Promised For Truce

Chapter 33

The hospital lights appeared cold against Luciano's skin or maybe Nina's eyes were playing tricks on her. She took other sketches of him from her memory and compared him to a wilting flower. It was as if his skin was see-through paper, his bleary eyes brimmed with blood, and his posture had become that of a tarnished statue.

How could he not find himself in such a state when young flowers were being plucked off the family tree. The first flower went missing. The second one was close to dying. The fate of the third flower had yet to be decided.

Nina's fixed stare was on the doors Severino was supposed to walk through. She glanced at Luciano; uncertainty bled into his visage.

Affonso walked through the doors to which Nina had to hide her surprise. He headed in their direction with haste, although his limp didn't make it easy.

Why is he here? Nina thought. Did Severino call him?

"Follow my lead," Luciano said to her in a low voice.

"How is she?" Affonso asked them.

Luciano responded by simply pointing at the closed doors of the operating room.

A gloom fell over his expression, Affonso continued, "How bad is it?"

"We don't know yet," Nina said.

Affonso took a seat opposite of them. His hand massaging his limping leg. "That bastard doesn't know when to stop. He tried to get me all those years ago and now he goes after my only daughter-in-law. Bastard! You were able to get Cillian today, right?" His eyes flung to Luciano.

"Yes, he's gone," Luciano said.

Nina noted how Luciano tried to keep his lies at a minimal. Perhaps he wasn't used to lying to him. Perhaps he was worried his uncle could spot the lies of a boy he had known since birth.

The lies were a necessary evil. As Severino's father, Affonso might want to protect his son from Luciano by alerting him.

Nina supplied Affonso with a near-invisible smile when regarded her. She scolded herself inside her head for not looking flawless. Her expression was fine, but her hair and clothes were anything but.

He can't know I was at the church.

"It's awful, really. I came as soon as Luciano called me," she explained away her appearance. Affonso's slight frown was still in place, therefore she added, "It's Luciano's blood. He was shot in the leg."

"Really? No permanent damage I hope." Affonso blinked in shock.

"I was told not," Luciano said.

Footsteps sounded through the eerily quiet hallway. Severino joined them at last. Rather than seeing Luciano's reaction, Nina heard it. A deep sigh of relief slipped past his lips.

"Not yet," Luciano mumbled to Nina.

Not yet? What do you mean? Nina kept her thoughts to herself as she decided it was best to lock her lips shut.

"Where is she?" Severino asked, his eyes darting around.

"She's being operated on," Luciano replied, showing little to no emotion.

You're still testing him? Nina watched them, wanting to jump in. Cruel.

"What?" Severino clipped. "You somehow forgot to mention how bad it was when you called me?"

"I couldn't have you driving to the hospital in distress," Luciano explained to which his cousin scoffed. "You were right. It was Banion."

Severino sent him a scathing glare. He stepped closer to his Don causing the latter to tilt his head. "Is this your idea of an apology?"