babying as I just let my body come back to life in its own time and Rocco explained. The last thing I could remember was being in that club, that hooker tugging me towards the VIP booth...then it was just a blur and darkness.
“That whore drugged you, fratello. Then climbed up into your lap and tried to fuck you in front of the whole goddamn club,” Rocco said with a sneer.
“Why?” I gritted out around the straw before going back to drinking. She might have been gagging for it, but that seemed a bit extreme for a girl who needed a pay day. It wasn’t like she’d have had trouble finding a dick to ride for cash in that place.
My brothers exchanged a look and I could tell they didn’t want to tell me.
“We didn’t know it until after we’d gotten you to hospital and Frankie went back to get his hands on the club’s CCTV, but that piece of shit Hernandez turned up with your girl in tow,” Enzo explained slowly. “He let her see you with the hooker in your lap and she ran out of there, crying her heart out-”
“What?” I yelled, lurching upright, my heart leaping as I found my hands strapped to the bed either side of me. “Why the fuck am I tied up?” I bellowed and the door flew open as a doctor strode in, his eyes dark with concern and two nurses on his tail.
“Calm down, fratello,” Rocco commanded. “It was just to stop you from hurting yourself while you were fitting. They can take them off now, can’t you doc?”
“Yes, of course, if you’re feeling recovered, Nicoli?” he asked me, hesitating to approach as I thrashed like a bear in a trap for a moment before forcing myself to fall still.
“Get them off,” I snapped. “And take that needle out while you’re at it,” I added, bobbing my chin at the IV stuck in my arm.
“I’d prefer if you kept that in until you’ve emptied it. Then I need to go over your stats and-”
“I’m not staying here,” I snarled, ignoring his request.
“With respect, Mr Romero, I’m not sure your legs will carry you far. You’ve been out of it for two days. You had a very bad reaction to the overdose, I really wouldn’t recommend-”
“Two days?” I bellowed, staring between my brothers in horror as I realised my savage girl was still out there somewhere, stuck with some psychopath who’d set me up to look like I’d been cheating on her, like I didn’t give a shit about her.
“Leave him tied up and check whatever you need to, doc,” Rocco said, backing up and exchanging a look with Enzo that made me want to fuck him up.
“Let me go!” I roared but they just frowned at me as I struggled against the restraints and Rocco gave a small shake of his head.
“Not until they’ve done what they need to,” he said. “We nearly lost you the other night, fratello. We aren’t going to let you out of here until we’re sure you’re okay. Our family can’t grieve you for a second time and you’ll be no good to your girl if you drop dead while trying to find her either.”
I glared at him as his words slowly sank beneath my skin and made their way to my heart. I could see the concern in their eyes, the fear. They weren’t going to let me out of here without making sure I was alright and he was making a frustrating amount of sense.
“Tell me all of it,” I growled as I fell back against my pillows and the doctor warily approached to check me over.
“Our insider, Cherry, who was working the bar saw you getting unsteady on your feet,” Enzo said in a low voice, moving to stand at the foot of the bed so the doctor and nurses had room to work while I ignored the way they poked and prodded me, murmuring responses to their questions when I had to but mostly pretending they weren’t there. “She took a walk past you and saw you were barely conscious beneath that hooker.” Enzo paused as he glanced at the doctor, clearly being careful not to say anything incriminating. “She called us right away and it can’t have been ten minutes between that and us arriving to help you. But by the time we got there, the hooker was gone and you were out of it, twitching and vomiting and...fuck, Nicoli