Ruthless Spring

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: WINTER

“IsaidIcan fucking walk!”

I frown as I step out of the bathroom. I know I recognize the shrieking voice, yet my brain seems to be struggling to put the pieces together.

“Let go of me, you oversized monkey! I said I can walk.”

“Hurry up and stick him in the room, Enzo, maybe even accidentally hit his head a little too hard so he can hurry and pass the fuck out.” Vito’s voice is dry.

Curiosity gets the better of me as the voices continue to argue. I walk down the stairs, stepping into the foyer. I turn the corner and I find a group of people walking into the room down the hall. Or I guess, not a group, but Giovanni, Maximo, Vito, and Enzo.

And Enzo’s… toting someone?"

My brows pull together and I follow behind them, trying to figure out what is going on. As I get closer and I hear that first voice again, I realize it’s Diamond.

Is that who Enzo is carrying?

I can’t help but to be confused as I follow them into the room that Vito was taken to when he was shot. I step inside, watching as Enzo sets Diamond onto the table, and yeah, he was definitely carrying him.

There’s blood pooling on Diamond’s jeans and his black shirt is melded to his body. I figure it must be wet with blood as well.

“What happened?” I ask.

Vito is the first to whip around and look at me, his jaw tight.

Giovanni steps toward me, his shoulders full of tension. “You need to go to your room,” he tells me.

I take a deep breath, annoyed. “But-”

“To your room,” he cuts me off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, I turn on my heels, heading back the same way I came. I almost run into the doctor as she flies down the hall. She only gives me a quick apology before she’s headed toward the room everyone else is in.

Fine, I’ll just come back later.

I end up falling asleep in my room and I’m unsure of how many hours pass, but there’s a tray of what looks like dinner sitting on my bed side table. I only take the bottle of water off the tray, downing it.

Climbing to my feet, I peer out of the window. It’s dark outside but the sun had already set when I’d gone to bed. I’d been getting ready for bed, showering and changing into my pajamas before dinner when I hear them downstairs.

It has to be some time after midnight now though, I figure.

I move to my door, expecting it to be locked, but surprisingly it isn’t.

Surely, Giovanni must have realized I’d come back down to see what was going on.

But likely, the man is just too preoccupied to have thought that far, and I’m thankful for it when I slide out of my room.

I keep my steps quiet as I make my way back to the same room as earlier. The door is closed but I push it open, holding my breath. Fortunately, the only person inside is Diamond. He’s laying down on some sort of cot. He’s shirtless, exposing well sculpted abs and an assortment of black ink against his brown skin. There’s a white bandage covering his arm and there’s a little circle of blood on it.

The pants leg on one side of his jeans has been cut up past his thigh where another white bandage is.

He looks like he’s sleeping so I take the opportunity to go in for a closer inspection. I stop in my tracks when his eyes flip open and his gaze lands on me. He raises an eyebrow. “Going in for the kill?” he asks.

I take a deep gulp, stepping back. I shake my head. “No, I just wanted to see…” I gesture to his body.

“See my nice physique.” His face twists. “Disgusting.”

“That’s not what I was doing,” I tell him, because I really wasn’t. I was just trying to inspect his wounds. '“But why would it be disgusting if I was?”