My heart is racing, my mind going a million miles an hour as Gio leads me out of the elevator with a gentle hand at the small of my back.
When he knocked on my door an hour ago, I had to lock my knees to stop from falling over.
We walk through the doors and into the waiting area, the room full of Marco’s crew and family. Mrs. Rossi jumps up out of her chair and envelopes me in a huge hug, and I lose the loose control I have on my emotions, burying my face in her shoulder and letting tears fall for the first time.
She rubs my back soothingly. “It’s okay, Renee. He’s just a bit banged up but he’s going to make a full recovery. I promise you. You’re strong enough to handle this. I know you are. My Marco wouldn’t love a woman who wasn’t.”
I nod and she lets me go, leaving her hands on my shoulders and meeting my eyes, her gaze then roaming my face as if to make sure I heard her words.
“I think . . .” I say, sniffing and wiping my eyes, trying to pull myself together. “I think I’m just in shock. The last thing I expected was for him to get hurt. He’s always so strong, so formidable.”
Mama smiles at me, giving me a reassuring squeeze before letting me go. “My Marco is all of those things but he’s still just a man, and I’ll let you in on a secret,” she says, leaning in and bringing her mouth to my ear. “All of the Rossi men are like that, but they also need a powerhouse of a woman at their back and sometimes their front. These things are sent to test us, but they’re also the making of us.”
I nod, biting my lip so I don’t start crying again.
I square my shoulders and pull myself together, feeling the love and support of everyone in the room surrounding me, but also knowing they’re here for Marco; their Lieutenant; their friend; their brother.
“Now, he’s been asking for you, and I know he’ll feel a lot better for seeing you,” Mrs. Rossi says.
I huff out a big breath, desperately needing to see for myself that he’s okay. “Don’t you want to go in and see him first? I’m not family. I’m just his—”
One look at her determined face and I can see the mama bear within shining through. The woman who always had Marco’s back before he met me is just as fierce and determined as the man himself. Then I remember what he told me about his mother being the one to teach the Rossi children how a woman should be treated, and his father being the one to show them. Respect. Honor. Love. The three cornerstones of my relationship with Marco. The three things he’s shown me from the start.
I can do this. I can be the strong one until he’s back on his feet and ready to take the reins again.
“Are you ready?” Gio asks, coming up beside me, Luca flanking my other side. Mrs. Rossi looks between her boys, reaching out to cup both their cheeks, pride shining in her gaze. She locks eyes with me, and I don’t miss the significance of this moment. It’s like she’s handing the baton over, giving me the job of seeing to the man we both love.
I nod, silently promising her that I’m the only other woman for the job.
Gio and Luca walk with me down the corridor, leading me to Marco’s room, nodding to a tall, very handsome doctor standing at the nurses’ station outside, jotting notes down in a folder.
“Cade,” Luca says, reaching out and shaking hands with him, Gio following suit. “This is Renee, Marco’s partner.”
“Hey,” Cade says, holding out his arm to shake my hand. “He’s a little banged up but he’s going to make a full recovery. He’s got a mild concussion and a little smoke inhalation from losing his mask. But he was pulled out as soon as they could get to him and will be able to go home tomorrow after some oxygen and monitoring overnight.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I step forward and wrap my arms around the doctor’s shoulders, hugging him tightly.
“Thank you, Doctor. I’ll make sure he does everything he’s told to do, even if I have to chain him to my bed to make him rest.”
“Call me Cade, Renee. And he’s lucky to have you. He’s been asking for you ever since he was brought in. I hope he might finally be able to relax now that you’re here.”
“Don’t you worry,” I say, letting myself accept the fact he’s going to be okay. “He knows not to argue with me. In fact, I know he hates it.”
“You remind me of my wife. She’s just as scary as you are,” Cade says with a smile which says he doesn’t mind one bit.
“You’re a lucky man then.”
“Believe me, that is something I do know.” He shakes hands with Gio and Luca again. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Just call out if you need anything.”
“Will do, Doc. Thanks again,” Luca says before turning to look down at me as Cade strolls down the hall.
“You ready?” Gio asks. “We’ll leave you guys to it, okay?”
“You can come in. I’m sure he’ll want to see you as well.”
“Not as much as you, princess,” Gio says, tapping my nose. “We’ll see him after.”
Luca nods in agreement. “Now go. Marco is not the best patient, and right now, he’s downright grumpy.”
“Okay, thank you. For coming to get me, and being here.”
“Renee, you’re family. The only one who doesn’t seem to get that yet is you,” Luca says, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “We’ll be in the waiting room if you need us.”
I don’t wait any longer. I open the door to the room with M. Rossi on the side and step inside, closing it behind me and getting my first look at the battered but well and truly alive love of my life.
He smiles when his eyes meet mine.
“Come here, baby,” he rasps, holding his hand out and I’m at his side before he’s finished talking.
“You’re in so much trouble, Lieutenant,” I say, my voice breaking as I gently run my hands over his arms, shoulders, chest, and then up to his face.
“I’m okay. It got a bit hairy but I’m good now, especially ‘cause you’re here.”
He lifts his arm and I don’t even question him, carefully easing myself into the bed beside him, draping my body over his.
“Feeling a lot better now,” he rumbles, before coughing and trying to clear his throat. I shift to get off him and he grips my hip to hold me in place. “You’re not going anywhere. Need you close.”
Pressing my cheek to the pillow beside his head, I meet his eyes, letting my hand rest over his heart to reassure myself he’s okay.
“So, what happened? Gio wouldn’t tell me much except you got trapped and they had to get the ladder up to pull you out.”
“That’s pretty much it. We got told the vent was done except it was called too early. Then something happened, got caught in a backdraft, lost my helmet and mask, and got a good knock to the back of the head. Came to, found my radio, called out for help, and Luca and Scotty hauled me out the window.”
I lean in and move his mask aside for just long enough to brush my lips against his before putting it back on, loving the soft, lazy look he gives me.
Resting my forehead against his, I take a huge breath, embracing the growing lump in my throat. “I can’t lose you, Marco. We just found each other; we’ve got a lifetime to make up for.”
“Princess,” he says, his voice thick. “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not letting anyone or anything keep me from you.” He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tight as I do the same.
“Good to hear.” I sniff, as we sit there in peaceful silence, soaking each other in.
Then all hell breaks loose outside, Luca’s angry growl breaking the tranquility.
“You have some fucking nerve, Pierce. You don’t deserve to wear that uniform.”
I push myself up on an arm in the bed, my eyes going to the door before swinging back to Marco, who eyes me warily. That sets off alarm bells in my head and I quickly think over his explanation, my mind catching on things he didn’t say.
My blood boils, my muscles tensing. Marco’s eyes widen. “Baby, no. Do not—”
Grams warned Marco I was hell on wheels when angry, and something tells me I’m about to hit the stratosphere. “Please tell me that Nick Pierce had nothing to do with this.” My voice is low and rough, my anger reaching a fever pitch when Marco clamps his mouth shut and rubs his hand up and down my arm as if to try soothe me.
“No,” I say, my eyes stinging with tears but for an entirely different reason because there’s a haze clouding my vision now and its color is red.
I scramble off the bed. Marco reaches out to stop me but I’m too fast and too determined to catch.
Marco jerks off his oxygen mask. “Princess, no. He’s not wor—”
With my hand on the door handle, I whirl around to look back at him over my shoulder. “He’s a worthless son of a bitch who almost got you killed. And for what? Because of a bruised ego? Because you punched him when he was an asshole to me? Because he thinks you’re playing with his toys?” I screech. “No. I almost lost you, Marco. He doesn’t get to do that, and he needs to know that.”
“He’ll get what’s coming to him,” he says roughly, his throat still raw.
“Yes. He will,” I say, my tone menacing and deceptively calm. I point to the bed. “You, stay.”
Marco quirks a brow, his lips twitching. “Really?”
“Yes,” I demand. I cross the room and bend down, touching my lips to his. “You defended me. Now it’s my turn to repay the favor.”
“You don’t have to.”
I lift my head and shoot him a ‘Really?’ look.
When he slumps back down into the mattress I know I’ve won this fight. “Just don’t do anything I would do.”
“Believe me, I’m going to do exactly what you’d do.”
He gives a resigned sigh. “I figured.”
“Don’t worry, Lieutenant. I’ll leave the door open so you can watch.”
“Just don’t make my brother arrest you,” he says. I swear I catch the smallest of smiles when I blow him a kiss.
Then I let my anger fly free and stalk out of the room, finding Rhodes, Luca, and Zach in the middle of the corridor, facing off against Nick. Gio is leaning back against the nurses’ station, staring daggers while Rhodes and Zach struggle to hold back an angry Luca. Further down the hall is Marco’s Captain, standing with his arms crossed, glaring at the confrontation but not making a move to control his men. That in itself speaks volumes and makes me more determined to tear my own piece of flesh from my ex-fiancé.
Gio’s gaze swings to me, watching closely as I close the distance and storm around Luca, Rhodes, and Zach to get in Nick’s face.
His eyes widen when he catches sight of me. “Nay, I just wanted to apologize.”
“Oh, no. You don’t get to call me anything anymore. As far as I’m concerned, you lost the right to talk to me five years ago when I called off the wedding, and you ceased to even exist the day I met Marco Rossi and knew what a real man was. And you,” I spit out, poking my finger in his chest, “do not get anywhere near him or me or his family, because they’re my family now and I’ll defend them until my last breath. Even on his worst day, Marco is so much more of a man than you’ll ever be.”
Nick’s eyes are narrowed slits, and I can feel the anger and hatred rolling off him, which proves what I guessed already—Nick Pierce is here to see his handiwork but also lay the foundation for what will likely be a long, drawn-out investigation, one in which he’ll try to throw the man I love under the bus to save his own ass.
I cross my arms, my face screwed up as I shake my head. What the hell did I ever see in him? “You’re a joke. You saw me with Marco and you couldn’t stand it, so you tried to ruin my night at the ball, and when that didn’t work and Marco embarrassed you, you decided to lose your ever-loving mind and try to kill him!”
“He’s fine, isn’t he?” he says. I glare at him, not believing what I’m hearing. There’s no remorse at all. Nick is looking out for Nick and Nick only. Then he looks me up and down and sneers. “You two deserve each other. You’re both as worthless as—”
I slap the last word out of his damn mouth before I’m jerked backward. Rhodes hooks his arm around my belly, holding me away from my shell-shocked ex, who’s pressing a hand to his face and scowling at me.
“I want to lay charges,” he says, glaring at Gio.
“And what’s your complaint, Lieutenant Pierce?”
“She assaulted me,” Nick splutters.
Gio looks around the group. “I must’ve missed it. Luca, did you see what happened?”
Luca crosses his arms over his chest, suddenly seeming clueless. “I didn’t see a thing. How about you, Rhodes?”
“Nope. Not me.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake. You’re all in on it.” He glares at Gio. “I’ll have your badge too. There’ll be security footage.”
“Give it up, Pierce,” Marco says. My head snaps toward his hospital room door to find him leaning against the frame, as if watching the show. “You’re fighting a losing battle you’re never going to win. Resign. Save yourself and the department the embarrassment and time of having to investigate your criminal behavior and just leave,” Marco says, his voice rough and quiet, but no less commanding.
Nick snorts and shakes his head. “It was an accident, Rossi. I’m not going to sacrifice my career.”
Marco rolls his eyes, looking to me before turning his attention back to Pierce. “Fine. Draw it out. Won’t do you any good. There are witnesses. There’s a record of past behavior and complaints made against you. I guarantee any investigation will end with termination at best and the filing of attempted murder charges at worst. So the ball is in your court. Just know this is done. I’ll never work a scene with you again and I know the department will never stand for that.”
Nick still won’t give up. He drags his angry eyes from Marco back to me. “You two deserve each other,” he snarls.
“Lieutenant Pierce,” Marco’s Captain announces, stepping into the fray. “You need to leave. But some advice—get in touch with your union rep because an investigation has been launched, and I have every faith that you’ll be found guilty and terminated.”
“All because of this bitch,” Nick spits out, shooting daggers my way. I smirk and walk over to Marco, wrap my arm around his waist and stand by his side. “Yeah, Nick. It was about Marco but you made this about me. And news flash: I’m his bitch now, and he’ll always be more of a firefighter and more of a man than you could ever wish to be. So give up, and if you’re smart, you’ll fall on your sword and resign.”
“Fuck this shit,” he says before turning around and stalking back down the corridor, all of us standing there and watching until he disappears from sight.
“Renee,” Marco says, his raspy voice laced with humor.
I tilt my head to meet his eyes. “What?”
“A slap? Really?”
I wave my hand in the air, wriggling my fingers. “I wasn’t going to risk hurting myself—not for him. He’s not worth it,” I say. “Besides, I figured a bitch like that deserves a bitch slap from the woman he always underestimated.”
“Fuck,” he says, dragging his hand up into my hair and crushing his mouth to mine. He chuckles against my lips. “You’re one of a kind, princess—you know that?”
I smile and melt into him. “As long as you know that, then that’s all that matters.”
“Known it since the moment I met you.”
I pull back and quirk a brow. “So you’re buying a ticket?” I say, remembering back to that night at my front door when he laid all his cards on the table.
“I knew you were the one that first time when you knocked me on my ass,” he says, shooting me a cocky grin. “And you reminded me why when you stormed out to slap some sense into Pierce.”
“I was defending your honor.”
“And I love you even more for that fact.”
“Well, good,” I huff.
“Baby?”
“Yeah?”
“We’re moving in together. You know that, right?”
I tilt my head and quirk a brow. “Is that a question or a demand?”
“It’s a forgone conclusion,” he says, matter-of-factly.
“Then yes, I do know. I’d already decided the same thing when I saw you in that hospital bed.”
“Good, because I really like your bed.”
I arch a brow. “And me in it with you too, right?”
“Yeah, baby. That too.” Then I can’t say anything else because he’s kissing me again, and I’m definitely not going to argue about that.