Chapter 252: "Let Him Go"

Caio sat in the back of the car beside Leo, an open presentation box resting on his lap. Nestled in the velvet lining was an elegant fountain pen, its polished cap engraved with a tiny letter "A."

The nib was sharp enough on its own, but the blade concealed in the opposite end was considerably sharper. It was an exquisite little weapon, discreet enough to pass for an expensive writing instrument, while remaining perfectly functional for self-defense.

"This little thing took House Marchetti that long to make?" Caio asked, examining the small button built into the cap with faint amusement.

"The design itself wasn’t difficult, Boss," Leo explained. "It was the emergency alert system that took most of the time. With this pen, Lady Ariana will be able to contact our emergency response team here in Borgata and transmit her exact location whenever she’s in danger. You can rest assured she’ll be safe while we’re in Malakor."

"Hm."

Caio turned the pen over in his fingers, examining its construction with quiet satisfaction.

"Make sure the alert goes to me as well."

"Yes, Boss."

Leo nodded, then hesitated slightly before broaching another matter.

"But are you certain you don’t wish to bring Lady Ariana with us to Malakor?"

"She has contracts to fulfill," Caio replied without hesitation. "Besides, Malakor could become dangerous. Who knows what my aunt is planning over there right now? Just make sure my wife is properly protected while we’re away."

Leo’s expression remained professional, although he felt himself stiffen slightly.

’That word again.’

He’d lost count of how many times his boss had referred to Lady Ariana as his wife over the past few weeks.

At this point, Leo was beginning to think he should simply get used to it — and perhaps prepare himself for the possibility that wedding arrangements would soon become another of his responsibilities.

When he turned toward the window, Castellano Club The First was coming into view, its grand entrance visible farther down the street. Yet the sight awaiting them immediately made his expression tighten.

Several police cars were parked outside the building, attracting a crowd of curious onlookers. People had gathered along the sidewalk, trying to see what was happening at one of the city’s most prestigious casinos.

"Um... Boss?" Leo said cautiously. "There are police outside the club. I’m afraid approaching the entrance might be inconvenient."

Caio had already noticed the commotion. His expression hardened as he studied the police vehicles and the crowd surrounding the entrance.

’Something’s wrong.’

He closed the presentation box with a sharp click.

"Stop here. Send someone to find out what’s happening. Quickly."

"Yes, Boss."

The procession of black vehicles came to a halt several buildings away from Castellano Club. One of the Sartori men stepped out and headed toward the gathering, approaching several bystanders to ask what had happened.

He returned not long afterward.

His grim expression was enough to make the knot in Caio’s stomach tighten before he even spoke.

"Boss," the soldier reported, "there was an incident inside the fight club tonight. Some kind of confrontation broke out, followed by gunfire. They said the fighter facing Lady Ariana went rogue and killed a referee."

Leo’s expression darkened.

Beside him, Caio felt a sudden chill run through his body.

"And my wife?" he asked.

The soldier swallowed.

"About that... Boss, I couldn’t get the full details. But I heard Lady Ariana was rushed to the nearest hospital."

? ?? ?? ?? ?

The benches outside the hospital’s examination rooms were crowded with Castellano personnel.

Most of the men had spent years working under Jeremiah, yet several could scarcely recognize their Young Boss in his current state.

His white suit jacket was gone, and his usually immaculate hair was disheveled from the fighting earlier that evening.

More noticeably, the familiar charm that almost never left his handsome face had disappeared. He sat hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees and both hands pressed against his forehead.

Beside him, Marco looked almost equally distressed, although his concerns were focused on somewhat different matters.

"I knew this showdown was a fucking terrible idea!" Marco exclaimed irritably. "Now we’ve got the police crawling all over the place, and on top of that, we’re going to have to pay to repair the entire goddamn arena!"

Jeremiah didn’t respond.

He remained bent forward, staring at the floor between his shoes.

Marco glanced at him, then continued anyway, unable to contain his frustration.

"And that’s not even counting the ticket refunds! That’s assuming we’re lucky enough that the guests don’t start suing us for damages! Otherwise, we might end up spending every fucking dollar we made tonight just trying to—"

"Marco."

Jeremiah’s voice was quiet, but something about it made Marco stop immediately.

Marco turned toward him.

Jeremiah had lifted his head.

His eyes were colder than Marco had ever seen them.

"Shut your fucking mouth."

Marco’s lips closed at once.

He stared at his employer, uncertain what he’d done to provoke such a response.

He’d been talking about the financial consequences of the disaster, precisely the sort of problem that would ordinarily occupy Jeremiah’s attention more than anything else. Yet tonight, he didn’t seem remotely interested.

Marco was still trying to understand the change when movement at the far end of the corridor caught his attention.

A group of men in black suits was approaching at a rapid pace.

The moment Marco recognized the man leading them, his face went pale.

’Oh, shit!’

Caio Sartori reached the benches before any of the Castellano guards could react. He seized Jeremiah by the collar and hauled him violently to his feet.

"What the fuck happened to her?" Caio demanded, his voice a low, furious growl. "Where is she now?"

Marco recoiled.

He’d seen the Sartori Don angry before, but the expression on Caio’s face now was enough to make him instinctively shrink away.

Jeremiah, however, made no attempt to resist. Unlike during their previous confrontations, he didn’t smile, make some provocative remark, or even try to remove Caio’s hands from his collar.

He simply looked back at him.

"She took a punch to the face, and then she collapsed," Jeremiah answered quietly. "The doctors are examining her now. They haven’t told me anything else yet, but I think she suffered a concussion."

Caio’s eyes widened.

"A concussion?"

His grip tightened, and he jerked Jeremiah closer.

"How the fuck did you let any of this happen to her?! Huh?! Is this how you protect your fighter?"

Jeremiah’s lips trembled slightly.

"I thought... she’d be fine," he admitted. "Even after he landed that punch, I thought... I thought she’d be all right because she always is."

The answer only made Caio angrier.

"Where the fuck is that motherfucking fighter? Give him to me. I’ll kill him myself."

"You can’t," Jeremiah replied.

He gave a faint shrug, although there was nothing flippant or provocative about the gesture. He simply looked defeated.

"He’s dead. She snapped his neck. You can kill his companions if you like. Or you can kill me instead, if that’s what you want."

THWACK!

Caio’s fist struck Jeremiah squarely across the face.

The force snapped Jeremiah’s head sideways and sent him crashing to the floor.

"Hurg—"

Gasps erupted throughout the corridor.

Several hospital staff members recoiled in horror, while the Castellano and Sartori men lunged forward as Caio moved to strike him again.

"You think I won’t?!" Caio roared, struggling against the men trying to restrain him. "You think being the Castellano heir means I won’t fucking kill you?!"

"Boss, no!" Leo shouted, gripping Caio’s arm firmly. "Calm down, Boss! We’re in a hospital!"

"That’s right! My God!" Marco exclaimed, joining the others in restraining Caio. "Please! Have some respect for that handsome face!"

On the floor, Jeremiah brought a hand to his mouth.

Blood had begun spilling from his split lip. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, then pushed himself to his feet.

"Let him go," he told his men.

To the guards’ horror, instead of retreating, Jeremiah walked straight back toward Caio. He met Caio’s furious gaze without flinching.

"Maybe I actually deserve some more."

The remark sent another wave of panic through everyone attempting to restrain Caio. Fortunately, before anyone could discover how he intended to respond, the doors to the examination area slid open.

A doctor stepped into the corridor.

He stopped almost immediately.

His eyes moved over the men in dark suits who looked distinctly likely to be armed, the blood on Jeremiah’s face, and the group physically restraining a furious Caio Sartori.

For a moment, he seemed uncertain whether to call hospital security or simply pretend this was a perfectly ordinary scene.

"Erm..." He adjusted his glasses. "Are you gentlemen here for Miss Lombardi?"

"YES!"

The answer came from nearly every man in the corridor at once.

The doctor flinched, his shoulders jumping at the sudden volume.

Then, as though everyone had silently reached an agreement, the men stepped aside, leaving Caio and Jeremiah standing at the front.

The doctor looked between them, adjusted his glasses again, and decided it was best to proceed with his job.

"Well... all right. I’m here to let you know that Miss Lombardi has regained consciousness, and her condition is stable. She suffered a concussion, but fortunately, our examinations haven’t revealed any signs of a more serious injury."

The news brought an immediate change to the atmosphere in the corridor. The tension among the Sartori men began to ease, while several Castellano guards visibly relaxed.

Jeremiah remained where he was, watching the doctor intently as though afraid to miss a single word.

’Conscious.’

’She’s conscious.’

The doctor continued, looking between him and Caio.

"We’d like to keep her under observation for now. Depending on how she progresses, she may be discharged afterward, provided someone can supervise her recovery. Which one of you will be responsible for that?"

Caio and Jeremiah exchanged a brief glance. Then Caio stepped forward.

"I will," he answered, his voice finally regaining some of its usual composure. "Can I go see her now?"