Chapter 5 - Suiting Up for War
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Elena didn't hesitate. She walked straight to the massive walk-in closet, completely ignoring the rows of silk pajamas the previous nurses had forced him to wear. She bypassed the casual wear and went straight to the back, pulling out a tailored, midnight-black Italian suit.
She brought it out, along with a crisp white dress shirt and a black silk tie, draping them over the foot of the bed.
Matteo wheeled himself over. The physical act of dressing was a grueling, frustrating battle. Before the bullet, he could slip into a tuxedo in minutes. Now, his lower body was dead weight, fighting against him with every movement.
He gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his forehead as he violently pulled his arms through the sleeves of the stiff white shirt.
Elena stood nearby. She did not rush in to help him. She understood, with a profound instinct, that doing it for him would strip away the very dignity he was trying to reclaim. She only stepped in when he gave a sharp, frustrated grunt, smoothly adjusting the collar so he could manage the buttons.
“The tie,” Matteo ordered, his breathing heavy.
Elena stepped forward and expertly knotted the black silk around his neck, pulling it perfectly tight.
He shrugged on the dark suit jacket, the heavy fabric instantly transforming his silhouette. He no longer looked like a tragic patient. With his broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and the tailored cut of the dark suit, he looked exactly like the terrifying Mafia Boss who had conquered the underworld.
“One more thing,” Matteo said, his voice low and raspy. He pointed toward a hidden drawer in the heavy oak nightstand. “Open it.”
Elena walked over, opened the drawer, and looked inside. Resting on a bed of velvet was a heavy, matte-black 9mm pistol with a custom grip.
She picked it up. It was cold and heavy in her hands. She walked back to Matteo and handed it to him without a single word.
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Matteo checked the chamber with a satisfying metallic click, then slid the weapon into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
“Let’s go to the party,” he said.
