I paused and took a good look at him for the first time. He was a little taller than me, and his coloring was darker, but he looked so much like me that it was eerie. There was a lot I wanted to say to him, but for now I left it at, “Thank you, Dante. For everything.” I turned to Vincent, who could practically be Dante’s twin, and said, “Thank you, too. I won’t forget what both of you did for me today.”
Vincent shrugged and said, “Happy to help.” He was so casual about it, as if he’d just helped me carry some groceries into the house, instead of saving my life.
I handed Jack the bottles of water and the Advil, and then I picked him up and carried him upstairs. At the same time, Nana started cussing a blue streak and chewing out Dante and Vincent for leaving her behind on the rescue mission. I liked her already.
Once we reached an unoccupied bedroom, I closed the door behind us with my foot, carried Jack across the room, and sat him on the edge of the bed. After I gave him a few pills and he washed them down with water, I told him I’d be right back and hurried into the adjoining bathroom.
I returned a few moments later with a dry towel and a wet one. Then I knelt in front of him and cleaned his feet one at a time as I asked, “What happened to your shoes, baby?”
He mumbled, “I left them with the bike I used to ride up to the compound. They were squeaky, and I needed to be quiet while I was trying to find you. We knew we were in the right place because Josh flew his camera drone over the property beforehand, and I recognized one of the men who’d shot up the bar. But we didn’t know where exactly they were keeping you.”
I helped him strip off his soiled outfit before tucking him into bed. He fell asleep almost immediately, and I went and took a long, hot shower.
When I came back to the bedroom, I shut off the overhead light. I could still see Jack in the light spilling from the bathroom, and I moved a chair beside the bed and watched him while he slept.
As tired as I was, I couldn’t quiet my mind enough to sleep just yet. Instead, I drained one of the bottles of water and leaned back in the chair with a heavy sigh.
My head was pounding. Since I’d been knocked unconscious earlier that day, I probably had a concussion. Just about everything else hurt too, including my wrists, which were raw and chafed from the ropes. And my bruised ribs ached on every inhale, thanks to a hard punch from one of Greco’s lackeys.
But I’d gotten damn lucky today, and I knew it. If Greco hadn’t been out of town when I was captured, he probably would have tortured the hell out of me. He might have even killed me.
Instead, the most unexpected thing had happened. I’d thought the situation was hopeless, and that no one would come to save me. I’d thought I was all alone. Then Jack proved me wrong.
I leaned forward and gently brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. He looked delicate and fragile, but in truth, he was tough and brave and strong as steel. Tonight, he’d shown me he was a warrior, and I was awed and humbled by him.
I’d already known I was falling head over heels for this amazing, beautiful, totally unexpected man. And now, everything I felt for him was utterly overwhelming.
19
Adriano
Jack and I slept in the next morning. He didn’t feel great when he finally woke up, so I told him to stay right where he was. Then I got dressed and hurried downstairs.
The Dombrusos were gathered around the big dining table adjacent to the kitchen. It seemed so strange that they were here with me. How many times had I thought about them over the years? But now, in the midst of all that had been happening, I could barely make sense of it.
There was a breakfast buffet set up in the kitchen, complete with catering-style warming trays, and I asked, “Is it okay if I take some of this to Jack?”
“Of course,” Nana yelled from the far side of the dining table. “You don’t even have to ask!”
I found a tray and started loading it with things I thought Jack might like. A few moments later, Dante came into the kitchen with an empty coffee cup and told me, “Vincent and I led a raid on Greco’s compound this morning at dawn.”
I stopped what I was doing and turned to him. “Without me?”
“We would’ve brought him to you if we’d found him, but we figured it was important for you and Jack to rest and heal after the day you had yesterday. Nothing came of it anyway. Everyone was gone, and it looked like they’d cleared out in a hurry. I assigned a couple of guys to keep an eye on the compound, but I’d be surprised if Greco returns. He probably figures you’re out for revenge, and now he knows you have backup. He won’t make it easy for you to find him.”
“Thanks for trying. I should have been included, though.”
“You’re right. Next time.”
He poured himself a cup of coffee, but instead of leaving the kitchen, he stood there awkwardly for a few moments before saying, “Jack told me you came to see me after you graduated from high school. I don’t remember much about that. In fact, the next day I wasn’t sure if it had even really happened. What I do know is that I was drunk at the time. I was also an angry little shit back then, and I totally fucked it up when you tried to talk to me. I want you to know I’m really sorry, Adriano.”
I went back to filling the tray as I muttered, “It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does. I’m your big brother, and—”
“Half-brother.”
“That doesn’t make a bit of difference,” he said. “You’re family, and by being a dick, I ended up costing us the last two decades.”