Chapter 10

Two years ago

"What do you want me to do with him?" Manny asked as Luca and the others stared down at Billy McCarthy's flipped car.

"Take him to the docks," Luca said, putting his gun away as his eyes scanned the cars and the distant ambulance lights. "Tell Aaron to call the police commissioner and clean up this mess."

"You got it," Manny motioned towards a few of the men and they immediately began to head towards McCarthy's car.

"Where's Gia?" Luca asked, taking the new set of car keys from Manny.

"Lenox Hill Hospital," Manny said. "Carla called. Daisy is in surgery."

The wave of nausea that came over Luca was nothing compared to the pressure in his chest from the way his heart contracted. He could still see Daisy's wide eyes in the rear view mirror as she held up her hand and examined the blood on her fingers. If only Luca had told her to stay at the dinner, she wouldn't be in that position.

Every muscle in Luca's body tensed as he realized it was time to put an end to whatever foolishness he was engaging in. If he kept letting his walls down, more people were going to get hurt or worse. He couldn't compromise his sister's safety. There was no room for distraction and Daisy was a major distraction.

Luca was annoyed with himself for how he had been behaving for the past few weeks. Telling himself he had to stay in New York, looking for excuses to return to New York, staying around the house more when he knew Daisy would be around. It was all reckless. For far too long, Luca had let himself slide around. It couldn't go on like that anymore.

"I'll meet you at the docks later tonight," Luca said as he started his engine and Manny stepped back from the car.

"Alright boss," Manny said.

Luca didn't say anything else as he reversed the car and made an u-turn on to the other side of the road. He drove as fast as he could toward the hospital. His phone lit up several times with Carla's name on it and every time Luca saw it, he feared the worse. Every breath he took caught in his lungs, making the pressure worse. As he walked into the ER and saw Daniel and Gia in one of the rooms, Luca swore his vision was blurring.

"Why did you stop to help Luca tonight?" Gia asked Daniel as the nurse beside her dressed her shoulder.

Luca slowed and his eyes narrowed. He did not like the way Daniel was holding Gia. For a second he wondered if what Stella had told him the night of their engagement party was correct. Did Daniel have feelings for Gia?

Luca rolled his eyes. Even if Daniel did have feelings for her when they were kids, those feelings were probably long gone.

"I didn't stop to help Luca," Daniel said, trying to pretend he wasn't looking at Gia when his eyes couldn't stop flickering up towards her. "I stopped to help you. I don't really care what happens to your brother."

This dick head, Luca glared.

"Why..." Gia's voice was barely a whisper.

"I already told you," Daniel said. "I promised Stella I would protect you."

"And you fulfilled your promise," Luca stepped forward and spoke up.

Daniel turned his head as Gia jumped in fright. The nurse paused to stare at them all. No one said a word for a few seconds as Luca and Daniel stared each other down. Beside the boy, Gia swayed on the bed.

"I guess I did," Daniel said after a while as he rose from the bed and moved away from Gia. The nurse jumped forward and caught her before Gia fell backwards onto the bed. Luca's eyes flickered towards his sister but Daniel didn't look back.

"I'll let the rest of the families know about McCarthy's bullshit," Daniel said. "They'll probably call for a meeting soon."

"Probably," Luca nodded. Meeting the heads of the other families was the last thing Luca wanted to do. He was exhausted to his bones.

"They took your girlfriend into surgery," Daniel said as the nurse began to lay Gia down on the bed behind him. Her eyes fought to stay open but she wasn't strong enough.

"Blondes are really your type, aren't they?" Daniel snickered.

Luca's gaze flickered up from his sister to Daniel, "Daisy's not my girlfriend."

"Whatever," Daniel muttered. He took a step forward and turned towards the exit to leave.

"Daniel," Luca stopped him.

"What?" Daniel looked over his shoulder.

"You can have your money, but you are not taking Gia out to dinner," Luca announced.

"That's not how the auction works," Daniel said.

"That's how it's going to work on my watch," Luca said. "Take your money and go. Don't push your luck, kid."

"Or what?" Daniel puffed up his chest and narrowed his eyes.

"Or I'll forget you're Stella's brother and toss you into the Hudson with your arms and legs tied," Luca warned. "Remember, swimming isn't your forte."

"Drowning," Daniel chuckled. "Is that how all Diamaggios are destined to die by your hands?"

Luca's jaw flinched. His eyes narrowed as the boy in front of him shook his head and took a few steps back. His eyes mocked Luca with a mixture of hatred and sadness in them. Luca couldn't help but think back to the time when Daniel used to worship the ground he walked on.

"Worry about your girl first, Silvano," Daniel said. "It's gonna look really shitty for you if you kill another one."

Luca's hands balled into fists as Daniel turned on his heels and walked out of the ER. His words knocked around Luca's hollow chest as memories of Stella's body laying face down on the beach washed up to the surface of his mind.

_________________

Daisy didn't know how much longer she could stand staying on the hospital bed. Her back was beginning to ache and turning to her side was out of the question due to her surgery. The drugs left her feeling drowsy and dull. All she could think of was a tall cold glass of ice water. But no one seemed to care what she wanted. It was meds after meds and nurse after nurse. They all gave her their polite smile as they poked around and asked her a billion different questions.

"Is that your brother?" One of them asked as she took Daisy's blood pressure and motioned towards Eric sitting beside her.

"No," Daisy shook her head. "He's my boyfriend."

"Oh," the woman looked lost. "I thought the other gentleman was your boyfriend. You know, the one who brought the flowers."

Daisy followed the nurse's eyes towards the large bouquet of white and yellow daisies.

"Is he related to Dr. Silvano?" The woman continued to talk as Eric eyed the flowers and then his roses.

"Yes," Daisy said.

"I thought so," the nurse nodded. "Well, sorry for the confusion. He's just been here since you got out of surgery so I assumed he was your bo-"

"Can I please have some ice water?" Daisy begged. "I think I might die if I don't drink something right now."

"Oh sure!" The nurse laughed. "I'll be right back, dear."

Daisy laid back against her pillows and pulled the thin blanket up to cover herself. She waited until the woman left and they were finally alone before turning her eyes towards Eric.

"You want to talk?" She asked.

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "But it doesn't matter now. Not anymore."

"Were you going to break up with me?" Daisy wondered aloud.

When Eric didn't speak, she got her answer. Her heart contracted as he shifted his eyes away from her and towards the flowers.

"It just...." Eric shrugged, struggling to speak. "It just feels like there's someone else."

"There isn't," Daisy said.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked, his eyes still on the daisies. "I know Gia is a close friend of yours and you have known her for a very long time. But what about her brother?"

Girls who flirt and sit with other men while their boyfriend is at the same table.

"What about him?" Daisy pushed down the bitterness in her voice. The anger inside of her ate up the effects of the drugs like acid. Her senses were clearing up.

"How well do you know Luca?" Eric asked. "Is there something going on between you two? Or did something happen between you two before?"

"There's nothing going on between me and Luca," Daisy sighed. "Trust me."

"Are you sure?" Eric asked.

"Luca....he......" Daisy's emotions got the best of her as she struggled to come up with words that would express just how much she disliked the guy.

Luca was confusing to say the least. He was arrogant and malicious. One day he could make Daisy think they were finally getting along and then the very next day he could throw her off the tallest tower in New York with his eyes empty and face blank.

"The only thing between Luca and me is a mutual dislike for one another," Daisy said. "I....I can't stand him and he makes it very clear how he feels about me. Trust me when I say your suspicions couldn't be far from the truth."

Eric quietly listened to Daisy's words. He looked as if he was deep in thought as Daisy sat holding her breath.

"Last night," Eric began after a long pause. "The way he behaved around you..."

Daisy felt her chest tighten. Hearing Eric say he noticed Luca's behavior at the dinner made Daisy's heart contract. She wasn't crazy. It wasn't all in her head. But along with the relief of knowing she wasn't crazy came the anger from his words.

"Luca thinks I'm a whore," Daisy said, admitting to herself for the first time what was implied the night before. "He thinks I'm the type of girl that goes around flirting with every guy I see. If you ask him, he would tell you I slept with half of the male population in Manhattan."

"He's wrong," Eric said immediately. "Did he say that to you? He called you a whore?"

"No," Daisy shook her head. "But he implied it."

"That fuckin' dick," Eric's face twisted in anger. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you know," Daisy reached for his hand. "But it doesn't matter."

"It matters," Eric said. "He can't say things like that about you. He doesn't know you!"

"I don't care what Luca thinks of me," Daisy shook her head, saying the words more for herself than anyone else. "He doesn't mean anything to me so his opinion of me is irrelevant."

"I still want to break his face for saying that about you," Eric said.

"Don't," Daisy took Eric's hand. "Just drop it. I don't want to talk about him ever again."

"Did you tell Gia?"

"I can't," Daisy shook her head. "She worships her brother. I don't want to seem like I'm turning her against her brother."

Eric didn't agree, but thankfully he didn't push. He moved closer as Daisy laid her head against the pillows and smiled up towards him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" Eric asked.

"For last night," Daisy said. "And for all the other times I let Luca get in between us. I can see why you would want to break up with m-"

"I'm not breaking up with you," Eric shook his head with a small sigh. He reached down and kissed the side of Daisy's face.

"You're not?" Daisy asked, slightly surprised.

"No," Eric said. "But promise me you will stay away from Luca. Far far away from him."

Daisy swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, "I promise."

"And promise me as soon as you leave the hospital you are going to move in with me."

"What?" Daisy arched her brow.

"Yes," Eric nodded, tucking some of Daisy's hair behind her ears. "I want you to move in with me. I want your stuff all over my —-- our apartment."

A warmth spread over Daisy's heart as her smile widened, "Are you serious?"

"I am," Eric nodded. "I want you with me. Say yes."

"Yes," Daisy said immediately. "Yes!"

"That's my girl," Eric laughed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

Daisy nestled in closer, her heart humming with happiness. She lifted her head from Eric's chest and placed it on his shoulder before opening her eyes and spotting Luca standing outside the hospital room.

Daisy didn't know what to think or how to feel as she stared at the man who gazed back at her with his hooded eyes and bruised knuckles. She stayed buried in Eric's embrace as Luca took a small step back before turning towards the nurses' station.

"I can't wait to take you home," Eric said against Daisy's ear as Luca placed the bouquet of white roses on the nurses' station and walked away.     

I know the last few chapters have been short, but I promise the next few will be longer. Hope you liked it :)