CHAPTER 10
Chiara
There’s chaos around me as everyone rushes to get me onto a bed. Nurses dart around, calling for a doctor.
“I’m fine,” I say as I catch the hand of the nurse closest to me.
“Yes, you’ll be fine. How far along are you?” She gives me a concerned look as she puts on her gloves.
“I’m not having a miscarriage, okay? I’m not really bleeding. Well, not like that. Can you please send everyone away? I need your help.” I’m breaking all Matteo’s rules, but he’s not here.
He’s out there, and he doesn’t know what I’m doing. My acting was good enough to convince him that I was too worried about my babies to try anything, but now the most important part of my plan needs to be put into action. And Matteo can’t find out about it.
Will I succeed or have I just made the biggest mistake of my life? I hope it’s the first, and the latter turns out to be true for Matteo.
My panic and cries confused him. He hadn’t expected something like that, and he wasn’t sure what to do. But since it’s turned out the twins are part of his plan, he wants both me and them to survive.
I don’t know what happens if he catches me, but I don’t have a choice.
“I don’t understand.” The nurse blinks at me.
“I probably only need a few stitches.” I lift my dress and show the cut. “It was an accident. So you can call off everyone you don’t need and take care of this for me, okay? You stay here with me.”
The nurse’s dark brown eyes go wide, her brow furrowed in confusion. “I...”
“Look, I’m Chiara Gaviani. My husband out there... He has some really powerful friends. Dangerous ones, and he’s dangerous himself, if you know what I mean.” I give her a small smile. “So if you don’t want to piss all of us off, I suggest you do exactly what I say. Just send everyone away and don’t leave the room.”
I need to make sure she doesn’t say anything to anyone or make Matteo suspicious, and I can only do that if she doesn’t leave this room. The nurse nods and tells everyone it was just a false alarm. A doctor and another nurse look confused, but my nurse shoos them away.
Perfect.
“How did you get the wound, ma’am?” she asks once we’re alone.
“Oh, we were just having fun. With a knife.”
“Then why didn’t you say you had a cut right away?” Her eyes regard me carefully.
Does she maybe know Adriano is my husband? It’s weird to think people might know, but we were out together. She probably doesn’t pay attention to business parties, but it’s hard to say.
Does she think I’m lying? Trying to find excuses for my abuser? She must have seen stuff like this—a bruised and bloody woman showing up, swearing up and down it was all an accident because her abuser waits outside.
And maybe she’d be willing to help me even if I told her the truth, but I started with a lie, and I don’t want to complicate things more and come up with a new story. Then she would doubt my every word, and I hope the rumors surrounding the Gaviani name are enough to scare her.
I can’t have her call the cops either because then Matteo would know what I did, and I need enough time to get out of here.
“Because I’m in a hurry, and I can’t wait. Do I look like someone who has time to wait? And I don’t want anyone to ask too many questions.” I grimace as the nurse tends to the cut. “I’m going to need new clothes too. I can’t walk out of here with all the blood.”
If I act like a spoiled mafia wife, then maybe she’ll believe my story. I would love to make sure that my babies are okay, but I don’t have time. With any second that passes, there’s more chance Matteo will figure out I’m planning to escape.
“Give me some painkillers. Something safe for my twins.” I place my hand over my stomach. “Oh, and you need to go to my husband and tell him our secret code word. She’s under observation. That’s the only thing you have to tell him. Don’t tell him I’m fine or anything else, even if he asks, because he’s very protective of me and he took a little something... Let’s just say he could snap at you and attack you, and he’s armed. Don’t even think about alerting the security, though. The guys with him are armed too.”
I say all that while I keep a pleasant smile on my face.
As the nurse’s gaze meets mine, I see fear in her eyes. Good. She’ll follow my instructions. That’s all I need.
“But first... new clothes. Anything is fine. Well, as long as it goes with my complexion.” I grin.
The nurse keeps eyeing me like I’m crazy, but I bet she’ll be able to see how dangerous Matteo and the guys with him are. Sure, Matteo is like Adriano—too handsome for his own good—but she’ll see the guards and she’ll know. They have that look about them... and their holsters tend to peek out from under their jackets.
I would’ve told her not to say anything to Matteo, but he expects news. If I don’t send the nurse with some info, he’s going to ask someone, and then I’ll be in trouble. I can’t have that.
As the nurse wraps up my thigh, I groan. Getting out of here will be fun. I wonder if Matteo has called for backup. There might be more of his men out there.
The nurse leaves and returns with some clothes. It’s nothing fancy, just some green scrubs. She watches my face as she gives them to me, and I wrinkle my nose because I’m sure that’s what she expects.
“Thanks. It’ll do, I guess,” I say.
“I’ll give you some privacy.” The nurse heads out.
Will she go to Matteo now? Call the security? The cops? I don’t know what she’s thinking or what she believes. I have to hurry.
Even if Matteo catches me, maybe I can lie about the whole thing. He doesn’t have to know what really happened. I’ll tell him they confused me with someone else or that I got the cut later—here in the hospital.
I don’t know why I’m thinking about all of it, but I guess it keeps me calm. I need to believe I have options, even if I don’t.
As quickly as possible, I get out of my dress and put on the scrubs. Once I’m ready, I peek through the door. Nurses and doctors are everywhere, but no one looks familiar.
Hopefully, Matteo doesn’t have his spy here among the staff. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d lied to me about the whole thing. If that nurse works for him... But she wouldn’t have reacted the way she did. She would’ve told him right away, or maybe she’s telling him now.
I hurry in the direction opposite from the waiting room. Everyone’s busy with something, so they don’t pay much attention to me, and I keep my head down.
As I look into one of the rooms, I spot an open window. Patients are lying in beds, but I don’t see any staff, so I enter the room.
The patients are asleep, or at least they don’t even stir as I walk past their beds. I glance through the window, and then I haul myself through it. Pain shoots through my thigh, and it’s possible my stitches won’t survive this. But the painkillers must be kicking in because I manage to walk away.
The night has already fallen, and it’s dark. A little cold too, but I don’t have time to think about my discomfort. I stride as fast as I can, keeping to the walls. Nothing moves in the darkness, and I can’t see any suspicious men prowling around.
Matteo has really fallen for my act then. He doesn’t even suspect I might be up to something, but the nurse still might tell him the wrong thing.
As I cross the street, I let out a small sigh of relief. I’m not free yet or even safe, but if I can disappear in the alleys in front of me, then I have a good chance to lose Matteo and get back home.
But is that even a good idea? Will Matteo look for me there? Is Adriano still in my house? What is he thinking? I can’t just show up there either. Not without a good plan.
I need to find a phone somewhere first. Maybe in that one small café where they know me. I glance over my shoulder.
No one’s following me.
That’s good.
That’s really, really good.