio. He isn't going to die. He's too tough for that. And he's given me his word. Haven't you, Vittorio." Stefano pinned his younger brother with a father's demanding gaze. "You. Will. Not. Die."
Vittorio's eyes clung to Stefano's. He nodded slightly, but didn't attempt to speak, every ragged breath a struggle. Stefano took Ricco's arm and tugged him back away from their fallen brother. "I need to know what happened."
Ricco allowed Mariko to slide her hands into the deepest stab wound to apply pressure until the medics got there. He tried to rise, but his legs were pure rubber. There wasn't a place on his body that didn't hurt, but most importantly, his head was pounding and his vision had gone back to blurred.
Giovanni slipped his arm around him and helped him up. The brothers closed ranks around Vittorio and the women.
Taviano aided Amo in his struggle to stand. Nicoletta hurried to help. Taviano cut her off with a smooth step, nodding to Lucia. "Take him inside and have him lie down. I'll send one of the paramedics in to him." He caught Nicoletta's arm. "We need you out here."
She nodded, her features a mask of worry as she anxiously watched Lucia help Amo into the house. When she turned back, Taviano's gentleness was gone. He gripped her arm and tugged her into the circle of his family, his fingers taking possession of her chin to turn her face, examining the bruising. "You're limping." It was an accusation.
Suddenly she had the attention of all the Ferraros. Anyone would find that uncomfortable, but a teenage girl especially. They knew her past. They knew she'd been raped repeatedly by her step-uncles and that the head of the bloodiest gang in New York had claimed her for his own. They were the only ones who knew, and Nicoletta had a difficult time in their presence.
"One of them pounded the hell out of her leg," Ricco said. "If it wasn't for Mariko, she'd be dead, along with Amo and Lucia. She ran in front of a gun, arms spread wide to keep the Faustis from being shot. She also jumped on the back of one of them to keep Vittorio and me alive." There was admiration in his voice.
Taviano touched her face in several places. "What the hell were you thinking?"
She jerked her head away. "I was thinking I didn't want any of them to die."
"Taviano, we'll discuss all this with her later," Stefano said. "I want a report, Ricco. You look like hell. Do you need to sit down?"
He did. He'd been surreptitiously looking around for a bench to sprawl out on, but now, with his brother's question, he felt he couldn't. "I was running late." He might as well confess right now. "I didn't want Vittorio to have to wait for me so I took the shadows." He didn't look at Stefano as he said so, but he heard his older brother swear under his breath. "I won't lie, it hurt like a bitch, so I was a little disoriented coming out of the tube. I didn't feel anyone there until I was stepping out. I took a bat across my shoulder and it was on."
"They were waiting for you? At the entrance to the tube? In front of a shadow?"
Stefano turned his cool, penetrating stare onto Nicoletta. "Did you see them attack Vittorio?"
She nodded. "I was climbing out my window and he stepped out of the shadows. I hadn't seen him. Suddenly all these men surrounded him, kicking, punching, beating him with a bat. I started to come all the way out, but he yelled at me to get inside. I obeyed until Ricco got there. It was only a few moments, but I thought they'd kill Vittorio and it would be my fault." Tears welled up but she turned her head away from them, embarrassed to be caught crying.