Chapter 131: He’s a match.

Minutes after my call with Rocco, the door to my basement finally opens.

I glance at my watch.

"You’re six minutes late, Rocco."

He sighs, walking inside with the expression of a man who regrets every decision that led him to know me.

"Good evening to you too, Your Highness."

Behind him, a young guy struggles to drag a large case of medical equipment across the floor.

I lift an eyebrow.

"I see you brought company."

"Congratulations. Your eyes are still working."

"Careful Rocco. I might decide to test whether your mouth works without your teeth."

He rolls his eyes.

"That’s exactly why I brought him. If either of these men is a match, I’ll need to perform a proper assessment. I’ll need assistance, and I know you won’t be much help."

"True that."

Rocco stops and stares at me.

I shrug.

"What? I’m not going to pretend I understand all the medical shit you do. You went to Harvard medical school, not me."

The young man finally gets the equipment case into the room. He straightens, wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, and turns toward me.

Then he bows.

"Don."

I answer with a grunt.

Rocco gestures toward him.

"This is Daniel. He’s assisting me tonight."

"Good for Daniel."

Daniel seems unsure whether he’s supposed to respond to that. He wisely keeps his mouth shut.

I like him already.

Rocco, on the other hand, looks like he’s about to develop a migraine.

"Where are the patients?"

I point toward the two chairs.

"Right there."

Antonio and Salvatore have spent the past several minutes struggling against their restraints, cursing me and threatening everything from my life to the lives of everyone I’ve ever known.

I’m beginning to find their voices very irritating.

Rocco approaches them with his medical bag.

"I’m going to need both of you to stay still."

Salvatore laughs bitterly.

"Go to hell."

Rocco looks at him.

"Charming."

"Untie us, you fucking bastard!"

Rocco turns to me.

"Are they always been like this?"

"Only when they’re awake."

"Wonderful."

He sets his equipment down and gets to work.

I watch as he prepares the necessary supplies, checks their condition, and draws blood samples from both men. Daniel assists him, carefully labeling the samples and organizing the equipment while Rocco gives him instructions.

The brothers continue to struggle.

Antonio curses whenever someone touches his injured hand. Salvatore threatens to rip out Rocco’s throat the moment he gets free.

Rocco ignores both of them.

It’s one of the reasons I work with the man. He’s one of the most accomplished doctors I know, with a Harvard education and enough experience to make other physicians look like amateurs. He could have spent his life in a prestigious hospital, collecting awards and making ridiculous amounts of money.

Instead, he somehow ended up being friends with me.

Poor bastard.

I lean against the wall and check my phone while they work.

A few minutes later, Rocco calls Daniel over to examine the results with him. They exchange a few words I don’t bother listening to.

Then Rocco looks up.

"Well?"

I slip my phone into my pocket.

"Don’t keep me waiting."

He removes his gloves.

"This one is a potential match."

He says pointing to Antonio....the man in question has gone deathly pale beneath the sweat covering his face.

His brother looks equally horrified.

I smile.

"Wonderful."

Rocco mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like a prayer for patience.

I push away from the wall.

"Can you help Victoria?"

"That’s what we’re here to establish. The initial results are promising, but we still need the appropriate compatibility testing and specialist assessment. A preliminary match isn’t a guarantee that he’s suitable to donate."

"Fine. Do whatever you need to do."

Rocco studies me for a moment, probably deciding whether he should lecture me about medical ethics.

He wisely decides against it.

"Daniel, let’s prepare."

The young man immediately gets to work.

Within minutes, they’ve arranged the equipment and prepared a makeshift working area. Rocco examines Antonio again, checking his condition before preparing him for the next stage.

Antonio begins to panic.

"What are you doing to me?"

Rocco doesn’t answer him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Antonio repeats, pulling desperately against his restraints.

"Keeping you still would be a good start," Rocco replies.

"Lysander!"

I look at him.

"Don’t you dare!"

I raise an eyebrow.

"Don’t I dare what?"

"You can’t do this to me!"

I glance at his mutilated hand.

"Funny. You didn’t seem particularly concerned about what you could do to other people."

"You son of a bitch!"

Rocco prepares the medication and checks Antonio’s condition before administering the anesthesia. I watch as the man’s struggles gradually weaken, his angry curses fading into incoherent muttering.

Soon, he’s unconscious and Daniel helps Rocco move him onto the prepared table.

Salvatore completely loses his mind then.

"ANTONIO!"

He throws himself against his restraints so violently that his chair nearly tips over.

"Antonio! Open your fucking eyes!"

Rocco doesn’t look up.

Salvatore turns toward me, his face twisted with desperation.

"What the fuck are you doing? Let him go! This is fucking twisted."

I say nothing.

"LYSANDER!"

His voice echoes through the basement.

"LET MY BROTHER GO!"

I rub my forehead.

Jesus Christ.

Does the man have no concept of indoor volume?

"Shut up."

"YOU FUCKING MONSTER!"

I close my eyes, praying for patience but he keeps screaming.

I open my eyes again.

"Salvatore."

"YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

That’s it.

I walk over to him. He continues shouting until I’m standing directly in front of his chair.

"Do you ever shut the fuck up?"

He spits at me.

I stare at the saliva on my shirt then look at him.

"You know what? I’ve been remarkably patient with you tonight."

I pull my hand back and punch him right across the face.

His head snaps to the side from the force of it. He slumps against his restraints, unconscious before his head falls forward completely.

I look at him straightening my cuffs as Rocco stares at me in disbelief.

"You knocked him unconscious."

"He was being annoying."

"He’s your prisoner!"

"And now he’s a quiet prisoner. You’re welcome."

Daniel suddenly becomes very interested in arranging his equipment.

Smart boy.

Rocco exhales sharply and turns back to Antonio.

"Right. Since you’ve finished assaulting everyone, can we get back to work?"

"By all means."

He begins explaining the procedure, going over the risks, the specialist requirements, and everything that would need to happen before a transplant could even be considered.

I listen for approximately ten seconds before I stop listening. I don’t care about the technical details. Rocco can explain them to the hospital staff, the specialists, or whoever else needs to understand them.

All I care about is the fact that i want his kidney and I want him alive for the final phase.

That’s it.