“There was a lot of blood lost.” An older man with greying hair and glasses perched on his nose in a white robe is standing near me. My head aches and there’s a strange smell. Unable to move my head much, I can’t see the face of the man who has stolen my heart and made me want to fight for a better future. A future with Alex. I don’t see the face of my fake fiancé either.
Chills run up my spine against the harsh mattress I’m lying on.
“Nooo… He can’t be gone. I only just found him. I need Alex to survive.” My voice echoes through the small room. Hysteria claws its way through my body. My hurting head is ready to detonate. It’s too much. I can’t finally be out of Dimitri’s clutches to find Alex won’t be by my side.
Wait… Am I no longer the property of Dimitri Sokolov? Is he dead too?
Tears are flowing down my face, blurring the older man’s face before me. My stomach cramps in a tight knot. I’m howling, I’m sure of it. My stomach cramps tighter.
I lift my arm to wipe my tears back. It’s stuck on something. Reefing it up, the man quickly places his hand over my arm.
That’s when mother comes over, to hold onto my other hand. Ben is by her side. Their faces tell the grim story. I’ve never seen them look so despondent. Not even when father died. I have tried everything in my power to alleviate any sadness from theirs again. I saw it enough when we were younger. How can this be happening to me? I know I killed my father, but surely I have paid enough for that sin. Losing years of my life to a deranged madman, doing everything to make everyone else happy. When the hell is it enough?
When do I get my happiness?
Patiently and smiling down at me, this man keeps talking calmly. “Steady now… It’s going to be all right, Miss Winters. You’ve got a pretty big cut to your head and, as I was saying, you’ve lost a lot of blood. You will need to stay in for a few days to rest and to make sure you don’t have a concussion.” My mother squeezes my hand. I don’t know where to look.
Where is Alex?
I’m confused. My head is throbbing, but nothing compares to the ache penetrating my heart.
My eyes pleading with my mother and Ben to tell me something, the doctor, I presume, finally nods and walks toward the door before looking over his shoulder.
“Ring the buzzer if you need anything, Miss Winters, and someone will be with you. You need to take it easy.” He then proceeds out the door closing it behind him.
“Where is he? Why is Alex not here with me?” My voice is octaves above where it normally is. My mind fleets back momentarily to Jared holding my hand, much like how my mother is now.
Ben walks around the opposite side of the bed to my mother, replacing where the doctor stood. My head follows him. A slight smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. I’m trying to shift my body up the bed slightly so I am sitting upright, but with each millimeter I move, my head bangs inside. I quickly stop.
Ben sits on the blue material chair alongside my bed. “You scared the hell out of us.” Mother closes her hand around mine again, Ben’s eyes spear me. “What the hell happened?” His tone is certainly not as calm as the doctors was.
Finally, my mother speaks, “Ben, stop. Isla’s head must be aching and she doesn’t need you yelling at her.”
“Don’t worry about that. Why can’t someone tell me what has happened to Alex? Is he here in this hospital too? Is he alive?” My arms start to flail. I’m getting more agitated by the second. “I need to see him, now. I need to know he is alright.”
“Sshh… Everything’s going to be fine.” My mother hushes me. Looking tenderly at me, she continues. “One of the men from the Resort who was so kindly looking after us came in to our room about an hour ago and told us to get dressed as he was taking us to the hospital because you had been hurt.” She wipes at a small tear that escapes. “That’s all he said. We are so thankful that you aren’t hurt worse. We don’t understand what is going on, Isla.” Her eyes lift to Ben’s. “Why is Dimitri not here?”
A shudder racks through my body at the mere mention of his name. I should be giving more thought to where he is. Why is he or his trusty bodyguard not here with me protecting me from the evil lurking in their world? He has a habit of knowing exactly where I am, I’m sure a public hospital would be on their radar of places to look for me. I wouldn’t put it past him to have hospital staff and the police on his payroll, alerting him of my whereabout probably before I can take one breath.
This could be a good sign. My wish of Dimitri meeting his maker may have come true.
“Don’t get me wrong, Isla, there is no way I want you to marry that ghoul of a man, but I’m surprised that he isn’t here making certain no one gets to you. I know how his clutches work, and this is unusual for him.” It’s the first time I’ve heard mother speak so candidly about Dimitri.
“I’m not marrying that maniac. Not in this lifetime.” My voice is firm. “The last few weeks have been a show. A performance to keep us all safe.”
Ben leans forward on his chair. “Safe from what? What are you keeping from us? You need to tell us the full story.” Ben’s legs are bouncing up and down. Looking up at mother, he asks. “What am I missing? Mom, what is she talking about?”
Mother actually straightens her stance and speaks. “Dimitri Sokolov is a vicious and dark man. Alex told you parts about him, but let it be known, you don’t want to cross him, ever.” Ben frowns. “He has done so much unforgivable damage to our family. Caused your father and I so much pain.” Her voice gets softer. “But I don’t want to get in to it now. Isla needs rest and peace.”
My focus drifts off. I know all about Dimitri. I have no space in my head to think about him now. I only want my thoughts to be of my heaven. Interrupting my thoughts before I can think too much about Sokolov, I ask my visitors, “Can someone please try and call Alex? I have to find out where he is.”
Ben stretches to his full height. “I’ll see what I can do, but I want answers as soon as you’re well enough, sis.” Resigned, I nod and close my eyes. Hearing his footsteps heading toward the door, my body relaxes slightly. Hopefully I will get answers to my questions soon too.
Mother releases my hand. The grind of the metal chair legs fills the room. Her warm breath reaches my cheek. She gives me a tender kiss. “I was so worried about you. I thought that evil man had taken again from me. First my husband, and then my only daughter. Does he have anything to do with this?”
Refusing to open my eyes, I can’t deal with this now.
Barely audible, I breathe, “Yes.”
“I knew it. Nothing ever good comes from that man being around.” Her voice is soft like mine.
“Mom,” my voice is lighter as I remember what happened before tonight’s ordeal. “I met Grandmother.”
Her eyes light up. “What? When?” Mother leans forward, guarded but with interest. “Where is she?”
“She left mother. She’s gone back to England.” Mother wraps her hands together. “I was with her for a day but she had to go home.” A tear has developed in mother’s eyes. Wiping them away, I reach out my hand toward her. Clasping it around mine, I squeeze it tenderly.
“Oh.”
“We sat talking for hours.” Mother sighs and wipes another tear away. “She told me everything, Mom.”
Mother’s shoulders slump and I tighten my hand around hers. “Grandmother loves you, you know.”
Lifting her tear-stained face, a smile sweeps across her features. “Tell me everything.”
I inwardly sigh. Time is going so slow. Waiting for Ben to return is agony. You think he would have tracked down Alex by now, or at least Alex would be here already. Only months ago I was working with Jules in our business, working for Dimitri at nights, resigned to how my life would unfold. Thoughts spin in my head. I need Jules, Kameron, and Alex. Where is he? Why doesn’t anyone know?
I didn’t want to get into this now with Mother, especially as I am in hospital. But I guess I’m not going anywhere. Deciding to take my mind off why Alex isn’t next to me, I start talking, revealing everything Grandmother said, never letting mother’s hand go.
“Fucking tell me she’s safe.” Yelling to anyone around me takes every ounce of energy I can urge out of my body. My body is limp against the hard surface I’m lying on. Excruciating pain radiates from my shoulder, chest, leg, and waist.
“She’s in the hospital, being taken care of. Her mother and brother are with her.” Benito’s gruff voice rings from somewhere in the room.
“Why the hell is she not here, with us?”
Heavy thuds make their way to where I am lying. “I got you out of there before anyone else showed up. The soon-to-be Boss can’t be associated with a back alley shooting.” What the fuck is he talking about? I’m not ready for that yet and I’m still deciding if I will ever be now that I have found Isla.
“Man, don’t bring that up now. I need my woman here with me where she is safe. And Dimitri…Where is his body?” Trying to keep my eyes open is tiring, but I have to find out answers.
“Liam’s keeping an eye on her at the hospital. She has the best doctor we could find. A concussion is what the doc told Liam Isla has sustained plus bruising to her body. She will make a full recovery with rest.” Shutting my eyes, I relax a fraction knowing Liam is there. I did notice though, he forgot about Sokolov.
“And the Russian bastard, where is he?” My eyes open to penetrate him when I finish the sentence.
“When I left he was lying face first on the concrete slab. I couldn’t wait. You needed urgent attention given the three bullet holes in your body.” Lighting up a cigar, he doesn’t care that I’ve just had three bullets taken out of me. “I passed the ambulance and cops as I got you out of there. I hope his body is in a body bag at the morgue by now.”
“How long have I been out? Have you got Kolton and everyone on it? We need to know where this motherfucker is.” My eyes close again.
“One thing for sure, he wasn’t moving anywhere fast and his henchmen were alongside him on the filthy ground where they belong.” Benito sadistically laughs.
The door to this makeshift hospital room scrapes along the floor. “Has he woken up yet?” A female voice asks.
“Yes, I have.” Slurring, my eyes refuse to open. Steps make their way to me.
“Mr. Raven, we are giving you pain medication. Your body needs to rest and recuperate for now.” Something tugs at my hand. Possibly the tube filling me with drugs. “A day or two then they can move you back to your place.”
Willing my eyes to open, mustering strength from deep within, I try to raise my shoulders from the pillows. “I need to go to my Sweetness now.” Slumping back, my voice comes out strong for a short amount of time. “It’s my job to protect and look after what is mine. I failed her the last few days but I won’t from now on. Benito, I need to be out of here in an hour.”
The small, brunette-haired lady dressed in blue scrubs smiles and injects something into the bag up beside the bed. “You will be out of here when the all clear is given, Mr. Raven. Strict orders from Stefano.” My body molds to the mattress again.
Benito moves from his place holding up the wall toward the lady who is defying my wishes. “Everything is taken care of. Rest and get strong for your woman.”
My legs fight to move from their position. I make an effort with my right hand to pull out the tube in my left. I don’t seem to be able to move anything. My brain is at war with my body. “Move, you mother fucking limbs.”
I’m not going anywhere…
“She’s going to be in hospital for a few days. Her concussion was severe. They don’t want to take any chances.”
Voices… I need to move… I need to be with Isla… My mouth is stuck… Who is in here with me?
“Is Liam still outside her room?”
“Kameron and I have visited her. Ben, her brother, rang Kam to find out where Alex is. We made a visit to her at hospital to give them some information.”
I still can’t move my betraying body…
“I’m getting too old for this bullshit.”
“You and me, both. You think it’s time?” A waft of smoke enters my lungs. Benito and his cigars. The rest of the population understands passive smoking, but not him. There is no care factor when it comes to his cigars and others. No one would ever question the dangerous, killer of a man, who has kept the Boss of our family and us safe for as long as I can remember.
“It’s time… There is no choice.”
Fuck… What are they deciding? Why can’t I move still?
“He will be the boss of The Family. There is no question about it. I need to step down. I’m getting too fucking old for this. It needs fresh, young blood to carry our name and reputation on.”
A clear, but soft voice that I have been trying to hear for what seems like forever hits my ears. Thank the Lord her exquisite body and beautiful mind is still in one piece. My eyes are glued closed, I’m sure of it. I can’t pry them apart.
“If that’s what needs to happen, then let it. I won’t stand in his way.”
“He won’t want to risk losing you. He’s already lost someone close to him because of this life. You will have to convince him you are strong enough to stand by him at the top. There are times it won’t be easy, and you will have to support and trust his decisions.”
For fuck’s sake, why won’t my mouth and eyes work? This isn’t something I want my Sweetness to listen too. Imploring my arms and legs to move, for anything on my useless body to shift, I am furious with Stefano for talking to Isla about this. Enraged with my body in this paralyzed state that I am willing to explode into a tirade so they know I can hear every word they are uttering. It’s my decision, no one else’s. I know that it is my responsibility, but I need to be the one to reassure her, that nothing will ever touch her again. That I will safeguard her from the harsh world she will be entering in. She is stronger than she knows and she will be perfect by my side. But I should be the one talking to her.
“I will do anything for him. If he needs me to be stronger, I will. I trust him already with my life, body, and soul. I don’t care who or what he is. I am his, if he still wants me.”
Fuck, she’s beautiful. After failing her multiple times, she still has faith in me. In us…
“You had better mean that, because once he comes out of this medicated state it will be his job and responsibility.”