Behind the Mask

Chapter 79

Luke's POV

This can't be real.

I sat listening to the quiet beeping of the monitors as I held Gabe's hand in mine. He looked so pale.

Three days.

Three days since I'd seen those blue eyes looking at me. Three days since Marissa disappeared. No one seemed to have answers and we were all falling apart.

On the first night in the hospital, someone tried to kill Gabe. Silas and North had been standing watch and a nurse, well an Academy flunkie posing as a nurse had injected something into his IV. When he started seizing, Sean had managed to stabilize him, but we put out the official word that he'd died from surgery complications. Then Leonardo had flown him back to Italy in secrecy. I went with him, while the others stayed in Texas trying to find Marissa.

"Any change?" Dominic said as he stepped into the room.

I shook my head, not even looking up, "No."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "Erica and the girls will be here this afternoon. I'm heading back to Texas. He's going to wake up, Gabe's too stubborn to die."

I gave a half-hearted laugh, "Yeah, he won't die unless he's already planned a flamboyant funeral display." I looked up at Dominic's eyes. They were filled with worry and you could tell he'd barely slept. "Do you have a new lead?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he said. "I've caught wind of a major player in the Plano area. According to my sources, he's a politician and works closely with that Judge. I'm hoping he might know something about where they're hiding Marissa."

For the first time in three days, I felt a glimmer of hope. We both turned when we heard a knock at the door. Erica poked her head inside, her eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh, Luke," she cried as she rushed in and wrapped her arms around me. I melted in her arms, letting my tears flow openly.

"Mama," I cried, "I don't know how to help him." My body shook as I continued to cry in her arms as she tried to soothe me. I didn't even realize the others had entered the room until I looked up and saw both Jess and Trish standing hands intertwined with Luca and Kristoff. The girls stepped forward and joined my hug with Erica, all of us sobbing.

Eventually, we pulled ourselves together and sat as I had done earlier, just listening to him breathe and the steady sounds of the monitors. Dominic and Luca were speaking in Italian while Kristoff stayed glued to the girls' side. A loud beeping drew my attention and I heard the greatest sound ever.

"Oi, stop talking about me fuckers. Speak in English," Gabe huffed then coughed and groaned. "Did anyone get the fucking number of the bus that fucking hit me?"

I grabbed his face and crushed his lips to mine then pulled back, "Don't you ever fucking do that to me again, Gabriel Joseph Coleman!"

He gave me a cheeky grin, "Yes sir, now kiss me again, pretty boy." I laughed and did exactly that.

****

The doctor had just left, giving Gabe the all-clear to start moving around. Luckily the bullet hadn't caused any damage. The lack of consciousness was a combination of blood loss and whatever they had tried to poison him with. The drug seemed to be out of his system and beyond some mild physical therapy, Gabe was free to leave the hospital wing.

"So have you fucking heard anything from the others?" he asked, buttoning his shirt.

I shook my head, "Not since I let them know you were awake. To the rest of the world, you're officially dead so I'm keeping a low profile."