Chapter twenty five
Rafaello's POV
My body felt like dead weight.
For a some time, I just lay there, caught between sleep and pain. The air stung with disinfectant, sharp enough to burn my nose. My chest rose and fell slow, uneven, but it rose, and that was something.
Light spilled across the ceiling, almost painful to look at. I squinted, trying to focus, but everything felt distant, blurred at the edges like I wasn’t fully back yet.
Then the memories started to crawl in broken, scattered, loud. The gunfire. The shouting. The burn of metal tearing into flesh. My plan had worked, it always did, but this time, it had nearly taken me with it. I saved my men. Took out every last bastard who came for us. And got shot more than once in the process.
I let out a shaky breath, half a laugh, half a curse at my state.
But peace never lasts in my world. Not when blood’s been spilled. They’d come again, they always do.
I tried to move, to see just how bad the damage was. My muscles screamed in protest, white-hot pain rippling through me.The sharp sting of disinfectant filled my nose, and every muscle screamed like I’d been through hellfire
I barely lifted an arm before someone’s hand pressed down on my shoulder, steady yet unyielding.
"You're finally awake, let me get you some water," she said, rushing off.
She looked so disheveled. Had she been the one taking care of me this whole time? Her hair was a mess and she only wore one of my shirts. Her eyes burned with a kind of devotion that felt less like love and more like a claim.
"Here, drink," she instructed, placing the glass to my lips.
"How long was I out?" I inquired.
"Three full days. I was so worried about you, babe. I never left your side," she answered, tying her messy hair into a bun.
"Thanks so much, Tanya, that means a lot to me," I appreciated.
What of Alora? Didn't she come? Where was she anyway?
"Um Tanya, where is everyone, weren't they here?" I asked.
"Maria was here dropping off things needed, Santino had been handling your work. I guess I was the only one more concerned about your wellbeing," she answered, looking at my eyes then cupping my face with her palms.
This hadn't felt like her at all but if she had really left her work to take care of me, then I was more than grateful. I could have died.
But the thought of Alora not being here was just not understandable. I could swear I felt her beside me, whispering I’d be fine, maybe just a hallucination.
I looked down at my body, covered in bandages, which seemed to have been changed.
"Did you change this?" I asked, pointing at the bandage.
"Yes, babe, I did all that. Your grandfather had left you under my care so I wouldn't disappoint him and also because I love you so much. To see you in pain like that broke me," she answered, her head hanging down like she was about to cry.
"It's okay, I'm fine now," I held her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't ever put yourself in danger like that, babe. It would kill me. Promise you won't do it again."
"I can't promise that, but fine, I won't," I uttered.
I got up to my feet, my muscles feeling sore and tired. There were some sticky notes beside my bed, and some medication arranged in order of time to be taken.
Damn, this woman really cared about me.
The more I thought about it the more my mind drifted off to Alora. Didn't she really come to see me?
"Tanya, did Alora come to check on me?" I asked.
She hesitated a moment, frowning like she was about to say something I wasn't going to like.
"She never came. She's been out late. I heard from her driver she's been attending some parties at the club in Vescari's Casino," she answered.
What? Out partying with my money while I was unconscious? This had to be a joke.
"Are you sure?" I demanded, clenching my fist.
"Yes, Rafe. She's never been here, not even once to check on you. Honestly, I don't blame her. You gave a street rat your card and a car, Rafe what the hell did you expect?" She yelled, getting up from the bed.
"That's enough. I'll handle it on my own," I hissed dismissively.
"You know I'm the best option for you, Rafe. I will be with you through thick and thin, not some random cheap whore who doesn't know how our mafia world works," she blurted out, wrapping her hands on my arm.
I couldn't help but feel more irritated. Was I wrong about Alora?
"You should go home and rest," I whispered, heading to the couch to sit.
"But babe, I need to take care of you until you're back on your feet," she pleaded.
Just before I could answer her, the door clicked open.
It was Alora who came in rushing, then she froze by the door, her eyes shifting from me to Tanya. There was a frown on her face like she was annoyed. When the door swung open, the air shifted. My pulse kicked at the sight of her hazel eyes, wide and raw, like she’d run here through fire.
What was she even doing here? Just when she was about to come closer, Tanya stood in front of me, stopping her halfway.
"Rafe, you are finally awake. Do you feel any pain or discomfort? Do you want me to call Doctor Gibson for you?" she questioned, like she was about to cry.
"How dare you show your face here after abandoning Rafe, you bitch," Tanya yelled, pushing her further away.
"What are you talking about when you are the, "
"You think we wouldn't find out you've been out partying and wasting my man's money?"
I couldn't believe I had woken up to this.
"Rafe, I just left to... "
"Alora, get the fuck out please, we'll talk about this later," I commanded.
But she just rushed past Tanya to me, holding both hands in hers.
"Don't you believe me? I was here with you... I, "
"No, you weren't. I woke up and Tanya was here by my side. Can't you see how exhausted and disheveled she looks?" I retorted angrily.
"Rafe, don't do this please," she pleaded, her tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Get the fuck out, don't let me repeat myself," I hissed, my knuckles turning white.
"Get the fuck out, bitch, don't ever show your face in front of my man," Tanya spat, pushing her hard. She almost lost her balance.
She didn't answer; she just nodded, her tears streaking down, and the door shut with a final snap that echoed in my chest louder than any gunshot. That wasn't like her, Alora would have said something. Things were not really adding up.
"Babe, don't waste your energy on her, just focus on us," she whispered, then came closer, lying against my chest. I pushed her to sit upright, then held her hands tightly. "Lay a finger on her again, and you'll lose those hands," I threatened, seeing her push Alora like that had pissed me off. Even if she hadn’t checked on me, no one laid a hand on Alora. The thought twisted in my chest, I hated her, I wanted her, and I couldn’t untangle the two.
"Are you choosing her over me? After what she did?" she questioned, pouting.
"Go home, I need to think," I commanded.
"Rafe, are you asking me to leave?" she asked, biting her lower lip.
"I'll call you, go home," I said, kissing her on the forehead. But every thought of this repulsed me. I hadn't been able to get close to Tanya or agree to her open advances ever since I had kissed Alora. The night she had been over under my grandfather's order, I had slept in my office while lying to her that I had work to do. Those damn hazel eyes and soft lips had me losing my mind, but was she really worth it?
After twenty minutes she was all packed and finally she left.
I looked around my room, everything was arranged differently. I walked to the closet to get a towel, and there was another side containing someone else's clothes.
Might have been Tanya's, so I didn't indulge much, just walked to the bathroom.
I got into the tub, just then there was a loud knock.
"Rafe, son, are you okay?"
Shit! My mum was here? How did she know when I made sure she wouldn't find o
ut?
If Tanya was a storm and Alora a wildfire, my mother was the hurricane, and I wasn’t sure I’d survive the wreckage.