Page 8 of Ivory Legacy
The door swung open with a quiet creak, and Marco stumbled in, his presence immediately drawing my gaze. He looked likehell — eyes rimmed red and skin pale, a stark difference from his usual lively demeanor. A bruise was blossoming across his cheekbone, and he moved with the careful precision of someone trying hard not to show how much pain they were in.
“Marco,” I said, my voice dropping from its earlier ire to something laced with concern. “What the hell happened to you?”
He waved off my question, a flicker of his usual bravado breaking through despite the clear signs he’d seen better days. “Later, Dante. We got bigger problems.”
“Jade,” I said, the single word holding all the weight of my fears. “Is she—“
“Let’s talk,” Marco interrupted, glancing at the nurse with a look that said this wasn’t a conversation for outsiders.
The nurse caught the exchange, her expression softening with understanding or maybe just resignation. “I’ll give you two a moment,” she said before slipping out, leaving us alone in the sterile room that suddenly felt far too small.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” he said. “I was worried about you.”
“You were worried about me? You look worse than I feel.”
“Nothing a drink won’t fix,” he tried to joke, but his voice lacked its usual punch.
“Cut the bull, Marco. You’re hurt.” My grip tightened, concern etched into every line of my face as I scanned him for injuries. “Who did this to you?”
“Later,” he insisted, brushing off my hands with an irritated flick. “We have to focus on your girlfriend.”
“Jade.” Her name sliced through the fog of drugs still clouding my mind, sharpening my senses with alarming clarity. “Where is she, Marco? Tell me she’s safe.”
He shifted on his feet, avoiding my gaze. It was unlike him; Marco always met challenges head-on. “I’m working on it, Dante. I swear.”
“Working on it isn’t good enough!” The words burst from me, a raw edge to my voice betraying the cold dread that settled in my stomach. “She’s out there with my kid, Marco. Our kid.”
His eyes finally met mine, and something unspoken passed between us—fear, urgency, the unyielding weight of family ties strained to their limit. “I know,” he said softly, the fight draining from him. “I know.”
I shot up in bed, the beeping monitors an unwelcome symphony to my pounding head. “And you have no idea where she is?”
He hesitated, and that sliver of silence was a blade to my gut. “I don’t know, Dante. After Luca... after what happened,” he said, avoiding my eyes, “she vanished.”
“Vanished?” I echoed, blood roaring in my ears. “What does that mean, vanished? People don’t just disappear!”
“Hey, keep it down,” Marco snapped back, a bite in his tone as he glanced nervously at the hospital door. “We’ve got ears everywhere.”
“Then use them to find her!” I demanded, the sense of urgency clawing at me. The mere thought of Jade out there, alone and possibly in danger—no, I couldn’t stomach it.
“Look, I’m trying, alright?” His gaze flickered to mine, a storm brewing in those familiar eyes. “But with Luca turning on us, I can’t really use our resources, okay? If Caruso is turning our men against you of all people, well, then everyone might be compromised.”
“What about Enzo? Call Dad,” I said. “Does he know about this?”
Marco’s face hardened and he averted his gaze from mine. “Dad knows. He’s working on it.”
“Is he out looking for her? Is he—“
“He’s doing everything he can, Dante,” Marco cut in, the edge in his voice making it clear that this was not open for debate.
“Then why isn’t he here?”
“Dad’s pissed because you kept him out of your route idea and tried to get one of Caruso’s men to turn against him, which, incidentally, made me get shot. Remember that?”
“Yes, I remember that,” I said. “But he’s not visiting his oldest son in the hospital after he’s been shot?”
“He’s trying to protect you,” Marco replied. “Look, I know Dad’s an asshole, but everything is turned up to eleven and he doesn’t want to lose you right now. Caruso and his men are watching him—they’re watching you, they’re watching Mom, they’re watching me. If someone tracks him here—which, by theway, super weird they brought you to this hospital—then how do you think this is going to end for you? If Jade visits you, how do you think it’s going to end for her?”
His words, as harsh as they were, rang true. The weight of them settled onto my chest like a leaden blanket, crushing the air from my lungs.