They both knew what that meant. There was no need to elaborate on the order. Those men had tried to take Marie’s life because of a decision he made. They would pay for it.
Matteo watched a doctor come in, inspect Marie’s wound, ask her a few questions, and then leave. The man was a good surgeon, one of the best in the state, and he’d put his wife back together. Matteo would make a donation to the hospital’s children’s ward he decided as he watched a nurse attach another bottle of pain medication to the machine that controlled what went into Marie’s IV. Matteo had no idea what they were called, all he cared about was her.
When he’d got the call that his wife had been in an accident and he needed to get to the hospital, he’d driven so fast he knew he’d probably get pulled over or have an accident, but neither happened. He arrived to find Marie had been rushed into surgery and it was hours before she was brought into a room.
Hours that tormented Matteo with their slowness, that gave him time to build up a big fat case of a guilty conscience. Not that he’d caused this, he knew it was likely that the senator’s nephew that had done this, and if it that was the case, then the senator could kiss his position goodbye and the nephew would find life had suddenly become very short. Very fucking short.
He’d held her hand when they wheeled her into the room and transferred her to her bed. He’d waited, promising her everything under the sun, if she’d just wake up and smile at him. The doctor had explained what had happened to Marie internally and what he’d done to repair it. There was still a risk of bacterial infection because of the nature of the injury.
The surgeon had worked to reassure Matteo that he’d done all he could to ensure the wound was clean and that the laceration was repaired. He’d put her on medicine to stave off an infection and pain medication to help keep her comfortable. That’s why she was asleep. It was a very powerful pain medicine.
Anton called in to report what he’d found out so far: not a whole lot, but he’d seen the car. “Boss, it’s a wonder she wasn’t killed. The car is riddled with bullets and bullet holes. There must have been at least a hundred gunshots.”
“That’s not very encouraging,” Matteo grunted into the phone.
“No, we need to keep an eye on her, even when she gets out of the hospital. Unless I find those fuckwits that did this first. And whoever put them up to it. I’ll be in touch, get back to your wife, boss.”
“Thanks, Anton. Take care out there.”
Anton had hung up and Matteo went back to his vigil. Now the sun had gone down and the world became much smaller somehow. It was nothing but him and Marie, that was all that existed in this new world. A world where he knew, knew deep down, that he loved this woman.
Trina came in around 7 pm, tears a wet stain on her face. “She was supposed to meet me you know? I had no idea what had happened, why didn’t you call me, Matteo? I had to find out from Ma!”
She punched him softly as she came into the room, her stormy eyes even more turbulent as she fell into his arms. “It’s alright, Trina, it’s not your fault.”
“I waited, and waited, and she didn’t show. I tried to call but her phone just went to voicemail. I was so scared, Matteo. I tried to call you too, but you didn’t answer. Why the fuck didn’t you answer?”
“I was… with her, Trina. I just, I was trying to focus on her. And Anton’s investigating, so I talked to him, but other than that, I haven’t spoken to anyone.” He sat down in a hard plastic chair and she joined him on the other one.
“Does she have any family we should call?” From the strain in Trina’s voice, Matteo knew she’d been crying for a while and that she was really upset. That touched him because his normally tough as nails little cousin was usually too hard for tears and crying.
“No, not that I know of. It’s just us.”
“That’s so sad, Matteo. She said she wasn’t close to her family, but to think that they are that estranged? She’s so kind and gentle too.