Page 130 of His Fatal Love
I don’t want to leave Julian, but there’s obviously nothing I can do for him while these medical vultures hover over him—and if Roxy’s asking for me, I can tell her about Gino. But Jack’s right. I can’t strut up to her looking like I am.
I head to the guest room to shower. The hot water stings against my wounds, but I welcome the pain—it means I’m still alive. As I scrub away the blood and grime, my thoughts stray back to Julian, and I find myself praying.
To who—or what—I don’t know. Seems unholy to ask God to grant life to someone like him, to beg a reprieve for the remorseless.
“Whatever it is out there that’s been watching over him,” I settle on, muttering into the water stream, “time to step up your fucking game. He doesn’t deserve to die yet. Not like this. Not because of me.”
* * *
Once I’m clean and dressed in fresh clothes, I make my way to Roxy’s wing, where she waits with anxiety in her eyes. I explain the events of the night, skimming over the gory parts, but it’s no good. She knows this life too well.
“Leo,” she whispers, going pale, “what about Gino? What if something happens to him because of all this?”
“Listen,” I say, gripping her hands, “I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to keep Gino safe. I’m going to figure this out.”
She shakes her head. The fact that she’s calm instead of crying worries me. “I don’t know, Leo. Maybe it would be better if I just disappeared for good. Let Gino live his own life, without me dragging him down.”
“Don’t.” All I can think about is the nauseating worry I felt when I realized Julian had vanished. “Gino loves you, and you love him. You can’t just run away from that.”
“If I stay, it puts both you and him at risk.”
“Roxy.” I force her to meet my eyes, my grip tightening on her hands. “I will always protect my family, and that means you and Gino. We’re going to get through this together, understand?”
She hesitates for a moment, then slowly nods, her expression haunted. “But…AJ is your family, too.”
I shake my head. “Not anymore. He broke those blood bonds himself—and I’m done with my father, too. They can rot in hell for all I care.”
“Leo…thank you. For everything.”
I manage a small, reassuring smile. But all I can think about is Julian.
* * *
As soon as I get back to Julian’s wing, I go looking for news, but the Doc heads me off.
“Let’s have a look at you, now.” He pushes me into the armchair in the living room and assesses the damage. Pain flares as he prods at my bruised flesh, but I grit my teeth and bear it.
“How’s Julian?”
The doctor doesn’t pause in his work, his voice matter-of-fact when he replies, “Gravely injured, but he’ll pull through. Whoever did that to him wanted to keep him alive for as long as possible. They were careful about it. Watch it!”
Enraged by his words, I push him away and get to my feet, but I let him press me back down into the seat.
“Sorry.”
“Behave yourself, or I’ll get security in here.”
I nod, still swallowing the bile rising in my throat at the thought of what Julian endured.
Endured at the hands of my own brother. A twisted knot of anger and betrayal coils in my gut. But I shove it down, let the doctor keep on with his work.
As soon as the doctor declares me “Fit enough,” I return to Julian’s room. I find him lying under the sheets on the bed, pale and still, hooked up to a heart monitor, an IV drip stuck in his arm. One of the medics is seated in the corner, scrolling through his phone like this is all completely normal.
I take a seat beside Julian and twine my fingers into his cool, limp hand. And my thoughts turn dark.
AJ is every bit as dangerous as our father. And the more I think about it, the more certain I am that AJ’s attack on Julian and me was fueled by more than hatred for the Castellanis, and certainly not out of any genuine concern for Gino.
I know what that beating was about. And I am not going to let AJ get away with it.