Chapter 5

Lorenzo pushed himself up off the ground, both hands coated in dust.

He turned his head, seemed to glance at me and Gemma, and then, without a moment's hesitation, rushed toward Chiara, snatched her up, and spun toward the exit at a run.

As he ran, he shouted back at Rosalind, "Call for a car! Get her to our doctor! Chiara's bleeding!"

I knelt in the splintered wood, my shoulder wedged under that heavy wooden horse.

The park hands came running, men who worked a front the Family half-owned, and several of them lifted the horse away together.

Gemma was curled up underneath, her face bone-white, blood streaked with dust running down her skin. Thank God she was still conscious.

"Mommy… it hurts…"

I scooped her into my arms, wrapped her in my coat, and dialed for help with trembling fingers.

"Gemma, don't be scared. You're going to be fine. Mommy's here."

Lorenzo had already carried Chiara to the front gate and climbed straight into the black sedan that pulled up, one of the Family's own, engine already running.

He got in with Rosalind, the door slammed shut with a bang, and they told the driver to make for the private clinic the Fallacis paid to keep quiet.

Gemma shivered against me, her voice small. "Mommy… where's Daddy? Is he okay?"

I held her tighter, pressing my forehead to her cold one, my voice already breaking apart. "Daddy went ahead. It's okay. Mommy's here. Mommy's taking you to the doctor."

I ran with Gemma in my arms toward the clinic doors.

Her eyes were shut. She'd lost so much blood she had slipped into unconsciousness.

Gemma was rushed inside, past men who stood aside without a word, past the hush that always fell where the Family's money kept the lights on and the questions off.

I waited outside the door, frantic. After a moment a nurse hurried out. "The child's lost a lot of blood. She needs a transfusion. Someone needs to sign, and the blood's already on its way from our supply. Go, quickly."

I was about to move when Lorenzo strode over and yanked the form right out of my hand. "Chiara needs a transfusion too. You have to keep the blood for her."

My whole body went rigid.

He turned and looked at me and gave the order, cold and flat, the way a made man gives a command he expects obeyed. "Chiara and Gemma have the same blood type. Chiara's hurt. If there's an emergency… so the blood has to be set aside for Chiara first."

My throat felt like someone's hand was clamped around it. It took several seconds before any sound came out. "Lorenzo, Gemma is in there fighting for her life!"

"Did you not see how much blood she lost in there? You're blocking her transfusion? Are you trying to watch her die?!"

Rosalind walked over with Chiara in her arms, her voice thick with grievance. Just before the tears came, her gaze flicked sideways, once, checking who stood in the corridor. "Sister… what if Chiara has internal injuries? She's so little, a whole year younger than Gemma… Lorenzo's just worried…"

"Shut your mouth." I whipped my head around and glared at her. "Your daughter's got a scraped layer of skin on her leg, and she's bouncing around over there eating a lollipop. And you're telling me about internal injuries?"

Rosalind's tears spilled over in an instant. She bit her lip, hugged Chiara closer, and her voice shook. "Yes, Chiara doesn't look serious, but what if? What if?"

"She's already had it so hard, following me around. Her father doesn't want her. I can't let anything happen to her, not even a little…"

Seeing Rosalind cry, Lorenzo immediately stepped in front of her, frowning at me. "Calm down. Chiara's smaller than Gemma. She should get priority to begin with."

"I already had the nurse go find other blood for Gemma. What are you panicking about?"

He handed the form in his hand to Rosalind. "Set it aside for Chiara first."

I lunged and grabbed hold of Rosalind. "Give me back that form! Give it to me!"

"Anybody who touches my daughter's blood today, I'll fight them to the death!"

Rosalind stumbled and dropped straight to the floor. "Sister, what are you doing? Why did you push me? Chiara, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself falling? Don't cry, don't cry, Mommy and Daddy are both right here."

Lorenzo quickly gathered them up and turned to roar at me, the sound cracking through the silent corridor while the clinic's men stood frozen, not one of them daring to move, "What's gotten into you? Something happens to your kid and you take it out on Rosalind? It wasn't Rosalind who made the wooden horse fall on Gemma, was it?"