“You’d be right,” she returned.

Benny looked to her belly then back to her eyes. “Bullet didn’t hit anything major,” he informed her.

“Finally, good news.”

He grinned again. “You lost a lot of blood,” he went on but she already knew that. She’d felt it. She didn’t know if it was the right thing for Benny to do when he picked her up and ran through the forest with her in his arms, straight to his SUV but she guessed it wasn’t. Still, there was no stopping him, even when she laid the attitude on him telling him to put her the f**k down and call an ambulance. He didn’t listen. He was on a mission. “They want you in here awhile,” he finished.

“Call the Pope, tell him I’m gonna miss our meeting,” Frankie muttered and she heard his soft chuckle.

Damn, but she liked to make him laugh. She’d sell her soul to make him laugh. Even before, when she was with Vinnie, she liked to make Benny laugh. He had a great laugh, a great smile, a great face. Expressive. But he’d been like a brother then, a good one, a sweet one and she’d loved him. She’d loved Vinnie’s whole family. Hers wasn’t great and she knew great when she felt it. That had been the best gift Vinnie gave her. She sometimes wondered if she loved Vinnie’s family more than Vinnie. Then Vinnie would be Vinnie and she’d quit wondering.

How Benny went from sweet, funny brother to perv-worthy, Frankie didn’t know. She spent seven years trying to figure it out. She’d never thought of him that way instead of in a detached way when she’d hear other girls talking about him. Any woman could see it; Frankie just had Vinnie so she didn’t much think about it. Then she didn’t have Vinnie and she found herself thinking about it.

Definitely going to hell.

“Cops wanna ask you questions,” Benny broke into her thoughts and she focused on him.

“Okay,” she replied and he shifted closer.

“Ma and Pop are here,” he hesitated, “they wanna see you.”

Frankie stared into his eyes for half a second then looked away. “No.”

“Frankie, babe…” Benny whispered.

She got it. She knew Theresa, Vinnie Senior, Manny and even Benny had to blame someone. They loved Vinnie. He was a great guy, a great son, a great brother. They needed to shift the blame for all of Vinnie’s f**k ups to someone. And she loved Vinnie enough to accept it.

But she’d paid enough of Vinnie’s penance. She loved him and you do that kind of thing for someone you love but enough was enough.

She looked back at Benny and whispered, “No.”

He reached out and took her hand in both of his. His were big and warm. Strong. He leaned in even deeper and lifted her hand so he could rest his chin against her fingers and his elbows in the bed.

“Francesca,” he said quietly, “what you did today was crazy stupid.”

“Thanks,” she was quiet too but it was quiet sarcasm not quiet gentleness.

“Babe, listen to me,” Benny ordered, “it was also crazy brave.”

She didn’t reply. She just stared into his dark brown eyes.

“What you did, for family, they’re gonna wanna heal the breach.”

“Too late,” Frankie whispered and Benny’s hands tightened on hers.

“Honey –”

“I got a job in Indianapolis,” she announced.

“What?” he whispered, sounding surprised and maybe a little pissed like he knew everything about her and wasn’t expecting a surprise.

“Finally leavin’ this shit behind.”

“Frankie –”

“Not sayin’ I’m not glad maybe they don’t hate me anymore, you’re here, bein’ nice, maybe you don’t, that’s all good but I’m gone.”

“You’re not movin’ to Indy,” he declared.

“Waited too long. It’s time to start over. Clean slate,” Frankie said.

“Babe –” he started but Frankie looked away and closed her eyes.

“I’m tired,” she whispered and his hands tightened again on hers.

“Frankie –”

“Go away, Ben, I need to rest.”

His hands tightened even further. “Look at me.”

She tried to pull her hand away.

“Francesca, f**kin’ look at me.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

“You’re not movin’ to Indy,” he repeated.

“Go away.”

“We gotta talk.”

“Nothin’ to say.”

“Frankie –”

It took a lot of effort and the rest of the energy she had but she yanked her hand from his.

Then she whispered, “I took my hit for your family today. I atoned. It’s done. All I did was fall in love with Vinnie but you took your penance from me like I did wrong and I loved you all once, so I gave it. I bled for you today. This is good this happened. It gave me my chance to do what you needed me to do. But you aren’t gettin’ anything more.”

Benny left his seat but he did it in a bent over squat, his face getting in hers.

“You’ve had a bad day,” he stated, “so I’ll give you this shit right now. Then I’m comin’ back and we’re gonna talk.”

“No, we aren’t,” she replied then sucked in a painful breath when both his hands came up and framed her face and his got so close all she had to do was tilt her chin and his lips would be on hers.

“Yes, we f**kin’ are.”

Then his eyes dropped from hers to her mouth where his thumb traced the lower edge of her lip while he watched it move and she held her breath. Then he released her and she watched him saunter out of the room.

* * * * *

Sal avoided Theresa and Vinnie’s eyes and looked to the couch.

Cal was sitting there, hair nearly dry after his shower, wearing new jeans and a t-shirt that Theresa had run out and bought him. The bandage on his arm could be seen under the sleeve of his tee.

His woman was curled on her side on the couch beside him, her head resting on his thigh, her hand curled there in front of her face. She was wearing new jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt that Theresa also bought. Her hair was wet too but it was drying fast since Cal was sifting his fingers through it. Her knees were curled up to her chest and she didn’t have shoes on. The bottom of her feet were clean and glistening with antibiotic goo. Being clean, you could see the redness and scrapes.

She’d stayed at the hospital wearing nothing but Cal’s t-shirt which was spattered with Daniel Hart’s blood, getting her feet seen to, talking to the cops, eating the cannelloni Gina brought, speaking to her daughters on the phone and waiting for word to come out about Frankie. Once they knew Frankie was all right, Cal carried her to Benny’s car, he climbed in with Benny and they all went to his house to shower. Just over an hour later, they all came back.