Page 70 of War Within
He's currently in surgery. I need you to do a huge favor for me. Distract Valentina for a few days while he recovers to the point he can speak. I have a lot to do on my end, but Marco won't be an issue any longer.
Is he gone for good?
He is.
A sigh of relief evaded my lips.
Like I said, please keep her distracted while I handle things on my end. As soon as they release Emir, we’re going to fly home if he's stable enough. You and the girls will meet us there.
Okay. I exhaled. I wanted to see him again, getting back to why I was here in the first place. I also wanted to be back in New York, though Hawaii was nice.
I also wanted to ask how you're feeling?
I'm starting to feel better. A little sore left but overall, I feel okay. I just miss you a lot.
Good, because I can't wait to give you—
He went silent instantly.
Hello?
Sorry, I have to go. Talk soon.
Rolling my eyes, I hung up the phone. I took a quick shower, rising the sand off my body before throwing on some clothes and heading back to the girls. Lily and Valentina were getting along well. Too well. The moment I stepped in the hall, Valentina was leaning against the wall near her bedroom.
“Oh, hey.”
“How’s my dad?”
I smiled. “Good. He said he loves you and hopes we're having fun.”
“When are they coming here?” Her eyes welled with tears.
“He didn't say. They're still taking care of some business things.”
“I miss Emir so much.” She buried her face in her hands. “Something isn’t right. I haven’t heard from him.”
Chewing the inside of my bottom lip, I inhaled deeply through my nose. While I did not have an emotional attachment to her, I knew what it was like to lose someone I loved. In that moment, I chose compassion, and it was not an act. Placing my arm around her, I escorted her downstairs. “Hey, you love to cook. Lily and I do too. Let's go make some cookies and order pizza.”
“I’d like that.” She sniffled the entire way to the kitchen.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Covered in Emir’s blood, I paced the waiting room of the hospital hours after the incident, waiting for any news. I needed him to be okay. It was no longer because he was my head of security in Serbia. It was because he loved my daughter, and she loved him. That meant he was family to me.
“How's he holding up?” Carmine emerged from the hospital bathroom after cleaning most of the blood off his skin.
Sliding my hands in my pockets, I averted my gaze. “Still in surgery. I'm not sure.”
Leo ambled up, crossing his arms, nodding. “The scene is all clean.”
I nodded.
He turned to Carmine. “What's Freebird?”
Carmine lifted his chin to me. “We had codes growing up. We got into a lot of fights with people in college.” He chuckled. “Freebird meantduck, so the other person could get in a hit.”
Leo sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I'm impressed you remembered, boss.”
