Lissy Romano

54| Be normal.

Domenico Romano

I was back at the clinic, where the aftermath of our missions always seemed to find me. Several of our men had been injured, and my hands had been steady as I stitched them up. But now, as I walked toward my office, the world tilted.

I saw them—Vincenzo, Dante, and Lissy.

At first, I smiled, but then I really saw her. Her puffy eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and trembling frame, bundled in Dante's oversized suit jacket like it was a shield. My stomach dropped.

"What happened?" I asked, rushing over to them.

Lissy's pale face turned toward me, her wide eyes filled with unspeakable fear. She was shivering, though Dante's jacket was draped protectively over her shoulders. Her short black dress—damn it, Lissy.

Vincenzo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gripped my arm tightly and led me to my office, leaving Dante and Lissy behind. When he shut the door, his face—a face I'd seen cold and ruthless in the worst of moments—was etched with raw emotion. Anger. Frustration. Sadness.

"What happened to her?" I demanded, my voice barely steady.

Vincenzo didn't mince words. "She sneaked out of the house. Went to Tristan's party. Someone drugged her. She got drunk, smoked weed—God knows what else. She doesn't remember what happened. Aaron found her crying in one of the bedrooms. When she woke up, she saw a guy leaving the room." His voice cracked as he struggled to keep his composure.

My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest. I couldn't breathe. My baby sister. My fourteen-year-old baby sister.

"She doesn't remember anything?" I asked, my voice quiet.

For a second, I thought I saw a tear on Vincenzo's cheek. The strongest, most unbreakable man I knew—cracking.

"She thinks some blonde guy gave her a drink, and that he was the same guy who left the room," Vincenzo said, his fists clenched, his jaw tight. "She said the last thing she remembers was saying 'no.' Our men are looking for him now."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "Okay. I'll think like a doctor now. First, we need to give her a plan B pill. And she'll need tests—for drugs, STDs... everything." My words sounded clinical, but inside I was screaming.

Vincenzo nodded, though his face twisted with anguish. "Do what you have to. But she's already terrified, Domenico. I don't know how we'll help her recover from this."

"We'll figure it out," I said firmly, though fear gnawed at me. "I need to speak to her alone. Just me and her."

Vincenzo hesitated but eventually agreed. "Okay. Of course."

When we left my office, Dante had already taken Lissy to one of the empty rooms. She was lying on the bed, still wrapped in his jacket, holding onto his arm like he was her lifeline. He was gently stroking her head, his face softer than I'd ever seen it.

When she noticed me, her watery eyes blinked a few times, and her lower lip quivered.

"Dante, come outside," Vincenzo said, his voice firm but low.

Dante hesitated, glancing at Lissy as if to ask for permission, then kissed the top of her head and walked out. Vincenzo followed, shutting the door behind him.