The Mafia's Pet: Pawn Of The Ruthless ( A Dark Romance)

Chapter 45: Shadows of Regret

Aemilio

I could feel the darkness closing in around me as I drifted in and out of consciousness. The last thing I remembered was the blinding pain in my leg, a searing agony that threatened to consume me whole. My thoughts swirled like a storm, but amid the chaos, one face kept emerging—Evangelina.

I had brought her into this world, this twisted reality of power and violence, and now I was losing control of it all. As the paramedics worked frantically around me, applying a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from the bullet wound in my waist, I felt a sinking dread. Would she be safe without me?

The moments stretched like an eternity, each second punctuated by the shouts of the paramedics and the faint whirring of medical equipment. I could hear them calling out commands, but their words were muffled and distant. My mind was too clouded by pain to process anything. I wanted to scream, to fight back against the shadows threatening to pull me under, but all I could manage was to hang on to the thought of Evangelina.

Somewhere in that haze, I knew that the bar owner had called an ambulance. I should have been grateful, but instead, I felt a sense of failure. This was not how things were supposed to be. I had worked too hard to build my empire, to keep the darkness at bay, and now I was vulnerable. My enemies had found a chink in my armor, and I could only hope that they wouldn't use it against me.

I lost consciousness again, only to wake up in the back of the ambulance. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils, and the harsh fluorescent lights stung my eyes. Panic surged through me as I struggled to sit up, but pain shot through my body, reminding me of my wound.

"Stay still!" a voice shouted. It was one of the paramedics, his brow furrowed in concentration as he worked to stabilize me. "We're getting you to the hospital."

I wanted to protest, to tell him to hurry, but my voice caught in my throat. I wanted to call for Bruno, to demand answers, but my body betrayed me. Instead, I felt the ambulance jolt as it sped over bumps in the road, and I closed my eyes again, trying to focus on something, anything, other than the pain.

When we finally arrived at the hospital, I was whisked through the corridors, my body on a stretcher, nurses bustling around me. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I fought against the darkness, trying to hold on. I needed to see Bruno. I needed him to know that I wasn't out of the game yet.

I heard the medical staff discussing my condition in urgent tones. "Bullet wound to the abdomen," one said. "We need to get him into surgery immediately."

"No!" I wanted to scream, but the words didn't come. I needed to delay them, to buy myself time. My enemies were planning something, and if I went under the knife now, I might never wake up to stop it. I had to think clearly.

Then, amidst the chaos, I heard a familiar voice—Bruno's. "You can't operate yet!" he demanded, his tone firm but urgent. "I need to speak to him first."

"Who's in charge here?" a doctor replied, frustration in his voice. "We need to save him."

"Just give me a minute!" Bruno insisted. I could hear the tension in his voice, the concern that fueled his every word.

Finally, I saw him. He rushed into the room, his expression a mixture of relief and anxiety. "Aemilio," he said, leaning close, urgency etched on his face. "You're awake. Thank God."

"Bruno..." My voice was barely a whisper, but I managed to meet his gaze. "Don't let them operate. I'm not ready."

"Aemilio, you need this surgery. You're losing a lot of blood."

"Delay it," I insisted, my heart racing. "I have to talk to you first. There's something...something I need to know."

Bruno hesitated, glancing back at the medical team, but I could see the determination in his eyes. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll tell them to hold off for a moment. But you have to promise me you'll listen. We're in a dangerous situation."

I nodded, relieved that he was willing to help. "What happened?" I managed to ask, my throat dry.

"After the shooting, I called the hospital," he said, lowering his voice. "They asked for your emergency contacts, but I told them to hold on with the surgery for now. We need a plan."

"Plan?" My head was spinning, but I forced myself to focus. "What are they planning?"

"They were asking questions about the incident. Whoever shot you knew what they were doing. This wasn't a random robbery; they wanted you out of the picture." Bruno's eyes hardened. "They've been watching you, waiting for the right moment."

I clenched my jaw, anger boiling inside me. "I should have seen it coming. I've been careless."

"No," Bruno said firmly. "You've been fighting battles on multiple fronts. This was bound to happen. But we'll find out who did this, I promise you."

I took a shaky breath, the pain in my leg flaring again. "What about Evangelina?"

Bruno's expression shifted. "She's safe for now. But you need to be careful. If they see you vulnerable, they might try to use her against you."

The thought sent a chill down my spine. Evangelina didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess. I had brought her into my life to protect her, and now I was putting her in danger. Guilt washed over me like a tide, and I felt the weight of my decisions crashing down.

"Bruno, I can't let anything happen to her," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "If they come for her—"

"They won't," Bruno interrupted, his tone firm. "Not if we stay ahead of them. You just need to focus on healing."

But how could I heal when my mind was racing with the fear of what might happen? I wanted to believe that I could protect her, that I could keep her safe from the chaos that surrounded us, but the reality was that I had put her in the crosshairs.

"Call her," I said urgently, desperation creeping into my voice. "Call Evangelina. I need her to know I'm okay."

Bruno hesitated, his brow furrowing. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Aemilio. She's been through enough."

"I don't care," I insisted, feeling the fire of my emotions ignite. "She needs to know I'm still here. That I'm not going anywhere. Please, Bruno."

Finally, he relented. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. But first, we need to figure out how to deal with the situation. You have enemies, Aemilio, and they won't stop until they see you down."

As he spoke, I felt the heaviness in my chest. I had fought tooth and nail to build my empire, to gain the power that came with it, but in this moment, I felt powerless. I was a man caught in the web of my own making, and it terrified me.

"Tell me what to do, Bruno," I said, the weight of my situation pressing down on me. "I can't be weak. Not now."

"You need to recover first," he replied, his voice steady. "Focus on healing. We'll figure out the rest together. You can't fight this war while you're bleeding out."

I nodded, but the words felt hollow. I wanted to fight. I wanted to stand up against whoever was coming for me. I wanted to protect Evangelina, to show her that I could be the man she deserved.

As Bruno stepped away to make the call, I closed my eyes, battling the pain and the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm me. I thought about Evangelina, her spirit, her defiance, and how she had looked at me with that mix of fear and anger.

What kind of monster had I become? I had dragged her into a life she never asked for, and I was determined to protect her, even if it meant putting myself in harm's way. The shadows loomed large, but I wouldn't let them consume me.

When Bruno returned, he had a look of uncertainty in his eyes. "Aemilio," he said, hesitating before speaking. "I'm sorry boss, we don't need any form of distraction here."

"That's right,?" My stomach twisted. I understood him immediately. "We need a plan as you've said."