I spent the whole night imagining the worst scenarios of what could happen to them. I was fighting my sleep the whole night and chose to wait for them in the living room right in front of the entrance of the house. Just so I could see them driving in the garage from the window, however, my sleep finally won the fight.
It was almost dawn when I woke up by the loud voices and sudden movements inside the house. I was forced to wake up quickly when I saw Ace unconscious and in the boys' arms walking into the house. I got up and walked closer to them, unable to do anything.
"What happened?" My voice refused to be heard. No one responded to me. My heart dropped when I saw the amount of blood on Ace's shoulder and the boys' hands. It was getting harder to breathe. My head was getting lighter and everything became slower.
"Put him here, put him here." Joe pointed to Romeo and Niko. They walked passed me to lay him on the couch. "Romeo, call the doctor, call Dario. Now!" He picked up his phone and walked away.
I looked at Ace laying on the couch. He was moving, but it showed that he wasn't fully conscious. I walked closer to him ignoring all the yellings behind me. I kneeled next to the couch. His head turned to face me but his eyes were immediately closed. His hand tried to move but fell back on the bed. He was mumbling but I wasn't able to pick up any words.
When the doctor came they moved him to his room. He said that the bullet thankfully hit his shoulder. "As usual, he needs to change on it every two to three nights." The "as usual" triggered me. How many times did he get shot?
They all kept looking at each other, but I was unsure why.
"Do I call Lina?" Luca whispered and Niko shushed him. I frowned but I brushed it off. It wasn't the time to ask.
"I will do it."
All eyes turned on me, even the doctor's. He nodded and waved at me to go closer. He explains to me what exactly I should do.
The doctor only said that he fainted due to the pain and it was best for him to sleep it off but he should wake up any minute. For hours afterward I watched Ace, waiting for the "any minute" the doctor mentioned. I was waiting for him to talk to me and tell me he is okay. Before he woke up, Niko opened the door room and softly called me. I looked behind and he waved at me to go to the door.
"You need to eat, come." He held my hand and dragged me out of the room. They forced me to eat but I wasn't focused at all. Niko mentioned his girlfriend. I was dazing away from this reality, imagining the worse. All I remember from what he told me is that she is coming back from visiting her family and that her name is Ari. Her name stuck with me because I found it a very pretty name, unique too. I also remember a joke Niko did about Ace stopping to leave on Fridays since I came and it made me feel like it had something to do with the Lina they mentioned earlier.
Then Ari came to visit which made me realize that Niko was only telling me about her because she was coming over. She was beautiful. She had deep dimples which made her smile stunning. She explained to me how she hated Niko being what he is because she was always scared to lose him but understands why he is. "This was his only choice to survive." She explained that Niko is a Jew. His family found out that he had sex before marriage with Ari so they kicked him out. And Frank found him, introduced him to the others, and told him to join them.
We all ate together but I felt like the dining room was dimmed, unlike when Ace was sitting with us at the head of the table. The conversation turned about Ace and how when he puts his mind to something he has to do it.
"Ace has many connections too which makes it easier for him," Luca mentioned.
That made me ask about Carmin, the woman who came back with Ace a few days ago. They laughed at me and Niko explained that Carmin is just Al Raven's assistant who came just to take the money for them to protect them in the mission. Which based on my own judgments did a very bad job protecting Ace. But knowing that made me feel good.
Talking to the guys and to Ari gave me a small knowledge that I formed in just a few days, each boy in this house had problems which made me wonder if the research that I made before about criminals becoming criminals because of their family traumas or because of a weak childhood was really true.
The talking died down and the words were harder to find so I just left them all chatting and went back to Ace's room. I lost track of time and little by little my eyes were getting heavier. I placed my hand on Ace's, begging him not to leave me alone. No matter what the doctor said and what the boys said, I didn't believe he was doing fine until I made sure of it. I felt like he rescued me after my father's death. His presence made me feel a little secure. But at that moment when I felt like his life was on the line, my heart was troubled. I felt lonely and unsafe again.
I fell asleep for a while with my hand on his. My body was aware of my surroundings, waiting for any sound or movement out of him other than his chest raising and the sound of his breath. My eyes automatically widened when I felt his hand move under mine.
"Ace!"
His eyes met mine for the first time in a while. His lips tried to form a smile but he was too tired for it.
"Don't worry you didn't get rid of me yet."
His quivering voice weakened my heart.
I ran to call the guys and got them all in the room.
"Thanks, boys."
"You should thank Talia, she took good care of you like a good girlfriend," Romeo smirked at me and I gave him a death stare.
Ace let out a small laugh and looked at me. We stared at each other for a few minutes, letting our eyes have a conversation we both didn't understand.
"Okay boys, let him rest," Joe clapped and pushed everyone out of the room. I stayed in my place, still looking into his eyes.
"Come closer," he told me. I approached him and sat on the chair next to his bed that I placed earlier. "So, you took care of me they said–" he copied Romeo, "why do you care?"
I took a deep breath, feeling like I was able to breathe for the first time in hours, feeling safer than I did a few minutes ago.
"You told me that as long as you're alive no one will be able to hurt me so I shouldn't be scared? Well, I don't want to feel scared again."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
