Chapter 3
MATEO
Abody.
Why is there a body at our gate?
Are they dead?
“Don’t, let Francisco deal with it,” Tomas says, holding my arm and pulling me back toward the car.
“There’s a body in our driveway. I’m sorry, but I will not stand by and watch. They need help. Why is no one helping them?”
My body propels me forward and out of my lover’s restraint. I rush toward the body ignoring everyone’s pleas. The body is lying half in the bushes and half in front of our gate. They don’t look to be moving. Crumpled footsteps approach from behind me along the driveway.
“Can you go deal with the driver? He seems traumatized,” Tomas asks Francisco.
Turning around, I see our limousine driver doing a couple of Hail Marys with his beads. Francisco hesitates, but Tomas gives him his steely, unwavering gaze which means business.
“I’ve called Enrique; he will help us deal with this situation,” Tomas explains to Francisco who seems relieved by this news and goes to deal with the limousine driver.
I turn back to the body and crouch down to get a better look.
“Don’t touch it, it could be a crime scene,” Tomas states.
He’s right.
That’s why Enrique is coming. His cousin works for Interpol and is currently holidaying here in Ibiza.
“We can’t just stand here and not do something. What happens if the person is still alive?”
Tomas frowns.
Ignoring him because I will not stand back and let this person die when we can help, I kneel and the closer I look I realize there is a hooded sweater pulled over their head. I roll the body over and let out a gasp.
“What is it?” Tomas asks, quickly joining me.
“It’s a girl.”
Her face is black and blue. There is dry blood around her nose. Her skin is cold to touch, even with the winter sweater she has on. My hand goes to her neck to feel for a pulse.
“Is she dead?” Tomas asks.
I shush him.
Come on, please be there.
Then I feel it, ever so faintly: thud, thud, thud.
“She’s not dead! She’s alive, barely,” I shout at Tomas.
“Shit.”
Tomas runs his hand through his hair nervously. “Quick, let’s get her inside. I’ll call the doctor and get him to come too.”
“We need an ambulance,” I shout back at him.
Tomas stills. “Think of the media if they see an ambulance racing up to our home.”
He’s right. I look at the fragile woman lying helpless in the dirt, battered and bruised within an inch of her life.
“We can’t move her. What if she has spinal injuries?”
Tomas nods. “Here,” he says, giving me his suit jacket. “Put this over her to keep her warm until the doctor arrives.”
I take it and place it over her body.
Tomas walks away, and I can hear him making a call to our doctor. Hopefully, he can save her.
“You are safe now, angel,” I whisper, running my fingers over her blonde hair. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.” Hoping that she can hear me and know that she is safe, that whoever did this to her will be punished. Who the hell would bash up a woman like this? What kind of pussy hits a woman?
Taking another look over at her, I try to piece together her story, hoping there is something on her that can identify who she is.
Someone will be worried about her. She’s dressed up like she’s been out clubbing.
Must be a tourist out in Ibiza Town, maybe had one too many drinks, and some predator picked her up.
Fuck.
I hope no one touched her. My heart beats uncontrollably as anger bubbles through my veins. I want to hit something, and that something is the low-life scum who touched this woman.
“Are you okay?” Tomas’s hand rests on my shoulder.
I notice tears falling down my cheeks as I wipe them away.
“Carino?” Tomas looks at me. “What is the matter?”
“Who could do such a thing?” I ask him.
“Come here.” Tomas pulls me into his arms, soothing me. “I don’t know, but she is safe now. We’ll look after her. She won’t be alone. I promise, okay?” He tells me. Tomas then reaches out and cups my face with his hand. “She won’t be alone. I promise, okay?”
It’s not long till Juan, our doctor arrives as we see headlights approaching us.
Juan jumps out and rushes toward us with his medical bag. “Where is she?”
We point to the lifeless body and watch on helplessly as he works on her. He moves over her body, checking the various marks on her. His work is meticulous and gentle.
It feels like an eternity until he finally stands up.
“We need to take her to hospital in case she has internal bleeding. I don’t want to move her anymore, there could be spinal damage.”
Tomas and I look at each other and nod, there is no getting around this. Saving her life is more important than dealing with the fucking paparazzi scum.
Juan organizes an ambulance.
“Do you think she is going to be okay?” I ask him.
“She has taken a beating, but if there are no internal injuries then, yes, I think she is going to be okay. But I can’t say for sure until we examine her at the hospital.
She is going to need extensive testing, but I’m confident you saved her life tonight.
If you hadn’t found her, she would have died. ” He slaps my shoulder, comforting me.
In the distance, the sirens of the ambulance can be heard.
“I want to stay here, Tomas. We can’t leave her, she’s all alone, she’s probably frightened.”
Tomas squeezes my leg in the hospital waiting room. “There’s nothing we can do for her tonight. Like the doctor said, she’s resting. The pain medication is working, and she’s sleeping peacefully. Let’s go home, rest, and come back as soon as visiting hours start again.”
I nod and give him a weak smile.
Tomas puts his arm around my shoulder and walks me out to where Francisco is waiting for us.
“There are paparazzi at the bottom gate, we should head out via the back entrance,” Francisco explains to us.
Of course, they are waiting for us, they never miss an opportunity to make money from someone’s horrible moments. Thankfully we are in a gated community, and they can’t get into our home thanks to the bottom gate.
We head home in silence.
Walking into our quiet home just doesn’t feel right. I follow Tomas to our bedroom, and he undresses me slowly before he undresses himself, scattering our clothes messily on the floor. He pulls the blanket back, and we fall into bed. He pulls me to him, my back against his chest.
“Everything is going to be okay, I promise.” His lips kiss my back softly.
I pull his muscular arms around me tightly and slowly fall asleep.
My night is filled with nightmares of the battered woman.