Page 70 of Unraveled

“I rolled over in the bed, cazzo. Maybe they should have got it closed up better the first damn time.”

Gian cleared his throat to gain the attention of both people. When the nurse looked to him, he jerked his head toward the door. “Get out.”

The nurse’s eyes narrowed. “But—”

“Two minutes, that’s all I need. Get out, now.”

Thankfully, the woman went without much argument. She did finish the last couple of stitches before she left, though. Once Gian was alone with Chris, he turned and closed the door to keep his next words from being overheard.

“Well, talk,” Gian demanded.

Chris resituated himself on the bed to properly face his underboss. “Nothing too bad, a few scrapes from the pavement. A bullet nicked me on the throat. It’s fine.”

“Sì, I can see how fine you are. That’s the only reason I came to this room first, instead of Cara’s, because I hoped to calm down a bit more before I see her. What the fuck happened?”

“She’s fine, too, boss.”

Gian grinded his teeth. “That’s a matter of opinion at the moment.”

“She is. I got her down in time.”

“You have one job when she is in your care.”

Chris nodded. “And I did that job, Gian. That’s why she’s getting released tonight and I still have to be monitored until morning before I get my walking papers.”

That was true enough.

For the most part, Gian liked Chris because the man was straightforward and took no bullshit, yet he also understood the weight of respect in their world. So, while he would give Gian the truth in a blunt manner that someone else may not, he did it with the respect of a man who knew he was talking to his superior.

Gian’s posture softened, but barely. He was still walking on a very thin line of control. He had never been quite so worried, or so pissed off, as he was right then. “What did you see before the shooting started?”

“Very little. I was turned for Cara, I had the door opened for her. I wasn’t watching the street—I didn’t have any reason to think I should. The bullets started flying, and I was focused on getting her out of the way, that was it. By the time I got back up, my throat was bleeding all over the damn place and the car was gone. She couldn’t tell me anything when I asked, it was like she wasn’t even on the same planet, all of the sudden. Shock, maybe.”

Maybe.

Or maybe it was something else, too.

“So, basically, you’ve got nothing to help me?”

Chris shrugged, though the action looked painful. “It happened fast. I did my job. There’s nothing else to say.”

Gian nodded once. “Merci.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll see you when you’re not in a hospital bed,” Gian said before he slipped out of the room.

Outside in the hallway, Gian found the group of men had moved farther down from the door and away from the nurse station. Their conversation, however, was still being held at a level that he could plainly hear.

And it did not please him.

“So he was what, picking up the Rossi chick when it happened?” one of the Capos asked.

A solider nodded. “Guess so. Maybe that’s where Gian’s head has been lately—on her, you know.”

The men didn’t notice that Gian had left the room, nor that he was standing there listening to their conversation a few feet away. He didn’t let them in on his presence, either.

“I heard some whispers about that,” another Capo said. “He’s found himself a distraction, not that I blame him … considering everything.”