Pulling my gaze away from Luca’s face, I spotted the doctor in the corner chair. “Can I have your name?”
He got up, offering his hand to me. “Of course. How rude of me.”
“Well, you have had your hands full. Luca really knows how to make a person’s hands full.”
The doctor laughed, nodding his head in agreement. “Quite. The names Wayne Jacobi.”
Shaking his hand, I got the sense that he knew Luca very well and truly cared for his well-being. That made things a little easier for me. Anyone who cared for Luca was a friend of mine.
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr Jacobi, although I would have preferred to have met under different circumstances.
He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands together. “Of course, but I do want you to know that I will do everything I can to get Luca back up and in his normal fighting spirit.”
I started chuckling a little. “I know you will. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Luca will have quite a huge bill to pay once I’m done.”
I saw the cheeky grin on his face and smiled. “I just want him to wake up and start telling me what to do. No matter how much I hate it when he does that, I’d give just about anything to have him shouting commands at me now.” Looking down at his pale face, I took his hand.
“I’ve known Luca a long time, Miss Murphy. He never gives up on anything.”
I laughed, caressing Luca’s cheek. “Yes. I know that all too well.”
Dr. Jacobi got out of his seat and took my hand. “Then, we have nothing to worry about.”
A certain growling noise from Luca made me jump. Looking over, I thought maybe he had seen the little touch the doctor had placed on my hand. When I saw he was still asleep, I started laughing. “Even in his sleep, he doesn’t like other men touching me.”
After a light-hearted chuckle, silence rained down upon the bedroom, and all I could do was hold Luca’s hand and stare. I felt helpless and alone. More alone than I had ever felt in my life. He wasn’t going to leave me, though. I wouldn’t let him.
A little while later, Belinda came in with some food for me and the doctor. I ate a little, but my stomach ached too much to eat more. I was frightened, and quite frankly, I was freaking out inside. That seemed to override any hunger I may have had.
I eventually fell into a fitful sleep. I kept dreaming about Luca getting shot and dying in my arms. I wasn’t even aware I was crying until a hand on my thigh alerted me to the fact.
“Clara… Clara. You were dreaming.”
Looking around the dimly lit room, I spotted Dr Jacobi hovering over me. I sat up, wiping away my tears, and my immediate attention went to Luca beside me. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. No change. You can go back to sleep if you want.”
Knowing that Luca was fine, my eyelids became heavy again. It wasn’t long before I had gone right back to sleep.
I felt my hair being stroked and light kisses being placed on the top of my head. Absentmindedly, I pulled my knee over onto Luca’s crotch and rubbed his hardness.
“Do you want to play?” I whispered.
“I don’t think we should in front of Dr Jacobi.”
My eyes flew open to find the doctor looking highly amused in the corner, and a smiling, less pale Luca lying flat on the bed.
“Luca!” I cried, not caring if I sounded dizzy with happiness.
“Good morning, baby.”
Shooting off the bed, I started pacing the floor. “I’m so mad at you! If someone hadn’t shot you, I would have bleedin’ shot you myself.”
Luca looked over to the doctor and smiled. “See, I told you she loved me.”
Coming back to the bed, I took his hand. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
Luca looked serious as he gripped my hand. “I won’t. If there is one lesson I have learned from this, it’s to never trust any of my men again.”
Standing up, the doctor moved to the door. “I shall leave you two alone for a moment.”
Luca nodded and looked at me with love in his eyes. My God, he was beautiful—even after being shot.
“What happened?”
“Stefano happened. He went to the other side.” I saw him gritting his teeth and could tell he was having trouble keeping calm. “Stefano told me that one of my business partners wanted to meet and discuss a few issues. I went in blind, not realising it was a trap. Antonio was there, and like the coward he is, he ran before it all got to be too much.” Lacing his fingers through mine, Luca shut his eyes. “All of them are dead, Clara. All of my men are dead because they were trying to protect me.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. Your men do this because they are paid to, but also because they want to. Sometimes, shit happens.”