CHAPTER 11
Matteo
I hate hospitals. Everything is so damn... sterile and dirty at the same time. Sterile because of the white walls, the unnatural glow of the light above my head, and the smell of antiseptic that permeates the air. The floor is stained, though, and the uncomfortable plastic chair I’m sitting in is chipped.
The chatter of the people and the sounds of rushing footsteps drive me crazy. One of my guards is leaning against the coffee machine as he looks around, and the other just sits there, staring at everyone.
The two of them are making people uncomfortable. I can tell because everyone keeps throwing them suspicious glances, and they don’t seem to get it.
But I can’t send them away. Not yet. It’s too dangerous, and I need them in case Adriano and my father realize where I am.
I could leave and wait outside, but if something happens, I have to be here to deal with it. It would take my guards too long to get to me and ask me for instructions.
I rub the back of my neck. This reminds me too much of my stay at the hospital when I was a kid. My father had me doing some kind of exercise in the heavy and cold rain, and I got sick.
He didn’t give a damn until it got so bad I thought I was going to die. Then he left me at the hospital with his men. I was delirious and didn’t know what was going on.
Once my fever broke, I was all alone and scared in my room. Surrounded by strangers. No one there to comfort me or tell me anything.
It was a hellish experience, and I was glad when they finally discharged me. But it was worse when I got home because the first thing I saw was my father on the sofa with Adriano, who was sitting right next to him. My father was laughing, but he stopped when he noticed me. Then his face turned serious, annoyance flashing in his eyes.
“Adriano caught a little cold too,” he said. “But look at him. He’s perfectly fine and strong. Not like you.”
I ran to my room because I didn’t want to hear anything else.
A child’s cry brings me back to reality. I can’t keep sitting here and waiting. Thinking about the past will drive me crazy. I need something to do other than being trapped in my own mind.
Getting to my feet, I head to the front desk. But there’s a huge line, and people are waiting and asking tons of questions.
I slip past them into a long hallway where they took Chiara. As I take a peek into the first of the rooms, someone clears their throat behind me.
“Excuse me, sir. You can’t be here.”
I turn around to face the doctor—a brunette with a stern look in her brown eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I really need to see my wife.” I give her my best charming smile, although I’m not sure it’s going to work on her.
But pulling out a gun would make everything worse, so I try to stay calm.
“Please go back to the waiting room. Someone will give you an update as soon as there’s any news. We’re really busy tonight, but I assure you your wife is in good care.”
Right. If it’s going to be like that, then I’m dropping my nice act. My face turns serious as I meet her gaze. Her lips part in surprise as I take a step closer to her.
“You don’t understand,” I say, my voice icy cold. “If you don’t let me see my wife right now, I’m going to make sure you don’t have a job tomorrow. How does that sound?”
“Sir—”
“Don’t sir me. I’m not joking. Where is she? Where is Chiara Gaviani? Take me to her,” I say. “Or if you still think I’m not being serious, then watch me as I make a call to your boss.” I reach for my phone.
“Chiara Gaviani, you said? I’ll see what I can do.” The doctor looks flustered, probably because she’s heard about my family, and I’m sure it wasn’t anything nice.
Sometimes it’s good that people talk. As long as it’s just gossip, it can’t hurt us, but anyone with working brain cells will want to stay away from us and not want to piss us off. And the doctor is close to pissing me off, so she better hurry and not get stupid ideas like returning with the security.
I keep my eye on the doctor and she talks to one of the nurses. A few moments later, the nurse approaches me. It’s the same one who spoke to me earlier to tell me Chiara would be under observation but refused to give me any other details.
Her eyes are wide as she keeps clenching and unclenching her fingers. Is she that terrified of me, or what exactly is going on?
“Um, sir, your wife... Um...”
“Yes?” I clench my jaw, waiting for her to spill it out already.
“She’s gone.”
“What do you mean she’s gone?” I raise my voice.
“Um, she left, sir. I thought you knew.”
“She left?” I gape at her. “How? When?”
“I don’t know. I... She said you knew everything, and that she needed new clothes. And when I was back, she wasn’t there. I looked everywhere. I thought she was with you.” The nurse babbles it all out so fast that I can barely comprehend her.
But I know what’s going on.
Chiara has escaped.
“How could you let that happen? My wife has some mental issues. Whatever she told you was a lie!”
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
“Are you saying she didn’t cut herself by accident?” The nurse lifts her gaze to mine.
“She cut herself? She wasn’t bleeding because of her pregnancy?”
“No.”
“She must’ve stopped taking her meds, but don’t worry. I’ll find her. And don’t tell anyone a word about this. My family is very well known, and we can’t have this ending up in the papers, okay? I’ll find her and she’ll be safe.”
I pull out my wallet and hand her some cash.
“Sir, I don’t—”
“Just take it. I have to go find my wife.”
Fucking Chiara! She pretended to be so nice and naive I hadn’t even thought she’d do something like this. How could she have cut herself? How didn’t I see it? Why didn’t I think about it?
I race down the hallway and toward the exit. If anyone from the hospital contacts the cops because of this, I’ll handle it later. But right now I have to find Chiara.
My men run after me as I burst through the door and look around.
“She’s gone! Find her!” I shout.
I break into a run again so I can get to my car. Who knows how long she’s been gone? I don’t have time to ask around or check anything. Maybe she’s still here somewhere. She couldn’t have gone far.
Not on her own. Unless she’s already called for help.
I jump into the car and slam my fist against the steering wheel. My father was definitely right. I’m an idiot and I can’t do anything right. I let Chiara’s innocent look distract me from what she was really planning. Instead of checking why she was bleeding, I believed her.
But where could she go? Either back to Adriano or to her parents. Maybe I can catch her right before she gets there. I grab my phone so I can point my men in the right direction.
If I get my hands on Chiara again, I’m putting her in a cell and never letting her out.