A Second Past Midnight (The Sentinels)

by Melinda Hunter

  “Not a chance buddy.” Sinjin released her and the trio waited by the entrance of the courtroom. They were early and couldn’t go in just yet.

  “Damn right.” Arrigo smirked. “You look beautiful by the way.” Arrigo wrapped one arm around her waist and held onto her.

  Sana wore a long sleeve black dress that clung to her with knee high boots and she knew by the look Arrigo had given her when she stepped out with it on, he approved. She felt relieved because she just couldn’t bring herself to wear a white gown since she didn’t own anything white in her entire wardrobe and hadn’t since she was a child. The color was too bright and flashy for her. Black however, soothed her and while the dress was different from her normal attire, she didn’t feel uncomfortable in it.

  Arrigo had taken her shopping the day after Christmas for a dress even though he had also told her that she didn’t have to wear one. He couldn’t have cared less if she had worn old jeans and a t-shirt, just as long as she was willing to be his wife.

  “Thank you.” Sana looked over Arrigo who also wore all black. She never would have guessed she would be standing in a courthouse getting married to such a gorgeous man. Not that she ever imagined getting married at all.

  “My parents should be here in a few minutes. They were caught in traffic,” Arrigo stated. “We might as well sit.” Arrigo pulled her toward a nearby bench and Sinjin followed too.

  “Do you think they’ll approve?” Sana asked. She hadn’t met Arrigo’s parents yet and to meet them under these circumstances might be a bit strange for them.

  “I wish you’d stop worrying. They’re just in shock that I’m getting married besides my mom is ecstatic.” Arrigo rolled his eyes and Sana smiled at him. When he had called his parents on Christmas day to tell them he was getting married Sana could hear his mother squealing through the phone and she sat on the opposite side of the room from Arrigo.

  “Look on the bright side kid, you’ve got me as your family so you know I’ve got your back.” Sinjin smiled a grin that Sana hadn’t ever seen before. He seemed genuinely proud to be on her side of the wedding party.

  Just as she felt the butterflies in her stomach calm, in walked a man that was definitely just an older version of Arrigo and hooked on the crook of his arm was a tall thin brunette that she wouldn’t have guessed to be a day over forty and definitely not old enough to be Arrigo's mother.

  “Arrigo!” the woman squealed.

  Arrigo rose and stepped toward her. “Mom,” he stated. Hugging her quickly, he released her and glanced toward his father. “Dad.” Arrigo extended his arm and the two shook hands. Arrigo had told Sana that his relationship with his father was a bit strained and he never understood why.

  “Mom and Dad this is Sana.” Arrigo held Sana’s hand as she rose. Still worried about their acceptance, she smiled at them.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Kane it’s very nice to meet you,” Sana said politely. They seemed genuinely happy to see Arrigo and the idea warmed her.

  “Oh please, call me Rita and this is Hector.” Sana shook her hand and then Hector’s.

  Before the moment turned awkward, Arrigo interrupted. “It looks like we can go in.” Arrigo slid his hand down Sana’s arm until he could lace their fingers together.

  Minutes later, they were married.

  Chapter 5.

  “Where is she? What happened to her?” Arrigo could hear someone in the hall and had no idea who it could be, but they were being very loud.

  Before he could even decide if he would get up to see what the disturbance was, the door to Sana’s room was forcefully pushed open.

  A man not quite as tall as Arrigo with brown hair barged into the hospital room, glaring at him. Arrigo saw that Sinjin and Williams remain in the corridor.

  Standing up to face the intruder, he never relinquished his contact with Sana.

  “Can I help you?” Arrigo hissed.

  Arrigo noticed the man look him over as if he were sizing him up for a fight and while that normally would rile Arrigo, all he could think of was Sana. She needed him and he needed her more than ever. This guy could take a flying leap off the closest bridge and Arrigo wouldn’t care.

  “You Kane?” he asked.

  “Yes. Who the hell are you?” Arrigo demanded.

  “I’m her family so I think it’s time for you to leave. You’ve done enough here.”

  Ignoring the family comment, Arrigo looked down at Sana. She hadn’t flinched one bit at the outburst.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Arrigo sat back down and purposely looked away from the man. He guessed that this was Adam St. James and while he might want to exchange pleasantries under different circumstances, he had no desire to do so right now.

  “From what I understand, you’re the reason she’s in a coma so I think you need to get out!” he shouted.

  Arrigo didn’t flinch as he kept his gaze on Sana even though the man’s presence alone tried every ounce of patience he had left. Luckily, a nurse walked in. Arrigo shifted his eyes toward her without moving his head as the nurse addressed Adam.

  “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Family only,” she said sternly. Holding the door open, she waited for him to comply.

  “I am her family. He’s the one that needs to leave.”

  “Sir, please. Let the man sit with his wife.”

  Arrigo smiled inside at those words, but only for a second. He had waited for two months to tell people that Sana was his wife, but he had hoped to do it while she was awake. Not in a coma.

  Looking toward Adam, Arrigo waited for the next wave of his verbal attack.

  “Excuse me?” Adam’s mouth hung open.

  “Adam, come out here and I’ll explain,” Sinjin said calmly.

  “I don’t believe you. She would have told me if she was getting married,” Adam protested. Arrigo glanced at Sinjin and back to Adam.

  “Sana doesn’t need this right now.” Arrigo nodded toward Sinjin.

  Sinjin simply nodded back and Adam watched the exchange. “I was there Adam. They’ve been married for a couple months.”

  Adam cast a stone glare at Arrigo and then at Sinjin. He knew that this would all be a shock to Adam as Sana had looked up to him like a brother, but he didn’t have time for that right now. Arrigo watched for a moment as Sinjin pulled Adam into the hall and the nurse closed the door behind them.

  “Mr. Kane, it really would be all right if you went home to get some rest. I’ll be here all night and can call you if there’s any change.” The nurse checked Sana’s pulse and looked at her I.V. as she spoke.

  “I’m fine.” Arrigo couldn’t bear the idea of leaving Sana alone in the cold hospital and sleep was the least of his worries. He had gone years with minimal sleep, so staying up for a few days was no problem for him.

  “Would you like something to eat or drink?” The nurse marked Sana’s vitals on the board that hung on the wall by her bed.

  “I can’t leave her even for a minute.” Arrigo looked up at her and he almost broke. His world revolved around this woman and he wasn’t going to leave her for a second.

  “I’ll bring you some coffee.” She smiled kindly at him and all he could manage to do was nod once and force a small smile.

  As she left the room, he could hear Sinjin and Adam talking in the hall. The door slid shut and he once again sat in silence with her.

  Arrigo hated that Adam was right about the fact that he was the reason she was lying in a hospital bed. If he had only checked the room they were searching better, he would have found the man hidden in the corner waiting to kill their client. Arrigo, Sana and Jessie had been assigned as protection detail to an actress visiting the Chicago area in addition to her normal security. The woman had received numerous death threats due to a political statement she had made.

  The team had gone in to her hotel suite while the actress waited in the lobby with her own personal bodyguards. Once inside, they did a full sweep and were just about to radio to the client that sh
e could come in when Sana found the man hiding.

  Before Arrigo could react, Sana lunged at the armed perpetrator. Arrigo swiftly moved to where the two struggled, but a gun went off.

  Jessie intervened as well and pulled the man off Sana only to reveal that she had a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

  The proximity at which the gun was fired would have made it almost impossible for the body armor to prevent the bullet from penetrating and while he didn’t see a tremendous amount of blood coming from the wound, he knew her internal injuries could be fatal. He had seen his share of these types of gunshots and worse in the military.

  Arrigo knew he only had minutes to get her to a hospital. Jessie secured the scene and called for an ambulance while Arrigo carried Sana to the elevator. He planned to meet them in the lobby or walk the half mile to the nearest hospital.

  As he carried her, she kept one hand knotted in his shirt.

  “Hang on baby. We’ll be there soon and they can patch you up,” Arrigo said breathlessly.

  “I know. It’ll be fine.” Her speech began to slur and the moment that she let go of his shirt, he knew he had lost her.

  Shaking off that memory, he focused back on the present. Sana was alive and had survived surgery. However, the blood loss and oxygen deprivation had forced her body into a coma. The doctors had no idea how long it would last.

  “You do realize I’m mad at you,” Arrigo stated matter-of-factly. “We were supposed to be lying at home in bed right now and you had to go and get yourself shot.” His tone changed to add the sarcasm that he knew Sana was used to and continued the berating.

  “I mean really. If you didn’t want to cook for me anymore all you had to do was say so.” Arrigo smiled slightly at the idea of Sana telling him that she didn’t want to cook anymore and that he could do it himself, but the moment was short lived as he came to the realization that she might never argue with him again.

  “I need you,” he whispered. Arrigo dropped his head on his folded arms that rested on the bed. Closing his eyes, the tears that had built up over the past sixteen hours unleashed. Exhausted and worried, he let them flow.

  Arrigo hadn’t cried since he was a boy and even then he couldn’t remember it. Nothing in his hardened life could have prepared him for what he dealt with now. He had known for over three months that he loved Sana endlessly, and unconditionally, but he didn’t know the pain of losing her could feel like this. He intended to make sure that she knew exactly how he felt when she woke up.

  Deep in his soul, he knew she would wake up. The doctor’s prognosis was positive and he thanked the heavens for that, but at this point, it was just a waiting game. As his thoughts drifted away from Sana, they took him into another dark time in his life though.

  Arrigo didn’t know how much time had passed, but he woke up to the nurse gently shaking him.

  Looking up at the nurse, his eyes focused.

  “Mr. Kane. I’m so sorry, but you seemed to be having a nightmare.”

  Arrigo nodded, pushed himself back from Sana’s bed and stood. Walking toward the window, he stretched his arms above his head. Every muscle in his back and shoulders protested at the strain. Pushing the closed blinds back, he watched the sun start to set, which meant he had been asleep for at least a few hours.

  Checking his phone for the time, he saw that it was after seven. He also saw that he had three missed calls and several messages. Turning back toward the nurse and Sana, he saw that everything there seemed to be in order so he dialed his voicemail.

  The first two messages were blank so he deleted them and was prepared to delete the third one when a voice came across. Sinjin.

  “Hey buddy, I just thought I’d let you know I went home. Adam is fine and he’s probably wandering around the hospital somewhere if I know him at all. Don’t hesitate to call me anytime, for anything. And make damn sure you call me when she wakes up. I’ve got a bone to pick with her.”

  Arrigo felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed. The heartfelt sentiment from Sinjin meant a lot to him. He knew then that Sinjin was a true friend and considering how few of those he had, that was very important to him.

  Shoving the emotional sappiness away from his mind he walked back to Sana.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “She’s doing very well Mr. Kane and considering the bullet didn’t pierce any major organs, she’s very lucky. The drainage has slowed significantly and her vitals are excellent.” The nurse smiled at him as she covered Sana back up.

  “I just wish she would wake up,” Arrigo mumbled.

  “I’m sure she will soon. Her body just has to recoup. That much blood loss would put anyone down for a while, much less someone with this type of trauma. It will just take her some time to heal.” The reassurance of the nurse helped Arrigo feel slightly better.

  “Thank you.”

  Arrigo waited until the nurse left before he sat back down next to Sana. Her porcelain skin enticed him and he couldn’t resist touching her. Gently, he brushed the back of his hand over her soft cheek.

  Not having been in this situation before, Arrigo sat silently staring at her until a knock on the door interrupted his trance.

  Slowly, the door opened and in walked Adam. This time Arrigo could sense that the man’s mood was much calmer just by the sullen look on his face.

  “I just wanted to see if you needed some food.” Adam walked in carrying a wrapped sandwich.

  “Maybe in a while.” Arrigo knew he would have to eat something to keep his strength up, but the fact was that he wanted to wait and eat when Sana could eat. He knew she would be starving when she came to. They had spent a lot of their time together cooking and eating when they weren’t at work or in bed. He thought of it as one way they could spend their time together.

  “I’ll leave it here for you. Any change?” Adam placed the sandwich on the tray table and stood on the opposite side of Sana’s bed.

  “No.” Arrigo wasn’t trying to be rude, but he didn’t know what else to say to the man.

  “She’s like a sister to me.” Adam brushed a lock of Sana’s hair away from her face. While Arrigo wasn’t crazy about the idea of another man touching her, he knew the love Adam had for her was a different kind than what Arrigo shared with her.

  “I know. She’s told me a lot about you.” Arrigo looked right at Adam and continued. “She couldn’t tell you because she was afraid you would treat her like a child.”

  Arrigo couldn’t resist getting a dig in on the guy, even if he didn’t know him that well.

  “She was right in thinking that and boy is she going to get an earful when she wakes up.” Adam smiled as he glanced at her.

  “You’ll have to wait in line, because I’ve got a few things to say to her first. She is so damn competitive.” Arrigo shook his head.

  “What do you mean?” Adam asked. Arching a brow and tilting his head slightly, Adam looked over at Arrigo.

  “You know how she fights for everything. Well, I have no doubt of what went through her mind when she lunged at the guy. She was probably thinking that she had something to prove as usual. If she had waited a split second I already had my gun aimed and the triggered half pulled when she got in the way. Luckily, I hadn’t pulled it too far to release it, but before I could pull the guy off her, his gun went off.” Arrigo gathered Sana’s hand between both of his and gently squeezed.

  Adam let out a deep sigh that caught Arrigo’s attention.

  “That’s my fault. I always pushed her to take the lead and control everything.” Adam dropped his head slightly.

  “Don’t blame yourself man because that’s something a person is born with. Besides if you hadn’t taught her that she wouldn’t have made it this far.” Arrigo meant it too. Sana was a strong willed person and Adam had only helped her hone her strengths.

  “I suppose you’re right.” Adam looked up and forced a grim smile.

  “Look, I’ll be at my apartment just a few blocks from here so please call
me when she wakes up. My wife and daughter are there so I’m going to go check in with them.” Adam rose and extended his arm toward Arrigo. “She will wake up. She’s too damn stubborn not to, so don’t worry,” he added.

  Arrigo shook his hand and nodded. “I’ll call if anything changes.”

  With Adam gone, Arrigo decided to wash his face and possibly eat the sandwich Adam had left for him. As he splashed the cool water on his face, he felt a bit more awake and definitely decided he was hungry.

  Stepping back into the main part of the room, Arrigo saw Sana’s arm lying across her stomach. He was certain that he hadn’t put it there too. The nurse had said she might have involuntary movements, but he hoped it was more than that.

  Anxious that she might have moved, he swiftly moved to her side.

  “You awake baby?” he asked.

  Waiting for any sign of movement, he hoped that she would just start talking to him, but several moments passed and she didn’t respond.

  “Look. I’m really starting to get tired of waiting so could you just go ahead and wake up? You could yell at me or something and it would make me the happiest man on the earth.” Arrigo let out a sigh.

  “Fine. If you’re going to be that way I’m going to eat this sandwich that Adam left and you can’t have any.” Arrigo opened the plastic wrap and took a bite of the sandwich. Not realizing how hungry he really was, he quickly ate.

  “You save me some?” A strangled voice asked.

  Arrigo thought he might be imagining things until he looked up to see Sana’s eyes open slowly and then close again. Almost choking on the food in his mouth, he swallowed and dropped the rest of the sandwich on the table.

  “How do you feel? Do you need anything?” Arrigo chattered. Sana opened and closed her eyes again slowly. He could tell that she wasn’t completely awake, but he wanted to do anything that he could for her right then.

  Gathering her hand in his once again, he waited as she tried to smile at him.

  “Am I drunk?” Her speech was slow but clear and it made Arrigo smile.