The Irresistible Bundle (82 page)

Marco: his partner.

Marco was
his
and yet Marco was holding onto Jaxon like a mutual grieving lover would. Valentino hated the flare of jealousy that reared its ugly head but his green-eyed monster refused to be ignored. He balled his hands into tight fists and looked away from the man he loved. He couldn't deal with this petty bullshit on top of Carina's assault. They'd been in this open relationship for a year now and everything had been going great.

As "open" as their relationship was, the trio hadn't slept with that many people outside of each other. Carina had only ever been with Nicholas, and that one time with Jaxon over the summer. He and Marco had been with an ex-lover and a submissive from the estate. Desirae and Andrea played with them on occasion but it was easy to see how Nicholas turned his full attention to Andrea, and Diego had occupied more and more of Desirae's time and attention although they hadn't taken the next step in that precarious relationship.

Valentino and Marco had been shopping around for a ring for Carina. They wanted to present it to her soon. He wasn't sure if they just wanted to exchange promises or declare something more... permanent. Valentino and Marco wanted to take that next step in their relationship but what did it all mean? Valentino was done sharing
both
of his lovers. He didn't want Nicholas or Jaxon to enjoy Carina's treasures. He didn't want Marco turning his attention to anyone else, male or female.

Marco had been Valentino's only male lover his entire life and he intended to keep it that way. No other man captured Valentino's heart, dick, and attention the way Marco did. Even in college Valentino had fought his attraction to his best friend... even knowing that Marco was bisexual. He hadn't wanted to do anything to ruin that perfect friendship; and now they were more than best friends and business partners, they were lovers. Carina and Marco were enough for him. They just had to get through this ordeal and move forward.

"Did you hear me?" Nicholas's concerned voice made Valentino blink.

"Huh?" He stupidly replied.

Nicholas' soft smile calmed some of Valentino's disquiet. There was too much going on in his head and heart and it wasn't the time for it. He could deal with his epiphanies and melodramas later. Nicholas cupped Valentino's shoulders.

"You can go in to see her now" Nicholas repeated to his close friend. He opened his mouth to say something more but wisely shut it. No matter what he said and how much he warned them; the men were not going to be prepared for the sight of Carina's battered body. Nicholas thought that he was prepared by fortifying walls around him before he stepped in but none of it mattered. Diego's sobs... The doctor's assessment... Nothing had truly braced him.

"Thank you" Valentino hoarsely whispered. He allowed Nicholas to lead the way valiantly ignoring the pang in his chest as Marco walked Jaxon in behind them. Wasn't that supposed to be them supporting each other? Valentino swallowed the acid on his tongue.
Not now. Don't lose your shit now.
He thought.

Valentino focused on the sound of the steady beeping machine and followed the shiny tiles on the floor. He gave himself a mental pep-talk trying to ready his mind and heart for what his eyes were about to see. He opened and closed his hands wishing he could hold Marco's. He fought the rising sense of despair and panic as his feet approached her bed.

"I need to go" Richard's voice spoke into the otherwise silent room. "I'll be back shortly."

"We'll be here" Nicholas assured him. "I'll watch over Diego" He stated to the room at large. Although no one voiced it, Diego was a major concern in all of this.

Valentino nodded unsure if anyone else had acknowledged Nicholas' statement. He gulped a lungful of air before forcing his eyes off the floor. He timidly looked at the crisp white sheets knowing these last precious seconds were all he had. Valentino followed the outline of Carina's sheet covered legs. He didn't see any leg casts and he whispered one small thanks in all of this. He shut off the sounds around him. He couldn't deal with Jaxon's guilt mixed with Marco's anguish. Valentino focused on the still form in front of him. He slowly trudged forward as his eyes followed up to her covered torso.

Valentino's heart skipped a beat as he glimpsed Carina's battered face. Both her eyes were bruised and swollen but one side was worse than the other. He sucked in a ragged breath as her fragile condition assaulted the edges of his sanity. Her swollen face, busted and bloodied lip, and bandaged chest devastated his senses. Everything faded in the background except for Carina. He stepped closer to the bed. His hands shakily hovered above the bed sheets knowing that she was too injured to be touched. Valentino needed to see the extent of the assault. He slowly pulled the sheet off the top half of her body. He dreaded but needed to see her pummeled ribs.

"Jesus" Marco gasped. Carina wore a soft wrapping that barely covered her breasts. The rest of her torso remained bare, except when she had the sheet over her body. The men quietly stared in horror and grief. Carina's collarbone and ribs were swollen, lacerated, and bruised. Distinct prints marred her beautiful skin.

"What did that bastard do?" Jaxon jammed his fist in his mouth. He wanted to scream and cry.

"That's the boot print" Diego deadpanned. "He almost broke her collarbone."

"She suffered a fracture" Nicholas informed the silent men. "She won't be able to use that arm for a while."

Valentino shoved his hands in his pocket unsure of what to do with them. If Diego hadn't almost beaten the motherfucker to an inch of his life Valentino would've been looking for him.

"That looks like a..." Nicholas stated aloud as he leaned over Carina's motionless form. Another distinct print screamed against Carina's beautiful olive skin.

"A fist" Diego again added. "He punched her so hard she couldn't cry out for help. I barely heard her whimpers. I almost walked right by her. I'd already been too late..."

Leticia stepped out of the shadows. She yanked Diego into her arms and shushed him. Diego's arms hung loosely from his sides. He didn't welcome the embrace but he allowed Leticia to hold him. The constant whirring of machines echoed in the otherwise silent room. Carina was the core of their group. She kept the tightly woven group tethered... and now... now they were all slowly unraveling.

"Is this the kind of scenario that the longer she's unconscious the more we should be concerned?" Valentino asked Nicholas. Dr. Redmond had stepped away to give them their privacy but as the owner of the estate Nicholas had received the full medical report.

"No" Nicholas solemnly replied. "She needs to rest as much as possible to allow her body to heal. If she wakes up and attempts to move she may cause more harm. Dr. Redmond is attaching an IV and a catheter in a few to ensure she's hydrated and comfortable."

"Marco" Leticia looked between her cousin and Valentino. "I can oversee things at the club for the next few days."

"And I'll take care of everything with
Scandalous
" Nicholas added.

"Thank you" Both men quietly replied.

"Can we pull up chairs?" Valentino inquired. If Nicholas said
no,
it wouldn't deter him from being by Carina's side. He'd stand for hours watching over her.

"I prefer only two chairs by her bedside but there's the pullout sofa and recliner in the corners for anyone who wants to remain in the room too. We just need to ensure that the staff has access to her. They'll be in here often checking on her. The bathroom is here in the suite and there's one down the hall. I'll have another sofa bed brought in shortly. Does anyone need something to eat or drink?" Nicholas wasn't sure if they were even listening to him. Everyone's gaze was locked onto Carina.

Valentino pulled the sheet over Carina's shoulders. They'd all seen enough. He pulled the nearby chair to her bedside. Diego pulled away from Leticia and did the same. He sat on Carina's opposite side. Valentino blankly stared as Diego held his sister's limp hand. He wanted to do the same but he was on the side where all the tubes and needles were sticking out of her.

"We're good for now" Leticia answered for everyone. "Actually I think I'll go get stuff from everyone's places and check on closing procedures at the club."

"Thank you Leti" Marco mumbled.

Leticia pulled his car keys out of his pocket. She went to Jaxon's jeans and did the same. She looked at the devastated men and silently walked out the door. Her chest ached... but she wasn't sure what hurt more - that Carina was bedridden and unconscious or that Jaxon hadn't said two words to her since they'd arrived.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Seeing her like this was worse than Jaxon's darkest dreams. He remained as motionless as Carina; watching, waiting... for what he wasn't sure. He wanted her to wake up but he didn't want her to remember. Carina was in a dreamless state, one that would be short-lived once she regained consciousness.

Jaxon slumped into the microfiber sofa in the corner. The neutral colors got lost in a sea of sterile walls and steel machinery. The constant beep of the machine was both a blessing and a curse. They needed to hear it to ensure themselves that she was still alive and breathing but the damn sound pounded against his skull. The high-pitched staccato beep taunted him. Carina was in Nicholas' hospital ward because of him. Directly or indirectly; it was Jaxon's fault that she was assaulted.

He watched with vacant eyes as the nurse entered the room. She warily surveyed the four men before pulling her shoulders back walking toward the occupied bed. Jaxon's eyes shifted between Diego and Valentino waiting to see if either man would move. Neither did.

"What are you doing?" Diego's ragged voice demanded of the startled nurse.

"Mr. Lobos" the nurse stammered. Obviously she knew who Diego was. "I need to situate her IV and then I need you gentlemen to vacate the room for a moment while I insert her catheter.

It's nothing we haven't seen before
Jaxon thought but didn't voice. Okay, maybe Diego hadn't seen his sister in that state but he, Valentino, and Marco had.

The nurse looked at the four implacable faces. "Regardless of what relationship you have to the patient" she valiantly tried not to sound scared, "I will ask you all to leave... Otherwise I'll have security man the door."

Marco gaped at the flustered woman while Diego solemnly nodded. Valentino remained immobile next to Carina's head. Four sets of eyes watched her every movement. She hung the bag of fluids next to Carina's bed and inserted the IV to the picc line already established since she'd been admitted. The nurse took a deep breath before checking Carina's vitals and typing away at her small medical tablet. She glared at the men as she placed the catheter, bag, and lube on a tray by Carina's bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot.

"It'll only be a few moments" the nurse implored. As wonderful as this patient's guardians were, they also impeded on delicate situations like this one.

"I'm staying" Valentino gruffly stated. He didn't look up and he wasn't asking for permission.

"Thank you" Diego nodded his consent. He didn't want to leave his sister alone for even a minute but he understood under the circumstances. Having Valentino by her side for these few brief moments were enough to quell his anxiety. He knew he needed to call his parents but he wanted Carina conscious before he made that call.

Jaxon stiffly stood from the small couch. He pulled a silently distraught Marco off the furniture and practically dragged him from the room. He wasn't sure what was happening between Marco and Valentino but their demeanors and lack of interactions with each other were the exact opposite of what he'd expected in a trying time like this. Jaxon followed Diego into the hallway and watched as the nurse shut the door behind them.

Jaxon leaned against the cold hard wall. He hated hospitals; they contained nothing but bad memories for him. He'd always felt an exception to Nicholas' wing in the estate. There wasn't death and devastation within these cold walls... until now. Jaxon closed his eyes against the onslaught of images. Carina had been so close yet so far from the apartment building. Had Pete been waiting for her? Had she happened upon him accidently and they said something to piss each other off? Jaxon had seen Carina knee an asshole before. She knew what to do to defend herself against guys twice her size. Jaxon couldn't comprehend what had happened between Pete and Carina. How had the son-of-a-bitch gotten the upper hand?

~

Time ticked away slowly. Every time Carina inhaled they considered it a blessing. Every time she exhaled they tensed waiting for a whimper, moan, anything to let them know she was awake. Each bittersweet breath carried a heavy silence. Minutes turned into hours. Nicholas came and went. Someone brought them a hearty soup with fresh-baked bread. Diego, Valentino, Marco, and Jaxon mechanically ate their meals. No one tasted the food as it entered their mouths. They merely emptied their bowls and filled their stomachs.

Footsteps echoed in the hall. Marco sat up looking toward the door. They hadn't seen Dr. Redmond in a few hours. A nurse came in frequently to check on Carina but no one else. Leticia turned into the doorway with an arm-full of items. Marco slumped his shoulders disappointed that it wasn't the good doctor. Leticia narrowed her eyes at her cousin but wisely kept her opinions to herself. The room reeked of despair and guilt. She wasn't sure if she could stay for very long.

"I brought your stuff" she announced to the room's zombie-like occupants. She handed each man a bag with fresh clothing and toiletries. "You have pajamas, new outfit, and personal hygiene items. Who's showering first?"

The men blankly stared at their bags. No one stood up. Leticia scowled. These were grown-ass men that she was going to have to treat like fucking toddlers. She looked between the two men sitting by Carina's bedside. They both looked like death warmed over. Jaxon and Marco didn't look too much better but Diego still had spatters of blood all over him from the fight.

"Diego" Leticia softly called out. He flinched at the sound of his name but made no other indication that he was listening to her. "I think you should go first. We'll be here watching over her. Shower in this bathroom so you're only a few feet away."

"I can't leave her" Diego croaked. Leticia's stomach knotted at the sound of choked tears in his voice.

"I promise she won't be alone" Leticia assured him. "Keep your door unlocked... I'll call out to you if there's any change."

Diego remained motionless for what felt like eons. He tore his eyes away from Carina's still form. He looked between Leticia and the bathroom on the other side of the private suite. He wanted to get off this emotional roller coaster. And he would, he could, if Carina woke up.

"You need to scrub that blood off you" Leticia gently pointed out. Diego looked down at his arms and torso, as if for the first time. She silently watched as he turned his arms finally noticing the dried blood on his skin.

"I'll keep the door open" Diego despondently replied.

Leticia cringed at his tone. Diego's red, swollen eyes and desolate demeanor rattled her to the core. "We don't need to see all your finery so how about leaving it halfway open?" She lightly teased trying to illicit a reaction.

Diego dragged his feet to the other side of the oversized room. Leticia watched as he shuffled into the bathroom, leaving the door wide open. He kicked off his sneakers, pulled off his socks, and yanked the shirt over his head. Leticia scurried to the bathroom door and pulled it halfway closed.

"Not all the way" Diego barked.

"I'm not" She reassured him. As wonderful as the sight of Diego's bare ass might be; this was not the time or place to enjoy it. She heard the sound of his zipper before abruptly turning around. No matter what the men were feeling there was just too much testosterone in this one place.

"You two" Leticia snapped her fingers at Jaxon and Marco. She motioned between the three of them. "There's another shower in this wing. Take advantage. I promised to watch over Carina and I will. Go clean up. Nicholas should be here shortly with the other sofa bed."

Marco did as his cousin asked. He stiffly stood from the loveseat and grabbed his bag. He looked between the bed and the sofa.

"No" Valentino's sharp voice had everyone looking at him. "We shower together" he nearly growled at Marco. Leticia's eyes widened at the sight of a surly Valentino. She looked between the three men not understanding the sudden hostility.

"I wasn't planning to shower with him" Marco hotly replied.

"But you would've if he followed" Valentino accused.

"Gentlemen" Leticia softly chided. She looked between the two best friends baffled at their interaction. "Everyone is on edge... Let's not put it out on each other."

"I'll stay with Leticia" Jaxon rose from the sofa and took over Diego's seat. "We'll watch her together."

Valentino stood from his chair but didn't vacate the room until Marco had. Leticia stared at the duo in puzzlement. Where the hell had that come from? What was Valentino's issue?

"I think he's jealous" Jaxon grumbled. He scooted closer to Carina, carefully inspecting her. Leticia watched as his expression changed from stoic to heartbreaking.

As if
Leticia wanted to respond but then she recalled the last few hours. From the time Jaxon had attacked the wall Marco had been right by his side. They'd even sat next to each other on the loveseat. Why hadn't Marco gone to be by his lovers' sides? Why had Jaxon clung to Marco?

"Even if he is, this isn't the time or place" Leticia tartly replied. For the first time in her life she actually worried about her cousin vying for the affections of the same man. She stared at Jaxon. He'd never shown interest in a man. But Marco could make a straight guy dabble in a little male-male play. Hell, look at Valentino; the former womanizer now played on both teams.

"I'm not Valentino" Jaxon scowled at Leticia. He didn't like the way she was looking at him, as if he should question his sexuality. He liked women and only women. End of story.

"And" Leticia challenged. It wasn't a bad thing being Valentino. He owned his own business and had two loyal lovers. The man was sexy as hell.

"I don't swing that way" Jaxon grumbled. Why did he even have to defend himself? Aside from Diego, Marco was probably the only other person who truly understood what Jaxon was feeling.

"You're in my seat" Diego's bitter voice snapped. Jaxon's head shot up. Leticia abruptly jumped up from her seat and motioned for him to sit there. Diego glared at Jaxon who still hadn't moved.

"I'll go shower now" Jaxon muttered. He grabbed his clothes and walked toward the bathroom without looking back. He felt Leticia's eyes on him but Jaxon felt nothing. There was no warmth, no comfort in his chest. He didn't delude himself; Carina wasn't the love of his life or anything but she was his very best friend. So much had changed between them in the last twelve months. He didn't want to lose that.

Jaxon didn't remember taking a shower or scrubbing his body but he was dressed in clean clothes and smelling like Old Spice. He stared at the pale reflection in the mirror. Damn, he looked like shit but so did everyone else. He imagined the girls weren't faring any better, especially since Nicholas sent them away. He hated to admit it but he was glad Nicholas had done that. There were too many people hovering over Carina as it was. No one was being territorial or anything but it would take the Jaws of Life to make them vacate that room for more than a few minutes at a time.