Viola
“When do you think he’ll wake up?” Saskia asks for the tenth time. There’s a nasty looking cut on her forehead, and her arm and leg are in a cast, but other than that, she got off pretty lightly. Her eyes are puffed up and swollen since she’s been crying so much. It’s all she’s pretty much done since we got here. It was meant to be her wedding day.
Lucky for her it’s been postponed…indefinitely.
“They’re going to see how he is,” Dino says. “Maybe tomorrow?”
We’re sitting in the hospital waiting room awaiting updates, while the police finish their CSI sweep of the crime scene at the estate. Dino convinced me to drive here to wait so he could get a nurse to look at my ankle once he saw how swollen it had become. They gave me a box of strong painkillers, but I’m not taking them. It’s fucking painful, but it’s also fucking painful waiting. Every part of my body is screaming at me to do something.
I should have pushed Razor to tell me who was driving his car. Fuck Dino and his concerns. I’m done playing nice. Done.
I also haven’t forgotten about Dante. I still have his fabricated blood sample in my bag, I just haven’t had time to drop by Hans’s place and frame Dante for his murder. It seems a little pathetic, after he already fucked up Joseph’s overdose and put a dead body in the trunk of my car.
I should just kill him already.
Quinn isn’t answering my messages either. I’m not sure why I’m not more concerned. Maybe because I know Quinn can handle herself. She doesn’t need me. Still, the days when I only had to fret about paying bills are long gone. There must be a way to win. This can’t be how it fucking ends.
Outside the sun is setting, making a pretty orange glow over the land surrounding the estate.
On impulse, I text Dante.
No more games.
I have evidence to link you to a murder.
After several minutes, he sends a reply.
Nice try, but you know I’m not in the system.
He’s right. His DNA isn’t in the police database, which it has to be if that’s the only evidence they have. I know that. I type a reply, asking him to meet me at the waffle place we used to frequent after a long stakeout, and then get to my feet. Time to end this.
Dino looks up from his phone. “Where are you going?”
“To finish getting Dante off my back,” I say. Saskia looks intrigued, but Dino immediately grimaces.
“I’m coming with you,” he says.
“I’m not going to shoot or stab anyone,” I scowl.
“Say it louder so the whole hospital can hear you,” Dino says.
I give him a look.
“What he means is, if anything happens to you while he’s in prison. He’ll never forgive himself. Isn’t that right, Puppy?” Saskia quips.
Dino’s eyes darken. “Fuck off, Sas.” He looks at me. “You can hardly walk. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.”
“Fine, just don’t interfere.”
“And you, don’t go anywhere,” Dino barks at Saskia as he stands up.
She glares at him. “Do I look like I can move?” She points to her injured leg.
Dino fetches Jude’s car while I wait outside the entrance to the hospital. As soon as he pulls up, I slip into the passenger seat wincing.
“Where’s Jude? Did he come back from his bender?”
“Who the fuck knows. I left him a voice message but he hasn’t returned my calls. Did you need to take more of these?” He holds up the box of painkillers.