Lonzo: Book 2 (Tycoon Series Book 2) (19 page)

And then the physical shock as the bullet hit him squarely in the chest.

One. Two. Three…several seconds passed before the agonizing pain reverberated through him.

He fell to his knees, his hands clutching his chest as he gulped for air.

He turned his head to Jordana and his daughter. Took one last look at them.

They are safe
, he thought before everything went black.

Jordana clutched her head with both hands
as she sat outside the operating room.

Her eyes hurt from lack of sleep and from crying while her head was about to split open from a massive headache. But it was nothing compared to the incapacitating pain she felt in her heart.

Seven hours.

It has been seven hours since Lonzo was wheeled inside the operating room after he threw himself into the path of the bullet intended for her.

The bullet struck near his heart, grazing an artery.

For hours, doctors had been trying to clamp the blood vessel and the bleeding. They had been unsuccessful so far.

Blackwell’s team took down Camorra after Lonzo got shot.

Jordana felt no pity, not even remorse for the death of the man. May God forgive her, but that man was evil.

She left Blackwell to deal with the police and so far, he had managed to keep them away from her after they got her statement.

She left Gianna under the care of Mel, who flew in with Rocco after they learned what happened. It enabled her to focus her full attention on Lonzo.

Her eyes began to blur with tears again.

This was all her fault. If she did not insist on coming, this would never have happened.

Lonzo saved her and Gianna’s lives.

She felt tremendous waves of guilt wash over her, as she recalled how she taunted him after they made love last night. All he wanted was a second chance. But she rejoiced at throwing emotional daggers at him and reveled in his pain.

She closed her eyes.

She had only herself to blame.

If she’d only been honest with her feelings, if she’d only given him a bit of hope…she could have gotten her happily-ever-after sooner. But she let pride get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She wanted to hurt him back as much as he had hurt her.

And now, she might lose him forever.

“Jordana.”

She raised her head and saw Thio Fredo, carrying a cup of coffee for her.

He looked tired and weakened. He seemed to have aged ten years in mere hours from the worry and uncertainty.

She gratefully accepted the coffee.

“Any news from the doctors?”

Jordana shook her head slowly. Her throat felt so tight, she couldn’t speak.

An hour had passed since they were given a status on him. For hours they were told the same prognosis. They were still operating on him to repair the damaged artery. That they were having a hard time.

She felt so anxious and helpless.

She was told his chances were slim.

“It will be touch and go, miss…” she remembered one of the doctors telling her in the emergency room.

If she would lose him…

No, she mustn’t think that!

She prayed for a miracle. Like Thio.

Surely with two of them fervently praying, God would grant them one?

Twenty more minutes of silence passed before one of the doctors, Dr. Greene, left the operating room, his face fatigued.

Thio Fredo and her held onto each other, their eyes full of dread and apprehension.

“Immediate family?” Dr. Greene inquired.

She nodded.

The doctor began to relate what transpired inside the OR. Lonzo had to be revived twice before the artery was successfully clamped. Though Lonzo wasn’t out of the woods yet, his chances of surviving the ordeal had greatly improved after the bleeding was stopped. After a while, the doctor uttered a polite farewell.

The relief was overwhelming.

She weakly took a seat.

“He will make it.” It was the first statement that came out of her mouth.

Thio Fredo turned and gave her a quivering smile.

“Yes, he is. My boy is a fighter. He’s tenacious.”

“Yes, he is.”

“He’s made of stronger stuff than me or his old man combined.”

She smiled at the old man. “He’s determined to live.”

“He has a lot to live for.”

“Yes, he does.”

Thio Fredo looked at her earnestly. “You still love him.”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry I made things hard for him,” she choked. “You should hate me.”

Thio Fredo gave her a hug. “I can never hate you. Now, you need to rest.”

She shook her head in reply. “I’m alright. I’ll stay here.”

“No, my dear. Go back and take a rest. Just a few hours. Check on Gianna. I’ll take over from here—” his voice brooked no argument.

She didn’t want to leave but she knew Thio Fredo was right. “If—”

“I’ll call you as soon as his condition improves.”

With a heavy heart, she stood and left the hospital. As she drove home, she continued to pray for this miracle to continue.

After checking on Gianna, who was sleeping in her godmother’s capable arms, Jordana went off to her room to take a nap. She woke up feeling a bit recharged.

She dressed and got ready to leave for the hospital.

Rocco would be joining them tonight. He was already waiting for her in the living room when she came down. He insisted to drive, despite her protests.

“Dana, you’re in no condition to drive,” he said. “You’ve been stressed, twisted and wrung dry. Let me do this for you and for Lonzo.”

She finally relented.

Thio Fredo was waiting for them at the hospital’s entrance. He quickly filled them in.

Lonzo had been wheeled out of the operating room and transferred to an ICU. It was early days yet but if no complications arose within the next thirty-six hours, he won’t need follow-up surgeries.

Jordana closed her eyes and mouthed a silent prayer of thanks.

In her mind, she saw the man that she loved.

He was going to live and her child will still have a father.

They got their miracle.

For the next day or so, the three of them continued to stay at the hospital,
waiting and taking turns in sleeping at the couch of the hospital room’s receiving area.

Both Rocco and Thio Fredo scolded her for not getting enough sleep.

“You need to sleep, Dana. It’s either you do or you might end up in this hospital, too!” Rocco admonished. She reluctantly took a nap.

She didn’t know how long she’d slept. She just felt someone shaking her shoulder, trying to wake her up.

It was one of the ICU nurses.

She saw that both Rocco and Thio Fredo were both asleep in the chairs.

“Miss Almueda?”

She almost jumped, instantly anxious.

“Lonzo. Did something go wrong? Did something happen?!”

The nurse smiled reassuringly. “Mr. Vitale is fine, miss. He just woke up and was asking for you. I already checked with Dr. Green and he said it’s okay to let you in as long as it’s only for a maximum of ten minutes.”

Elation coursed through her. “It’s really okay to see him?”

The nurse nodded and continued to smile.

She hastily stood up from the couch. Her hands hurriedly ran through her hair before she tried to straighten her creased shirt in a vain attempt to look at least presentable.

She didn’t even have lipstick on.

“You look absolutely beautiful, miss. Don’t worry about it—” the nurse commented.

Jordana honestly thought she looked like a wreck but she didn’t care.

Lonzo was awake. Nothing else was more important to her than seeing him.

She almost ran to follow the nurse.

Once she got there, the nurse left them alone.

Jordana’s heart tripped when she saw him.

A gamut of tubes, drains, drips and medical apparatus were attached to him.

His face was pale and he looked weak. His eyes were closed.

Jordana held the doorknob tightly. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying when she saw his present condition.

She steeled herself to approach him, reminding herself that this was not the time to be sissy. She had to be strong for her man.

His eyes slowly opened when he sensed her approach.

He might be weakened but his eyes were on fire.

Her hand trembled when she touched his hair and finally his face.

“L-Lonzo…” she began but stopped and couldn’t speak as her hand continued to touch his face lovingly, her eyes blurring with tears.

Lonzo smiled at her weakly.

Earlier, she had rehearsed the things that she would like to say to him. But now her mind was blank.

They had a lot to talk about. She wanted to ask for his forgiveness for keeping Gianna away from him. But she couldn’t start.

“Jordana…
cara mia
,” he murmured.

Tears began to fall on her cheeks.

“Don’t cry,
amore
.”

“These are tears of joy.”

She bent to kiss his lips

.“I-I….there’s so many things I want to tell you all at once…I don’t know where to begin…”

“It is I who should beg for your forgiveness.”

“There’s nothing to forgive…it’s my fault…God, you almost…”

He shook his head, stopping her. “No,
cara
. I should’ve believed you from the beginning. Instead I accused you of everything, of being a whore. I’m sorry for doubting the baby…”

“Shhhh. I forgive you.”

“I want to make it up to you and Gianna—” he stopped to close his eyes for a moment. He was exhausted.

“It doesn’t matter, Lonzo…don’t tire yourself. We’ll have all the time to talk about it when you’re well enough.”

But Lonzo wasn’t finished yet. He took one of her hands and put it on top of his chest. Right above his heart. She could feel every beat of it against her palm.

“
Mi hai rubato il cuore. C’è un vuoto dentro di me che solo tu puoi colmare.
”

“What..?”

“You have stolen my heart. There’s a hole inside me that only you can fill.”

“You’ve stolen mine, too. We’re both thieves.”

He smiled.

“
Sei tutta la mia vita…sei il mio tutto
, Jordana.”

“And what did you just say?”

“That you’re my whole life, my everything, Jordana Almueda. As long as my heart continues to beat…each beat will always be for you…” he said this with quiet intensity. Like he was vowing his life, his soul for her. “
Ti amo.
”

She was openly sobbing now.

“I love you, too. God…how I love you!” she finally said the words, no longer afraid.

The door of the room opened. It was the nice nurse, reminding her that her visitation time was almost over.

She straightened and nodded at the nurse as she wiped her tears from her cheeks.

She turned her attention back to her beloved, the love of her life.

She bent to kiss him on the lips.

“You better mend soon,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “We better make up for all that lost time—”

Lonzo’s gaze held her for a moment. “Lock the door,” he said this softly that she almost didn’t catch it.

She stood up and looked at him quizzingly, unsure if she heard him right. “You want me to lock the door?!”

His hooded eyes gave her a look. A sensual, heated look before subjecting her to one of his slow, smoldering smiles that melted her.

“You can’t be serious!” she exclaimed, yet his outrageousness made her whole body heat up in flames.

“Not that. You have a very dirty mind, Miss Almueda.”

“Then what…?”

He caught her hand once again.

“It’s been hell waiting for you, cara. Don’t make me wait anymore.
Sposami
.”

“What did you just say?”

“S
posami
. Marry me,
cara
.”

In answer, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She didn’t want to wait either.

They will be getting married tomorrow. As soon as she could get a wedding dress and a judge…