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Vincenzo's POV
“I appreciate that. You’re always looking out for me, boss.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to make sure you survived without me having to bail you out of trouble like always.” He nudged me in the ribs and sighed. “Seriously, though, I’m glad you both are okay. The house was fucking wrecked. I found Joey locked in a closet. If you hadn’t already killed Carmella, I think he would have.”

“Is he okay?”

“The first thing he did when he got out was find a ladder and start patching bullet holes. It should be back to normal by the time you get home tonight.”

“If we get home tonight. Raella’s father is still in surgery.”

Lorenzo winced. “Is he going to make it?”

“I think so. I hope so.” I ran a hand over my head. “Raella is tough. She can get through anything… but she’s been through enough. She needs this.”

Lorenzo gently pushed me towards the doors. “You should go be with her then. I’ll make sure Mommy Dearest stays gone.”

“She’ll stay gone. I think I scared her thoroughly enough. You should get some rest. Or go find your woman.”

Lorenzo smiled, but still wrinkled his forehead like he was confused. “Who?”

“God. When are you two going to give up this stupid game? Everyone knows you’re fucking.”

“Obviously, I fuck. I mean, look at me, Vincenzo. Of course I fuck.”

I groaned. “It’s been a long night. Go find Calista and let her deal with you.”

“Calista? Huh, there’s an idea,” he said, still grinning from ear to ear. “I never thought of her before, but maybe I will go see her. Since you’re letting me off for the night and she is Raella’s friend and all. I’ll go check on her and make sure she’s safe. Because I’m a very nice guy.”

Lorenzo was still talking to himself, his voice fading out, when I walked back through the automatic doors and into the hospital.

I turned every corner expecting someone else to show up. Hell, after the night we had just had, maybe my father would make his final stand with whatever old guard lieutenants he could scrounge up. Maybe I’d have to kill him to cement my place as don of the Emerald Empire.

But no one showed up. I walked the quiet halls back to the waiting room.

It was empty.

Panic gripped me for a single second before a young nurse cleared her throat behind me. I whipped around, and the girl jolted. “Sorry, I—Your wife told me to tell you that she’s in Room 408.”

“Is Raphael Hawthorne out of surgery?”

She nodded. “I just wheeled him into the recovery room.”

“What’s his prognosis?”

She gave me a nervous shake of her head. “I’m sorry. That’s something you’d have to talk about with the doctor. I wasn’t in the operating room and I haven’t seen his charts. But you’re welcome to go in and see him for yourself.”

I wanted Raphael to pull through for Raella. So some piece of her old life—the life she had lost—could come back to her. She deserved it.

As I approached Room 408, I heard voices. Laughter.

I knocked on the door and found Raella standing next to her father’s hospital bed, smiling wider than I had seen in a long time.

She turned her smile to me and almost knocked me back on my ass. She was so fucking beautiful.

“Oh, here he is!” Raella said. “Vincenzo is the one who called the ambulance and got you into surgery so fast.”

Raphael was still pale, but he was cleaned-up and conscious. “You look a lot better than the last time I saw you,” I remarked.

He turned to me slowly, his eyes heavy. “You saved my life.”

“Yeah, well, you bought enough time for me to get to the house and save Raella’s life. For that, I owe you mine. This was the least I could do.”

Raella fluffed his pillows and held a cup of water to his lips so he could drink. She talked to him about nothing for half an hour until he drifted to sleep. Even when he was snoring gently, though, Raella stood by his bedside, looking down at him.

“You should sit down,” I told her. “You need to rest, too.”

She nodded, but didn’t budge. “I just can’t believe he made it.”

I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into my lap. “Believe it. You made it, too.”

“I wasn’t sure I’d get to talk to him again. I thought it was all over.”

“It’s not,” I whispered. “You can both talk tomorrow. So for now, rest.”

She curled against my chest. “Tomorrow. I like the sound of that.”

I held her even tighter. “You have a lifetime of tomorrows, Raella.”

Her cheek curved as she smiled. “You’ll be there, too?”

I kissed her forehead. “Until the very end.”