Stay With Me
1368 Words
"Move!"
Marco's voice cut through the chaos.
Izzy couldn't.
She was frozen.
Adrian lay in her lap, blood soaking through his shirt and onto her hands.
This couldn't be happening.
Not him.
Not after everything.
"Izzy!"
Luca's voice was sharper this time.
"We need to move him."
She looked down at Adrian's pale face.
"Please wake up," she whispered.
He didn't move.
Fear unlike anything she'd ever known ripped through her.
Marco gently took her shoulders.
"Izzy, listen to me."
She looked up.
"He needs medical attention now."
The words finally broke through.
She nodded.
Marco carefully lifted Adrian while Luca pulled out his phone.
"Get Dr. Harris here immediately," he barked. "Now!"
The mansion was suddenly a blur of movement.
Men ran in every direction.
Someone dragged the injured attacker away.
Another secured the front doors.
Vincent Moretti was gone.
Disappeared in the chaos.
But none of it mattered.
Not to her.
Because Adrian wasn't moving.
"He's losing too much blood," Marco muttered.
"No," she whispered.
They hurried through the mansion.
Luca pushed open a set of double doors.
It looked like a medical suite.
A hospital room hidden inside the estate.
Of course a mafia mansion had its own medical room.
They laid Adrian on the bed.
Blood stained the white sheets immediately.
Izzy stood frozen near the doorway.
She couldn't breathe.
A doctor rushed inside moments later.
A man in his sixties carrying a medical bag.
"What happened?"
"Gunshot wound," Marco answered.
The doctor's expression changed instantly.
"Everyone out."
"No," Izzy said.
The doctor looked at her.
"Miss—"
"I'm staying."
The doctor looked toward Marco.
Marco sighed.
"Good luck changing her mind."
The doctor apparently decided not to argue.
"Then stand over there and don't touch anything."
She nodded quickly.
The next twenty minutes felt like an eternity.
The doctor cut away Adrian's shirt.
Cleaned the wound.
Worked quickly.
Efficiently.
There was more blood than she wanted to see.
Far too much.
Finally—
The doctor exhaled.
"He got lucky."
Everyone in the room stopped.
The doctor looked up.
"The bullet went through his shoulder."
Izzy's knees nearly gave out.
"He'll be okay?"
"He lost a lot of blood, but yes."
A shaky breath escaped her.
Relief crashed into her so hard she almost cried.
"He needs rest."
The doctor finished bandaging the wound.
"He'll likely be unconscious for several hours."
She nodded.
Barely hearing him.
Because Adrian was alive.
He was alive.
The doctor packed his things.
"I'll check on him later tonight."
Then he left.
Marco and Luca remained.
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Luca looked at her.
"You scared us."
She blinked.
"What?"
"When he got shot."
He looked exhausted.
"I've never seen him move that fast."
She looked at Adrian.
"He jumped in front of me."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Silence.
Marco and Luca exchanged a look.
Then Marco sighed.
"Because that's who he is."
She frowned.
"He would've done it for anyone."
"No."
Luca's answer came immediately.
Both she and Marco looked at him.
"What?" Luca asked.
"You don't think so?" Marco said.
"No."
He looked at Izzy.
"He would've protected anyone."
A pause.
"But he wouldn't take a bullet for just anyone."
The room went silent.
She looked back at Adrian.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
No.
Not warmth.
Something much more dangerous.
Luca cleared his throat.
"We should give you some time."
"We?" Marco asked.
"Yes."
"When did I agree to leave?"
"Right now."
Before Marco could argue, Luca dragged him out of the room.
The door closed behind them.
Silence.
For a long time, Izzy simply stood there.
Then she slowly sat beside the bed.
Adrian looked different asleep.
Younger somehow.
Softer.
The hard edges were gone.
The constant seriousness.
The weight he seemed to carry.
He looked tired.
Very tired.
Carefully, she brushed a strand of dark hair away from his forehead.
"I don't understand you."
No answer.
Of course.
She looked down at her hands.
They were still stained with his blood.
Her chest tightened.
"You barely know me."
Silence.
"And yet you got shot because of me."
Tears filled her eyes.
"I don't know why that makes me want to cry."
A soft knock sounded.
Rosa stepped inside.
The older woman looked at the bed and immediately understood.
"Is he okay?"
"He's going to be."
Rosa's shoulders sagged with relief.
"Thank God."
She sat beside Izzy.
For several moments, neither woman spoke.
Then—
"He always does this."
Izzy looked at her.
"What?"
"Protects everyone."
A sad smile touched Rosa's lips.
"Even when it hurts him."
She looked at Adrian.
"He gets that from his mother."
"What was she like?"
Rosa smiled.
"Kind."
A pause.
"And stubborn."
Izzy laughed softly.
"That sounds familiar."
Rosa's eyes sparkled.
"Very."
Silence settled again.
Then Rosa's expression changed.
"He's never brought anyone here before."
Izzy blinked.
"What?"
"No women."
Her cheeks warmed.
"We're not…"
"I didn't say you were."
She looked entirely too amused.
Izzy sighed.
"Rosa."
"I'm simply making an observation."
"Please stop observing."
The older woman laughed.
For the first time all day, the sound made her smile.
Rosa squeezed her hand.
"Get some rest."
"I don't think I can."
"You should try."
She looked at Adrian.
"I'll stay here."
Rosa's expression softened.
"I thought you might."
After she left, silence returned.
Hours passed.
The sun disappeared.
Night settled outside.
Still, Adrian didn't wake.
At some point, she rested her head beside the bed.
Exhaustion slowly pulled at her.
Then—
A hand moved.
She sat upright.
Adrian's fingers twitched.
Her heart leaped.
"Adrian?"
His brow furrowed.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
Dark.
Confused.
Then they found her.
A faint smile appeared.
"You're still here."
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
She laughed shakily.
"You got shot."
"Right."
"You don't even remember?"
"I remember enough."
He looked around.
"How long?"
"Several hours."
He sighed.
"I hate getting shot."
She blinked.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
He smiled.
"There it is."
"What?"
"Your laugh."
Her cheeks warmed.
"You almost died."
"I didn't."
"You could have."
Silence.
Then he looked at her.
"But I didn't."
Tears returned unexpectedly.
"You scared me."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
His expression softened.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
"I'm sorry."
She blinked.
"What?"
"I'm sorry I scared you."
The sincerity in his voice nearly undid her.
"You don't apologize very often, do you?"
"No."
"I didn't think so."
A small smile appeared.
Then he noticed her hands.
Still stained with his blood.
His expression changed.
"You stayed the whole time."
"Of course I did."
She frowned.
"Where else would I go?"
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then quietly—
"No one usually stays."
Her heart broke a little.
"That's a terrible thing to say."
"It's true."
She swallowed.
No wonder he looked surprised.
No wonder he'd thanked her for being there.
She reached forward before she could think better of it and took his hand.
His fingers curled around hers instantly.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them looked away.
The room suddenly felt much too small.
"I stayed," she said softly.
He looked at her as though she had said something extraordinary.
Then, very gently, he squeezed her hand.
A knock interrupted them.
Luca poked his head inside.
He stopped.
Looked at their hands.
Smiled.
"Oh."
Both of them let go immediately.
Luca's smile widened.
"I can come back."
"No," Adrian said flatly.
"Actually, this is kind of adorable."
"Luca."
"Right."
He stepped inside.
The smile disappeared.
"We have a problem."
Immediately, the mood changed.
"What happened?" Adrian asked.
Luca looked serious.
"We found out why Vincent came tonight."
Silence.
"And?"
Luca swallowed.
"He wasn't after the file."
The room went still.
"He wasn't after Izzy either."
Every muscle in Adrian's body tensed.
"What was he after?"
Luca looked directly at Izzy.
Then he delivered the words that made her blood run cold.
"He came to tell her something."
A long pause.
"He came because the Morettis think she's one of them."
Silence.
Then—
"They think she's the heir to the Moretti family."
The room seemed to stop spinning.
Because somehow…
Her life had just become even more complicated.
- Writer
