“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You in trouble?” he asks quietly.
“Depends on what you consider trouble,” I reply. “I’ll have to tell you later though.”
“I’ll see what I can find out through John Paul.”
“Yeah, do,” I say. “I’d like to know what’s going through the grapevine about Chicago business.”
&nbs
p; “I’ll find out.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, Evan?”
“Yeah?”
“I thought about everything you told me,” Bastian says. “I’ve never had a family, you know, and…well, I guess I’m just glad you let me know. If you are in trouble, I’ll be there.”
I tighten my grip on the phone a little.
“I understand how difficult that would be for you with Raine and Alex. You need to stick with them, so I’ll try to never need your personal help.”
“Yeah, I’d appreciate that, too!” Bastian laughs.
“Bastian?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s mutual.” I take in a long breath. “You ever need anything, I got your back.”
“I’ll remember that. Take care, Evan.”
“You, too.”
I hang up and walk back into the hospital, slightly calmer. Nick is nowhere to be seen, which is probably best for him. Lucia and Lele are still talking to the nurse by the front desk, so I head straight to Rinaldo’s room and sit beside him.
He’s pale, weak, and hooked up to oxygen. He doesn’t even open his eyes when I sit down though I can see the slow movement of his chest as he breathes. I rest my chin on my hand and try to understand how so much can be falling apart all at once.
“Evan?”
Rinaldo’s eyes are glassy, likely from morphine added to the drip in his arm. He coughs twice, grimacing as he does.
“Can I get you something, sir?”
“No, son.”
I clasp my hands together and rub at my palm with one thumb, trying to come up with the right words. There’s so little time, and I have no idea what to say to him.
“Everything is set up on my end,” he tells me. “You may have to play a little interference with Lucia, but she’ll ultimately abide by the will. She’s going to be pissed at me, but there isn’t time to try and explain it all to her. She’ll listen to you eventually.”
I’d considered Beni’s reaction to me taking over, and I know exactly what I will do about that, but I hadn’t really thought much about Lucia’s understanding of this whole arranged marriage thing. If she believes she is going to maintain a level of control through me, she might be placated.
“Did you tell her?” I ask.
“There hasn’t been an opportunity.” Rinaldo closes his eyes and swallows hard but ends up coughing again. “She’ll come around.”