Vera

Chapter 28

Matteo

There's too much noise. The clock ticking. My foot tapping against the tile floor. The nurses coming in and out. Them shaking with fear. The doctor too, terrified. I don't need them to be terrified. I need them to do their job.

So much noise, but the loudest. His heart monitor. Steady, constant, not changing. One bullet shattered a rib, one tore through his heart valve and put a hole in his lung. He wasn't breathing when they brought him in nor was his heart beating. That was 2 and a half weeks ago.

He's in a coma and I can't listen to all of this noise for another second. Mom's been a wreck. She's always crying, and I always hold her. Dad's stopped by 5 times. Alex and Cam are running the business so they are here when they can be. And I've been here everyday. 420 hours, in this hospital with white walls, white blankets, white beds, white floors. It feels like an asylum.

I keep my head faced to the floor even though there are footsteps approaching. It's probably a doctor or nurse. Mom's at home showering after I reassured her for 2 hours that I'd call her immediately if there was even a quickening in his heart rate.

"Matteo," I freeze at my father's thick Spanish accent. No fear, never show fear.  I relax my shoulders and look up at him. My mask I reserve only for him strapped on my face.

"Yes, father." I strengthen my jaw and straighten my posture. Why is he here?

"The doctors are going to try and wake Santiago up in a few minutes. If they succeed, I need you to tell him something." I nod, it's probably something about not being so stupid or shipments.

"Alexander and Cameron were busy, so I went to check on Vera," Where is he going with this? Vera is safe at a secret house only the family knows about, surrounded by 50 guards. "The guards were all shot dead and the house burned to the ground. We didn't know because they didn't give the guards a chance to report back. They hacked into our correspondence and pretended to be them." Jesus Christ, 50 guards, 50 of his people gone and he didn't even bat an eye. Wait, Vera.

"Vera suffocated from smoke inhalation and then was burned because she was trapped in her room." No, he's lying. What are we going to tell Santi. Who- me that's why he's telling me. He's going to make me tell him.

"I thought it best that you tell him. And if he needs proof I can bring him her ashes." He stands looking down at me. He's always looking down at me, and he always will. He stalks out the room and doctors fill it.

He loved her. I could see it. I've seen him with other girls. Girls our father wanted him to marry, girls that wanted him for the money. Vera was never that girl. Everytime he looked at her, everytime she smiled, I could tell he was really happy. Truly happy.

"We've flooded his system with medicine that should wake him in a few minutes. I can relay the medicine and the process we used to your mother when she arrives. We'll be just outside if you need us." They exit the room and I look over to Santi. In a few minutes I have to ruin his world. I have to tell him that it burned while he was in coma.

Burned? Seriously, Matteo? Sorry, first word that came to mind. I see his toes start to move, then his fingers, up to his eyes fluttering. I go to stand by his side. A part of me wants him to hurry and wake up because I've been worried about him for over two weeks, another part wants him to stay in the coma so I won't have to tell him Vera's dead.

His eyes open and meet mine. He smiles. Don't smile, don't make this harder.

"Hey, Matty. What happened?" He reaches for my hand and I clasp ours together.

"You've been in a coma for 2 weeks. You got shot, but you're ok now." I try to smile but it's strained.

"Where's Vera?" I pull my hand away from his, so when I tell him, he doesn't pull away from me.

"Santi, while you were asleep, the people that shot you they hurt Vera." His face goes white. He sits up in the bed even though it hurts, I know it hurts.

"Matteo, she's okay though, right?" I swallow and put on the mask I use with my father. I need that layer of protection if I'm going to ruin my brother's life. He's going to be angry. He's going to blame someone. He's going to want to hurt someone. If protecting him means I take that blame, that anger, that hurt, I'm okay with it.

"She's gone Santiago. She's—gone." I see the light die in my hermano's eyes. I watch it fill with heartbreak, regret, fury. All of it directed towards me.

Vera wasn't the only one who was lost today. My brother went right along with her.