Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
My argument backfired, though. “Then you really do need to rest up,” Dante told me. “We might need to break into wherever he’s being held once we locate Adriano, and we’ll need you at your best.” With that, he and Vincent headed for the door, and I sat back down with a sigh.
I awoke with a start a few hours later. It was getting dark out, and the starburst clock on the wall told me it was almost six p.m. I’d never intended to fall asleep, but it just showed how much my injuries had taken out of me.
When I sat up, Romy said, “Hey there, Jack.” He was curled up in one of the mustard yellow club chairs, and his red eyes told me he’d been crying.
“Did they find Reno?”
“Not yet, but they’re narrowing their search.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Nana’s taking a nap upstairs, and Josh and Darwin are in the kitchen, eating pizza. I can bring you some if you’re hungry.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m still kind of nauseous.”
“I brought along my medical kit,” he said. “Can I do a quick exam to make sure you’re okay?”
When I agreed, he moved to the couch and put a canvas tote on the coffee table as he asked, “How do you feel?”
“I have a headache, but it’s not terrible. My arm is throbbing like crazy, though.”
After he asked a few more questions and checked my pupils with a small flashlight, he turned his attention to my arm. I took off my jacket, and he carefully peeled off the blood-spotted bandages before gently cleaning the wounds—entry and exit, it turned out—with some type of antibiotic solution.
While he was doing that, I said softly, “This was my fault.”
He looked up at me and asked, “What do you mean?”
His eyes were eerily similar to Adriano’s. I broke his gaze and told him, “This morning, I got scared and left before Reno woke up. I was going to take the bus back to San Francisco, but I just couldn’t do it. No matter how terrified I am of getting hurt if this doesn’t work out, I care about him way too much to run away.
“I ended up going to the bar to talk to him, and to apologize for leaving the way I did. I’d only been there a minute when Greco’s men showed up. Now that I think about it, maybe I even led them there. Maybe they spotted the convertible and followed me to the bar.”
Romy shook his head. “You don’t know that.”
A tear tumbled down my cheek as I said, “No, but I know I was distracting him. Reno was facing away from the window when those men arrived and started shooting. If I hadn’t been drawing his attention, maybe he could have gotten away—”
“Or maybe he would have tried shooting back, and maybe they would have killed him. He probably had a gun with him. He started carrying one when this mess with Greco started. It’s possible you actually saved his life.”
“That’s a lot of conjecture, but thanks for trying to make me feel better.”
As he wrapped my arm with a fresh bandage, he said, “Don’t beat yourself up, Jack. Feeling guilty isn’t going to help my brother.”
“I mean, sure, if you want to be logical about it.”
He grinned and started to repack his medical kit. “I did the best I could with your arm, but it’s going to start bleeding again if you don’t stay still. Also, they gave you a shot of antibiotics at the hospital, but you need to promise me you’ll go see a doctor in the next day or two so you can get a prescription.”
“I’d promise, but I don’t want to lie to you.” He sighed at that, and I asked, “What else did they do to me at the hospital?”
“They did a scan and determined you had a mild concussion. They also gave you fluids, painkillers, and a unit of blood intravenously. You actually might have passed out from blood loss, not your head injury.”
“The second time, you mean. I passed out from hitting my head before those men took Reno. Then I passed out again after I called you.”
Romy’s brow creased with concern. “Once we find my brother, you should go back to the hospital. Seriously.”
“Eh, I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and muttered, “You remind me so much of Reno right now.” Then he added, “Stop grinning. I didn’t mean it as a compliment.”
“Well, I’m taking it as one.”
He got up and told me, “I’m going to bring you some toast. Even if you’re nauseous, you should be able to manage that.”
“Thank you, Romy. For all of this.” He gave me a little smile before heading to the kitchen.
I found myself alone for the first time since the hospital, and I put my jacket back on and wrapped my arms around myself. Reno had been in Greco’s clutches for about eight hours by this point, and that terrified me. Sooner or later, his time was going to run out, and even though a lot of people were out there looking for him, I was sitting here doing nothing. I hated feeling so helpless.