White Knight (Dirty Mafia Duet, #2)(40)

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and hug her to my side. “Not yet. I’m hoping he’ll be out of surgery anytime.”

“Do we need to be worrying?”

I glance down at her troubled tone. “What do you mean?”

She looks in one direction and then the other, double-checking to see if we’re truly alone before speaking. “The Rossettis. Are they going to try again? Do we need security here? What about when we leave?”

My brain has been running in the same direction, but I’ve been deliberately keeping it to myself since we’ve been in the hospital. “I don’t think the Rossettis are bold enough to try to get to us here.”

“What about when we leave, though? Eden said something about a hotel, but that doesn’t seem like a smart idea.”

A janitor pushes a cleaning cart down the hall, and we both wait for him to pass before continuing our conversation. Part of me hates that Memphis is now as aware as I am, but the other part of me is glad. A little paranoia is a good thing when it comes to keeping safe.

“No one’s going to a hotel,” I tell her with a squeeze to her hand. “It’s not secure enough.”

She looks tired, and it’s clear the night has taken a toll on her. “Then where are they all going to go?”

“Dom’s brownstone. It’s one of the safest places in the city. Primo and Warren are waiting in SUVs out front, so transport won’t be a problem either.”

Memphis turns to glance over her shoulder in the direction of the seating area where Eden, Bishop, and the others wait for news. “You think they’ll leave here without Dom?”

“They’ll do whatever I tell them to.”

Her brow furrows with confusion. “They will?”

I nod, about to say words I never expected to admit out loud. “Yeah, because with Dom and Enzo both out of commission, I’m in charge of the Casso family.”





27





Memphis





Cannon’s in charge of the Casso family. I don’t know why the realization surprises me, but the shock waves vibrating through my body are from exactly that.

He lets go of my hand as a doctor enters Creighton’s room and approaches Holly. “I’m going to listen to what he says, okay?”

I release his hand, knowing that Holly needs him more than I do right now. “Go. I’ll be in the waiting room seeing if anyone needs anything. Do what you need to do.”

His lips brush over my forehead before he enters Creighton’s room and stands behind Holly’s chair, his hands on her shoulders. Holly reaches up and squeezes Cannon’s hand for support.

Good. After this, I hope like hell Creighton Karas realizes that he’s an asshole for pushing Cannon out of his life, especially when there’s literally nothing Cannon wouldn’t do for him.

I watch them for a few more moments before making my way back to the waiting room. Inside, everyone is starting to droop. Or rather, long past starting to droop. Cav sits on a sofa and Greer leans back in his arms, her eyes closed.

I assume that they gave her painkillers for her stitches and they’re probably knocking her out. Bishop stands in a corner, where he leans with both arms crossed. Eden stops pacing the room and asks if Greer is okay before she steps out to take yet another walk down the hall to check on her other family members. Benny’s asleep with his feet up on a coffee table and a National Geographic magazine spread out on his chest.

I barely know these people, but they’ve already become so very dear to me because I know how much they mean to Cannon. They’re the family he desperately wants to be close to, but given his history, he’s willing to take whatever he can get. Even if, like from Creighton and Dom, all he can get is scraps.

A flame of anger ignites in me when I think about how they’ve treated him. It’s not fucking fair. Right there, in the surgery waiting room of New York Presbyterian, I make a vow.

Every single piece of me that he wants? It’s his. I’m not holding anything back. He deserves everything.

“He’s awake!” Eden’s voice pierces the silence of the waiting room, and we all freeze for a beat before bursting into movement.

Benny jerks and the magazine tumbles to the floor. Cav holds Greer stable so she can’t jostle her new sutures.

“Who’s awake?” Bishop asks his wife as he pushes off the wall to stand behind her and look through the glass window.

“Creighton! He’s holding Holly’s hand and talking!”





28





Cannon





“What the hell are you doing here?”

Creighton’s deep voice sounds like it’s been run through a wood chipper. His throat has to be torn up from being intubated during surgery, but even being flat on his back on a hospital bed doesn’t make his disgust at seeing me any easier to handle.

“Crey. Oh my God. Thank God you’re talking. You’ve been coming in and out, and I couldn’t get a single straight word out of you.” Holly smooths a hand over her husband’s pale cheek.

Creighton’s gaze fixes on his wife’s face, and he curls his fingers around her hand before glaring at me. “What the fuck happened?”