Chapter 6 - THE SURGERY
At 6:30 a.m., Toby was wheeled toward the operating room.
He held Gerald tightly.
I walked beside the bed.
“Lena?”
“Yeah?”
“If I get scared, can you tell Gerald to be brave?”
I bent and kissed his forehead.
“Gerald is the bravest dinosaur in New York.”
Toby smiled.
Then the doors opened.
And my little brother disappeared.
I stood there staring at the empty hallway.
My legs began shaking.
I sat down.
Then I cried.
I cried for the years I'd spent working two jobs.
For the bills.
For the fear.
For the parents we'd lost.
For the little boy who had spent half his childhood in hospitals.
I didn't notice someone sit beside me.
Not until a familiar voice said, “He's going to have a good team looking after him.”
I looked up.
Dante.
He wore a dark coat.
No bodyguards stood nearby.
His expression was serious.
I wiped my face.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to know how he was.”
I stared.
Then remembered Rosa's words.
His family destroyed ours.
I stood.
“Stay away from me.”
Dante went still.
“Elena?”
“Your father killed my father.”
The words came out louder than I intended.
A nurse glanced toward us.
Dante's expression changed.
“What?”
“My father. Michael Vance. He died nine years ago.”
Dante stared.
Then slowly stood.
“Michael Vance?”
I nodded.
He looked genuinely shocked.
“Your father was Michael Vance?”
“You knew him?”
Dante said nothing.
I stepped backward.
“Answer me.”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
My stomach dropped.
“He worked for my father.”
I felt sick.
“And your father killed him?”
Dante closed his eyes.
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“But I intend to find out.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.”
“Elena—”
“Don't.”
He stopped.
I looked toward the operating room.
“My brother is in there because he's sick. I don't have room for your family secrets.”
Dante nodded slowly.
“Understood.”
He turned to leave.
Then stopped.
“Whatever happened to Michael Vance, Toby's treatment remains covered.”
I stared at him.
“You don't get to buy forgiveness.”
He looked back.
“I know.”
May you like
Then he walked away.
And I spent the next six hours wondering whether the man who had saved my brother's life belonged to the family that had destroyed our childhood.
