(KRYSTAL'S POV)
The three of us sit outside Valentino's hospital room in complete silence.
And ever since Salvatore asked us to excuse him so he could be alone with Val, none of us has said much of anything.
Not because there's nothing to say.
But because there's too much, and maybe neither of us is ready to say it out loud just yet because it means we have to confront the reality of our actions.
I keep hearing Salvatore's words over and over again in my head.
"I want to thank you for giving your blood to my son to save his life."
"Le Vipere Nere are indebted to you for that. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to come to me and ask."
When men like Xavier and Marcello are hunting you, hearing something like that from the Don of The Black Vipers should make you feel relieved—right?
Because for the first time in a long time, I'm under the protection of someone powerful enough to keep the monsters away.
But it doesn't make me feel any safer at all.
