Again, I was just numb. I didn’t show emotion; I just sat there waiting for the inevitable. It was the not knowing that killed me. Every minute that went by—every tick of the clock—was like another agonising kick in the gut. Death was taunting me. It had taken Luca, and now it was laughing at my anguish. It was pointing at and mocking me with its supreme wizardry.
And there I was, sitting and waiting. I was completely powerless to do anything. Completely lost—completely broken. I could feel everyone’s vibes in the room. We were all hoping, all silently praying. I was never a religious person. I had never prayed. But, I was praying then. I was asking for His leniency. I was asking for His strength to guide my Luca back home to me. Back home where he belonged in my loving arms. Home where we would marry soon and be together forever.
With my stomach gripped in pain, I remembered what Luca said to me in the bath that morning after we had just made love. About how it only takes a minute, or even a second, for your life to get ripped away from you—taking with it all the days and nights you could have been lying in your beloved’s arms. I needed his arms. I needed his strong arms to hold me tight and tell me that everything was going to be okay.
As I closed my eyes, I willed it to be okay more strongly than anything I had ever wished for in my life. Behind my lids, all I could see was Luca’s smiling face. His soft brown hair and beautiful caramel eyes danced over me with joy. I wanted to see that now more than anything. I even wanted him back so he could tell me what to do. I needed his dominance and authority because right now I had just had the rug swept out from under me, and I didn’t know if I would ever get back up.
It was Tony’s phone eventually ringing that brought me round. With my heart thumping a million miles an hour, I watched as Tony listened to whomever was on the other line. He barked instructions to whomever was there about where the lodge was and immediately belted for the door.
I ran after him and grabbed his arm. “What’s happened?”
“He’s coming. He’s alive, but he’s been shot. He managed to get himself to one of our doctors before he collapsed in his arms. The doctor’s bringing him now.”
Panicking, I frantically searched for headlights up ahead. Pretty soon, the silhouette of a light came dancing around the trees and along the path.
Once the car had come to a halt, a man who looked to be in his forties and who was dressed in a suit and long coat stepped out and greeted Tony. “Where is he?”
Seeing my distress, the doctor turned to me. “Clara, I take it?” I nodded my head. “He’s taken a bullet to the chest and has lost a lot of blood. I managed to get the bullet out and did what I could to fix him up. His strict instructions—despite my pleas—were to bring him to you once I was done. We will have to take him to a bed so he can rest and I can properly monitor him. The next twenty-four hours will be crucial.”
Nodding to Tony and some others, the doctor opened the door, and they carefully carried Luca out from his stretcher.
“I had to put all my seats down to accommodate him in my car. My car is big, but it wasn’t made to fit patients.”
I grabbed the doctor’s arm and watched as the boys led him in. I felt a small amount relief. “Thank you.”
Running back in the house, I led the boys to the main bedroom on the ground floor. Once they laid him down, I pulled the covers over him and sat by his side.
As I stroked his cheek, I saw how pale he was. I was so elated because he was with me, but my elation quickly turned to terror at the thought that he may not make it.
The doctor was soon in the room carrying all sorts of machinery and contraptions. I reluctantly stood up and let him do his thing as I knew he was trying to help, and I didn’t have a bloody clue.
Once he was all set up, he sat down. “Is there somewhere in this room I could sleep? I will need to monitor him all night.”
“Of course.” I glanced at Tony, who looked all too eager to help. “Tony, there’s a fold-up bed in the cupboard under the stairs. Can you get it for me? Fresh sheets and towels will be in there too.”
Nodding, he went straight out and did just that for me. I made the bed with the help of Belinda, who seemed just as eager to help me.
Both Belinda and Tony were about to leave me to it when I grabbed both their hands. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you.”
Bringing each of them in for a close hug before they left, I hoped and prayed that everything would be okay. I loved Luca. I had known that. I just didn’t know quite how much until that moment.
“He’s a fighter, you know.”