Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 284 -

*Giovani*

"Fuck," I cursed, throwing my gun to the ground as I rushed over to Tallon and Dahlia's side. She was pale, much too pale. She looked like a corpse. I shook the thought from my mind as I touched her neck, searching for a pulse. She had to be alive. She just had to be.

Softly, I felt it-a small little pulse of a heartbeat just beneath my fingertips.

She was alive.

But she wouldn't be for long.

"Put pressure on her wound, now!" I snapped at Tallon, grabbing the ends of her blood-soaked shirt and pulling it up until I spotted the entry wound. "Pressure, Tallon!" I screamed at the teen, who snapped out of the trance he was in, glancing at me with wild trembling eyes before nodding shakily.

He pressed both of his hands onto the wound, holding it, and I sighed as I checked her for any other injuries.

We'd only heard two gunshots, but we had no clue what she had been through while captive. I saw bruises near her wrists, but nothing life-threatening except for the bullet hole. It should be safe to move her, I determined.

"Gabriele!" I screamed behind me. "Get men in here now! And get the hospital on the line!"

Angelo and Gabriele rushed in, both palling as they spotted Tallon and me covered in blood and Dahlia's lifeless form between the two of us.

"Gabriele, grab her legs, Angelo grab her head, and I'll lift the middle. Don't move her too much, keep her as still as possible," I commanded each of them.

They took their places around Dahlia, kneeling by their respective spots.

"Keep pressure on that, Tallon," I told him firmly.

He nodded.

I gently rolled my fingers under Dahlia's stomach, keeping an eye on the wound as we slowly and gently lifted her up.

Once I had a firm grip on her and there were no further complications, I motioned for Angelo and Gabriele to move away. I took her weight in my arms, keeping a hard grip on her.

"Let's go. Angelo, clean up here and Gabriele, get to the car," I commanded forcefully."She doesn't have much time left. Call St. Elizabeth and have them ready for her."

"Yes, sir!"

Tallon moved with me, keeping his hands on her wound as we rushed down the hallway and down the staircases. I heard the cursing of the Russian bastards behind me, but I didn't stop to listen to what was happening. I trusted Angelo to give them a hell of a beating for doing this to her.

My heart pounded in my ears despite my outward calm. I felt like I was in crisis, only able to see my next move in front of me. Step by step, I panted heavily as we ran down the staircase and into the lobby. I didn't pause for anyone who called out to me.

"Tallon, get the door!" I shouted.

He jumped and nodded, rushing to open the lobby exit and then the car door.

I very gently laid Dahlia in the car, careful of her wound as she took up the back seat.

"I'll sit with her," Tallon said, almost as pale as Dahlia was as he climbed into the seat and gently held Dahlia's head in his lap.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, most likely smearing blood all over me, but I didn't care as Gabriele got into the driver's seat and I took the passenger side.

The car startled to life as Gabriele said, "The hospital is ready to receive her. We can go right in once we're there."

"If she makes it," I grit my teeth. We normally had our own doctors take care of things like this, but in this case, I wasn't taking any chances.

Tallon made a small nose from the back of his throat, and I sent him a guilty look. He knew the risks of this job just as I did.

Hope was wasted on people like us. He was still young and believed in a world far kinder than it actually was.

"Dahlia," Tallon whispered, brushing her soaked hair from her face. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

She didn't respond, fully limp and unconscious, but I knew it helped calm Tallon in this moment to talk to her. And we all needed our heads calm at a time like this.

We rushed out of the parking lot and down the streets, not caring about traffic or safety at this point.

Gabriele drove like a maniac, cutting corners until we pulled to a stop next to the flashing red lights that screamed "Emergency Room!"

St. Elizabeth Hospital was one of the best, and waiting outside was a team of first responders with a stretcher.

As soon as we pulled in, the nearest nurse was pulling open the door and shouting out orders.

"Help me unload the patient!" she commanded with the force of a military leader.

They carefully grabbed Dahlia, letting Tallon help as they transferred her to the stretcher.

"GSW to the abdomen, left side," the nurse called out, checking on the wound, all in Italian. "Get her into surgery now!"

Tallon and I rushed to Dahlia's side as they hurriedly rushed the stretcher to surgery. As soon as we stepped inside, the smell of antiseptic hit me like a truck. I clenched my jaw, gripping the edges of Dahlia's stretcher as I kept pace beside them.

The nurse whirled on me, demanding answers as we raced beside the stretcher and through the halls. "Any other injuries to look out for?"

"Bruises, from what I saw," I told her instantly.

"Any known allergies? Blood type? Is she on any medicine?"

"None, AB negative, and none." It was a habit of mine to be familiar with everyone's blood type. In this kind of work, one could never be too prepared.

"Okay." The nurse nodded just as we arrived at the surgery room. They pushed the stretcher through the doors, but the nurses stopped both me and Tallon with a hand on our chests.

"You can't go in. You'll contaminate the space," the nurse, who I was quickly presuming was the head nurse, said firmly. There was no time for argument, and I took in a deep breath before nodding.

Tallon wasn't as understanding.

"That's my sister!" Tallon struggled against the nurses, his eyes on Dahlia as she disappeared into the surgery room.

"I understand that, but if you go in there, you will compromise the entire room and put your sister in danger. Now please calm yourself," the nurse said firmly, crossing her arms.

I grabbed Tallon's shoulder, giving him a stern glance as I pulled him back. He deflated, clenching his fists by his side.

Once they saw Tallon was in control, the nurses dispersed.

"The waiting room is over here," the head nurse told me, gesturing down the hallway. "I'll inform you as soon as she's out of surgery, and I'll get someone to deliver the paperwork for you to fill out. I understand her name is Dahlia Valentino?" "Yes," I said quietly, the adrenaline fading and leaving me exhausted. "Take care of her."

"Of course." The head nurse smiled amicably.

I sighed, leading Tallon over to the waiting room. Both of us were covered in blood. I glanced at the white shirt I had been wearing underneath the vest. The shirt was most likely ruined now, but the vest was salvageable.

It wasn't the first time I'd come out of a situation like this covered in blood.

We were lucky we had used this hospital a few times in the past. They knew what to expect of us, and they especially knew not to ask questions. They'd most likely pull up Dahlia's file in a few moments.

I was lucky Becca had the sense to transfer it to the system when Dahlia and Olivia decided to come to Italy. It made this process a whole lot smoother.

The waiting room was nearly empty, with only a few sniveling kids and an older man snoring away in one of the chairs occupying the space. One mother was splayed out in her chair, looking like she hadn't slept in a week as her three kids ran around the room covered in marker ink and colorful paints.

I led Tallon to one of the empty seats, far away from the chaos of the regular patients, and gently pushed him into the chair. He collapsed, looking lost as he stared at the floor.

I knew he was in shock right now and in no mood to talk about what had happened.

But I also had to speak to him about what he did when he entered the room. I had a hunch about what had happened, but I needed to know the full details from him before I told James.

Tallon had never straight-up killed someone before, and this was going to take a toll on him once he realized what he'd done. Right now, though, I had to let him grieve.

I was confident Dahlia was going to be okay. These were the best doctors working on her, after all, and we'd gotten her here in record time.

But there were a few loose ends to tie up.

Gabriele stepped into the waiting room, gazing around for us before our eyes met. He headed straight toward us, and I nodded at him in thanks as I spotted the glass of water he was carrying. "Here." He offered the water to Tallon, who took it numbly, offering no words.

Gabriele didn't mind in the slightest, though.

"I need you to wait here with him," I said as I glanced at Gabriele with a grim look. "I have to make a trip home."

Gabriele frowned, tilting his head in question and I nodded in response.

I had to tell Olivia what had happened.

I'd promised to call her, but this wasn't something to do over the phone.

"I'll be back in a few hours. I'll bring a change of clothes for Talon and Dahlia, once she's out of surgery, and anything else they might need. Call me if you hear anything," I told him. Gabriele nodded, leaning up against the wall. "I'd like a Pop-Tart," he said, completely serious.

I chuckled, shaking my head at his obvious attempt at a joke.

"Blueberry?" I offered with a small grin.

"Eh, cherry." He shrugged.

"Fine, then." I nodded. "I'll have someone bring you back your car."

"No hurry," Gabriele said, completely deadpan as I walked away. I spared one last glance at the catatonic Tallon before leaving.

I felt bad for the kid, but he just needed some time.

I didn't realize until I got to the car just how exhausted I was as I peeled off the bloody vest and threw my gun onto the passenger seat. I grabbed the steering wheel, breathing out.

I was still tense with stress, even when there wasn't any danger remaining. I knew it wouldn't go away for a few hours since the aftereffects of the adrenaline were pumping through my veins. As I started the car, and it rumbled under my hands, I realized what it would look like the moment I stepped through the door and greeted Olivia covered in blood.

There was no way she wasn't going to panic.

Damn it all.