throat. The thought of losing him is unbearable.
“Amelia?” he whispers, and I lean forward.
“You’re awake.” I wipe a tear from my cheek.
“Why are you here?” He can’t hide the disappointment in his reaction at the sight of me.
“You were shot, Dad. You had surgery. We all came to see you.”
“I didn’t want you back here,” he states, and my shoulders fall. He doesn’t want me. “Don’t look like that. You get me wrong. I’m happy you’re here, but you shouldn’t see me like this. Some things are best left in private.”
“Most things are best kept within the family. I’m family.”
His eyes well up, and he gasps for air, making one of his machines chirp out of rhythm. Tears roll down his cheeks.
“What’s happening? Are you in pain?”
“No. No. I’m just so happy to see you.” He grabs my hand with his, and it has an IV stuck to the top of it. His hand is cold and black and blue, and he squeezes my hand with it despite how banged up it looks.
I swallow and then take a huge shaky breath. My anger is coupled with devotion. At the heart of any girl is a love for her daddy, no matter how old she gets. He was a hero.
“Dad, I know about the Lugazzis. I was still in the room when one of them came in. But you weren’t there to protect me. You left.”
He talks with a hoarse voice, “I tried to get to you, but the shooting started, and I didn’t have a weapon. I climbed out the window and ran around the back of the building to find you. I went through the kitchen to get to the bar, but it was empty. I figured you must have gone through the dining room. Those doors are bulletproof, so I knew you would be safe in there. Your uncle was shot, and the Lugazzis were surrounding the building. Frankie had a car near the kitchen, where I crawled in. We got away. I found out the next day that you’d hidden in the bushes. I must have driven right by you. I can’t imagine how scared you must have been.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this? I was home for two days, and you wouldn’t talk to me. I didn’t know where you were. You’d vanished.”
“I didn’t know what to say. Your mother said you were asking questions, and I don’t have answers for you.”
I need to tell him about the lottery and the task I’ve been given, or he, Mom, and Gia will die. But I can’t while he’s in this bed. He needs to heal first.
“Amelia.” He pulls me toward him, and his voice is a low whisper. “There’s a reason I’m alive. Men don’t shoot other men point-blank in the abdomen. They aim for here.” He taps his heart. “Or here.” His pointer finger pushes against his temple. I cringe, recalling the feel of the steel of a gun against my own head. “This was a warning.”
A rush of cold air swoops up my back. “For whom?” When he doesn’t respond, bile rises in my throat because I know the answer to that. “It was for me, wasn’t it?”
His mouth turns down in disgust. “This is not business for you, Amelia. I shouldn’t have even said that.”
“When would you have said something? If I hadn’t walked in here, you never would have told me. You’d have talked to Frankie, Vic, Joey, Enzo … anyone but the one it actually involved. I’m a grown woman, one who has experienced more in this world of yours than you know. You have to start talking to me.”
“I’m trying to protect you. I never meant for you to be dragged into this.”
I start to cry. “I know what it’s about. The Lugazzis want me to do something for them, and hurting you is them letting me know they’ll make good on their threats.”
“What did they do to you?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I can’t tell you, Dad. I just need you to know that I have it taken care of.”
“How could you? These men are vicious. You saw what they did to Villa Russo. You need to talk to Frankie—”
“No. If they were willing to almost kill you, then they’re capable of so much more.”
One of his machines goes off. His heart rate is spiking, and I curse myself for upsetting him when he should be healing. A nurse comes barreling in, quickly turning the beeping sound off and