That little son of a bitch.
LIAM
If he weren’t my son, I’d smack the shit out of him for that disrespect. However, because he was my son, I was fucking impressed.
Annoyed.
Pissed.
But impressed.
He couldn’t walk away from the family, even if he considered our actions betrayal. But he knew we couldn’t walk away, either. We were still targets of the Orsinis, aside from the fact that they were trying to bring down our family.
“You are using us as shields,” I said when we entered the hospital room.
His wife was asleep on the bed as if she were a princess in a movie.
“Isn’t this want you wanted?” he asked, looking at me bored. It was strange looking into
eyes so similar to my own and only seeing coldness. “You wanted to save me so badly, didn’t you? But if it makes you feel better, let me ask which plan do you prefer? We hide away and wait, letting the whole family die in the process then rebuild? Or, do I use you two? I’m fine either way, are you?”
Was he using the family to blackmail us?
“No need for threats. We are here, aren’t we?” Melody said, stepping up beside me and looking around the room, which should have been riddled with holes, but inside, not a single bullet made it in. “You bulletproofed the hospital?”
He didn’t answer her. Instead, he walked over to the wooden paneling at the door, touching the side of it. It scanned his finger, and he pressed in a code. When it unlocked, he bent down, dropping his gun onto the floor and opening the door. When he did, there was another door inside.
He knocked once before speaking.
“Lupus est homo homini.”
I had no idea what he meant. However, there was rattling before there was a click. The door opened, and out popped a little girl with a frown on her face. “Auribus teneo lupum.”
Ethan frowned, helping her come out. “Aren’t you supposed to wait until I say something else?”
His daughter, my granddaughter, made a face. “But Papa, I know your voice.”
“What if someone records my voice?” he asked, poking her stomach.
She giggled, backing away. “My mommy has a camera in there. When you open it, I can see your face, Papa.”
Ethan frowned, poking her again, making her giggle. “Did you see those people behind me. They are dangerous. There could be a trap. Don’t ever think you are the smartest.”
Upon pointing at us, she immediately moved to stand behind his body which I assumed was because she didn’t recognize us. He smirked. “See, what if it was a trap?”
“Why would you trap me, Papa—wait?” She poked her head out from the side to stare at us with her mismatched eyes. Slowly she moved away from Ethan and grinned.
“Papa, I know them,” Gigi said and then looked back up to Ethan, who only looked back at her, confused.
“How? You’ve met them?”
She shook her head. “Mommy said if her grandma and grandpapa start to be mean to me and I could not find you or her, then I had to call my grandma and grandpapa. She showed me pictures.”
She looked back at us and smiled, waving. “Hi, Grandma; hi Grandpapa.”
It was like seeing Dona all over again, and my heart shook.
She was precious.