Page 71 of There Once was a Dancer
I smiled, shrugging. “Nothing to do here.”
“Well, you’ve done a good job.” He patted me on the back.
“Gracias, mi amigo.” We wandered around the garden until the sun was setting and then went back inside. I walked him to the front door after he said goodbye to Mamá and then stood there awkwardly. As he broke eye contact, I reached out, taking his hand.
“Please, you tell Rex…tell him you see me, and I—” I swallowed hard. “Tell him I miss him.”
He looked pained. “Do you think that’s such a good idea, Cachi? He’s really trying to get better and…” He paused, looking me over with an expression of sadness in his eyes. He finally let out a long sigh. “Okay, I’ll tell him you miss him.”
I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around him. “Gracias, Marcello.”
He hugged me back, holding on for a long time before finally turning me loose. “See you later, my friend.” He offered up a sad smile. “And take care of those little birds.”
I smiled. “Si. I will.” I opened the door and he walked out. I watched him until he was all the way down the drive and getting into his car before closing and locking the door behind him. When I turned, Mamá was standing in the foyer, wringing her hands. She had tears in her eyes. I walked over and put my arms around her.
“Cachi, you didn’t get good news.”
I let go of her, holding her out at arm’s length. “No, Rex cannot feel his legs.”
She nodded, sniffing as she wiped her eyes. I put an arm around her shoulders and walked her back to the living room where we sank down onto the couch beside each other. “What Marcello say?”
“We must wait. Maybe sometime Rex can feel something, but not yet.” I hung my head, clutching her hand as the tears fell. “I tell Marcello I miss Rex.” When she said nothing, I looked up, recognizing determination in her expression.
“We must pray, Cachi. I go to Mass tonight on the computer and say prayers.”
I looked at her, as always marveling in her relentless faith. “I sit with you, Mamá.”
“Good, Cachi, and you pray too.” She smiled.
“I will,” I replied, knowing that God had stopped listening to me long ago. She was trying to be cheerful and give me something positive to hang onto but it only made me feel more hopeless.
REX
I was sitting in my wheelchair reading a book the day after Mickey and Candy’s visit when there was a knock at my door. “Come in.”
When Cachi’s friend, Marcello Biagi, poked his head in, my smile fell. He hadn’t been by to visit like the rest of my team had after the shooting, but then again, I hadn’t expected him to. We weren’t friends and I really had no desire to put in the effort to make him one.
Although it wasn’t his fault, and I knew I was being a dick, I hadn’t liked the fact that he was an undercover FBI agent that none of the team had known about before the takedown. Frankly, I’d been pissed as hell once I’d learned that SA Steele and SA Wallace had known all about Biagi’s role in the operation all along. Though Candy hadn’t voiced his irritation with not letting the rest of us know we had someone inside, I’d known he’d been fuming.
“Hey, Monroe,” he said, coming into the room. He walked over as I closed my book, looking slightly tentative as he pointed to a chair. “Can I sit?”
I had to admit, I was glad he hadn’t offered to shake my hand because I would’ve probably tried to crush his. My grip was stronger than ever now that I was getting used to the wheelchair.
“Take a load off.” I waved at the chair and he grabbed it, pulling it over so we were facing each other. The graceful nature of his movements—how easily he rolled his hips as he strolled in on two good legs—bugged the crap out of me. I was certain he had no idea how lucky he was to be not only young, but beautifuland whole. He sank into the chair across from me, rested his elbows on his knees, and glanced up.
“Thanks.” He dragged his gaze away from me and looked around the room before glancing back. “Nice room.”
I stared at him, wondering what the hell was going on. “Yeah, I guess it’s nice if you like lookin’ at the same four walls for two months.”
He frowned a bit, clearing his throat. “They say you’re gonna go home to continue your recovery once you learn how to navigate with that.” He pointed to the wheelchair.
I gritted my teeth. “That’s what they say.”
He cleared his throat again. “Well, I know I haven’t been by to see how you’re doing, but we get regular updates on your condition in the office. I just wanted you to know that we’re all pulling for you.”
“Thanks.” He had something on his mind, but I wasn’t going to make it easy on him. The green monster had taken hold of me the minute I saw him holding Cachi’s hand as they sat side by side on a curb with the other valets after Castillion had been killed. At the time, none of us had been aware of who he was, and I certainly hadn’t liked the way Cachi had been looking to him for comfort after the shooting.
“Yeah, anyway, I just wanted to let you know we’re all praying for you.”
