Chapter 44: Tirone: Chapter 45

“It’s not the first time.” A man’s distant voice drew me from the blackness that had swallowed me.

“He did it before?” That was Laius’s voice behind me. Was he talking about Tirone? What the hell happened? Did he find out about us? Oh my God. Why was I awake? Why did you not end my miserable life and spare me the horrors awaiting me? What was going to happen to me and Ty now?

I kept my eyes shut, pretending I was still asleep.

“Candy said he almost did it once. She ran to me and told me what happened. I stepped in before Rex did anything. I didn’t tell you because I thought he was on something and was just tripping.” I recognized Hook’s voice. What were they talking about? What did they think Ty did?

“Rex doesn’t even smoke. He’s squeaky clean. Have you seen his fucking room? It’s shiny like a brand new bike and smells like roses and mari-fucking-golds.”

“The kid has been down after he came out of the Boiler. He didn’t even touch Candy, you know? All this time, he’d just let her stay in his bed, play with her hair and sing her a fucking Irish lullaby to sleep,” Hook said, and my chest contracted. Not only was Tirone telling the truth about not sleeping with her, but all this time he was missing us terribly he was reliving our nights. I couldn’t help the tears soaking my pillow sheet. Wait a second. This doesn’t feel like my pillow or my bed. Where are we?

“I reckoned he lit a joint for the first time or something and went on tripping so bad he tried to claw his own eyes out, Prez. I didn’t know he’d do it again. My bad.”

Do what? What the fuck happened to Ty? Did he rip his eyes out? My heart skipped a beat. When he mentioned that gruesome expression to me, it was just that, a figure of speech. He couldn’t have meant it literally. He couldn’t have gouged his own eyes. Oh my God. I bolted upright. “Tirone! What happened?! What did he do to himself?!” I couldn’t keep quiet, dread and anxiety attacking me.

Laius ran toward me and held my hand. “Hey, take it easy, baby. Nothing happened.”

“No! I heard Hook! He said Ty clawed his own eyes out! What the fuck? What the fuck?!”

“He’s fine. They brought him here before there was any damage. He’s with the doctors now, and he’ll be fine. You need to calm down, Jo. You almost had a nervous breakdown.”

I took in the surroundings, my chest on fire. We were in a hospital room. Only Hook and Laius were here with me. “What happened to me? What happened to him?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I was…” I was under Tirone, and he was inside me, when he said he’d rather share me with his father in a secret affair than let me go. Then I was having another anxiety attack before I passed out. My glance bounced between Hook and Laius. Hook took a hint and left. “I was…recovering after we had sex. Then I fainted. Probably low oxygen level. The belt must have been too tight,” I lied.

Laius didn’t look like he believed a word I said. “It wasn’t. Your oxygen level was fine. It’s your nerves. You had another attack. It was too strong you were on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.” His gaze darkened. “What did Tirone do to you, Jo, that sent you to pieces like that? What did he do that was so fucked up even he couldn’t bear and wanted to blind himself for?”

“Nothing,” I panted. “Tirone did nothing.”

“He was going out of our fucking room when I came out of the shower. How did he get in when I’d locked the door myself?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember. I…I must have unlocked it to ask for help when I had the attack. Perhaps he was the closest one to help.”

“You opened the door to call for help naked? Why didn’t you ask me?”

“Maybe I did, and you didn’t hear me. I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything.”

He winced, and then he fell to his knees beside me, holding both my hands, tears reddening his eyes. “What did my son do to you, Jo?”

Stupidly, unable to hide or lie anymore, I broke into tears, my heart tearing in shreds. He banged the bed with his fist, and I flinched. Then he wept with me. “I failed to protect you.”

“There’s nothing you could have done. We both knew he needed serious help, not the kind a few rides, beers and bullets provided. If there had been someone you should have protected, it was him. Both of us should have protected him. I should have never hurt him like that.”

“Stop! I won’t fucking let you! This ain’t your fucking fault. Stop making fucking excuses for him. If he weren’t my own blood, I’d crush him with my own teeth and then fucked him to death.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Laius, you promised me.”

He roared in anger. “After all what he’s done, you’re still fucking defending him? You’re still fucking in love with him? Maybe I should fucking kill you instead.”

Silence fell thick between us for a moment before he pulled me into his warm, strong embrace, and his tears dropped on my neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I take it back. I’m so sorry. I’m losing everything, even my fucking mind. I can’t lose you, too, Jo. You’re the only good thing in my life. The only woman I’ve ever really loved and wanted to spend my life with. I’d kill for you. I’d die for you. Forgive me. You know I’ll never hurt you. I’m so sorry.”

I wasn’t angry at what he said. He had every right to want to kill me. I’d made so many mistakes, told so many lies, kept so many secrets. I thought I was doing the right thing to save our marriage and protect him from doing things he would regret, but all I did was hurt him and stand in the way between everything he cared about. “What do you mean you’re losing everything?”

He drew back and brushed my cheeks with his thumbs. “Don’t worry about a thing, baby girl. I swear I’ll fix everything.”

“Did something else happen? Did you talk to the Bellomos?”

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. “Sebastiano Bellomo agreed to take the Lanzas’ place.”

“That’s good news.”

A bitter snort erupted out of his mouth. “They have a fucking condition to make the deal.”

“Which is?”

“They want me to go to the Lanzas and screw them over, using you as fucking bait.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Tino Bellomo won’t step in unless I go to the Lanzas and strike a deal with them, giving you up like they always wanted in exchange for avoiding war. A fake peace fucking offering. Then at the exchange, the Bellomos will have arranged for a surprise attack where I can get you back and the Larvins, and they can get the Lanzas.”

“Okay. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing. Why are you upset? I don’t mind doing it if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I do. I won’t use my wife as bait. The mob can never be trusted. If something happens to you, do you think they’ll bat a fucking eye? They only care about getting what they want. It doesn’t matter who gets squashed in the middle. They can all go fuck themselves.”

“Did Michele think it was a good plan?”

“Who gives a shit?”

“If he thinks it is, then I trust him, and so should you. He’ll never put me in danger.”

“He works for Tino. His loyalty is for his boss, Jo. He’d say anything if Tino ordered him to, and Tino Bellomo doesn’t give a shit about you or even Michele. Right now, he cares about nothing but hitting the Lanzas where it hurts.”

“You’re stressed out, Laius. How about you let things rest a little and then rethink their offer?”

“I made up my mind, Jo. You’re my wife. The decisions about your safety are mine to make, not Michele’s. You belong to me. You have my name. Even he understands the rules.” He squeezed my hands gently. “I’ll take care of the Larvins my way, and I’ll take care of Tirone. No one will ever hurt you again.”

An ominous feeling invaded me. “What are you going to do to Tirone?”

“He’ll never come near you again. You’ll never see him again. I’m sending him away.”

“He’s your son.”

“Not anymore. Not after what he’s done.”

“You can’t abandon him. He needs your help.”

“I don’t know how to fucking help him!” He let out a suffering groan. “I wish I knew how before all was fucking lost, but I don’t.” Tears revisited his eyes. “I lost my son, Jo, and I’m about to lose the MC if I don’t act fast. You’re the only thing I have left. I won’t lose you, too.”

He was wrong. Tirone wasn’t a lost cause. Laius hadn’t lost his son yet, and he wouldn’t have to lose the MC. I wasn’t the one thing he needed to save. I was the only thing he should lose.