Chapter 7
“Enough!” Ferone pounded the table so hard the coffee cups rattled. “This one will be dead in three months. Be grateful Mr. La Marche is willing to take him off your hands for such a large sum. He isn’t worth five grand.”
“Yes, Don Ferone.” Apuso’s eyes spat fire. Armand noted he was angry at both Ferone and most especially at Armand. Armand felt Rémy step up behind him when it looked like Apuso might come at Armand from across the table.
Don Ferone grabbed Apuso’s arm. “If I find out you have given Mr. La Marche or his associates any problems, it will not go well for you. Remember Sal,” Don Ferone warned.
“Yes, Don Ferone.” Apuso’s face hardened in contempt. He was not going to let this slide.
Armand stood. “As ever, it was a pleasure to do business with you, Don Ferone.”
Armand left the bakery, raising his eyes to Rémy. “We have not seen the end of this.” Apuso’s whispered protests following him all the way to the door.
* * * *
Five hours had passed since Alexei found him, and his Mate was finally beginning to look like he was in a natural sleep. Dr. Artis removed him from the anesthesia. The weary Sean left the bedside in the care of Grigory. Vasily stayed by Alexei’s side.
Artis checked his patient’s pulse and blood pressure. “The boy is weak. His pulse is thready. He has pneumonia and it doesn’t seem to be the first time. I’m pumping him full of antibiotics via the IV. He should remain quiet or in bed for three days. I will call and employ a loup garou private nurse. Mine will go back to the infirmary with me. The nurse will need to change out the IV bag, give him his intravenous antibiotics, vitamins, iron infusions, and monitor his vitals. I’m putting him on oxygen. You’ll want to give him a sponge bath. Katya needs to force food on him even though he won’t want to eat.”
Alexei checked the clock again. It was only ten. Only five hours had passed since he’d found his Mate, five hours since his life had changed forever.
“I’ll be back at four this afternoon,” Artis told Alexei. “Tell Gabriel that we may need Kane when he wakes. He’s been ill-used. Use protective gloves around his bodily fluids. I took blood to test him for HIV. If you mate, you will take care of it, otherwise…” Artis shrugged. “He’s not out of the woods yet.”
* * * *
Alexei was forced out of the master suite a half hour later when Armand came back to the house with Rémy, Marc, and Gabriel. Armand settled into the formal dining room with the other Alphas and their Betas attacking the late breakfast Katya prepared of Russian sausages, eggs, dark bread, oatmeal, and strong tea. The Mates were eating in the family dining room.
Alexei came into the room not in the mood to entertain, but he owed The Alpha for the life of his mate. He sat down quietly and waited for The Alpha to finish eating.
“Join us,” Armand waved at Rémy, Marc, and Gabriel. “Put food on your plate and eat, Alexei. You need to keep up your strength. I’ll answer your questions.”
“Who is he and how did he come to this?” Alexei took a sip of tea, his first that morning.
“His name is Donal Berne and he’s twenty, about to turn twenty-one. He’s been in Vittorio Apuso’s stable since he was fourteen and ran away to New York. Vittorio picked him up while he wandered around the Port Authority Bus Terminal.” Armand cut another piece of sausage.
“How do you know this?” Alexei couldn’t comprehend how The Alpha had gathered so much information in such a short time.
“Rémy found a chatty compatriot who claimed to be a friend. Donal has been ill-used, forced into drug addiction, and held prisoner for going on seven years.” Armand sipped his tea.
Alexei shuddered, remembering his own recent incarceration.
“Even though Don Ferone said he wasn’t worth more than five thousand dollars, Apuso took two hundred fifty thousand for him and looked like he didn’t even want to give him up for that sum. You may have trouble from that quarter although Apuso was warned off by Don Ferone.” Armand took a bite of his bread.
Alexei mumbled something in Russian, gritting his teeth in anger.
“You’re right, he is a greedy bastard,” Armand rejoined and gave him a tight smile.