Chapter 11 Sophia
Sophia
Layna is finishing up, having cleaned up the superficial cuts, bruising, and grime from my sister after I went to be with Massimo’s mom. “That will be all, Layna. Thank you,” I tell her, taking her spot as she discreetly leaves and closes the door behind her.
Massimo’s physician comes in a few moments later.
He’s just finished examining Anna when I hear loud voices and heavy footsteps stomping up the hall, letting me know exactly who has arrived.
No matter how many times I meet or run into the elder Roselli it’s never very pleasant.
The only times he acted decent at all he ruined it with a well-placed barb to try and put me in my place.
But he’s Massimo’s father and deserves respect as such.
Even if he doesn’t like me or won’t accept me as part of the family after our year is up.
Better that I’m in here with Anna while he sees his wife and visits with his family. He’d probably just blame me.
My headstrong husband may think the time will come and his father will change his mind, but I sure as hell wouldn’t put my money on that.
Anna squeezes my hand, and my heart lurches as she struggles to open her eyes and the fluids and meds on board begin to do their work.
My eyes flood with tears as she opens her mouth. “Sophia?”
I stroke her face, pushing a piece of her dark hair from her forehead so I can kiss her glistening skin. “I love you so much. I thought we would never find you. I tried to call you over and over. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were in trouble, or I would have been there sooner.”
Her eyes flood with tears. “Papa.”
My chest tightens with angst. “What about him, Anna? Tell me.” I may be the younger sister, but all motherly and protective instincts are sharpened by her lying here utterly helpless.
“Alive.”
I swallow over the lump that’s formed in the back of my throat, making my tongue feel too thick to even say a word.
Easy breaths, easy breaths. I have to stay strong for Anna because I know what the sick fucks can do to people.
“What happened?” I ask in a voice that doesn’t even sound like my own, but the meds have already taken effect, and my sister has already fallen back into a deep drug-induced sleep.
My fingers stroke her hair before I pull the covers up, tucking them around her, simply trying to take care of her in any way that I can. She’ll tell me in her own time when she’s stronger, but it’s clear that whatever happened to Papa is weighing heavily on her mind.
And no matter what he’s done, that he didn’t safeguard us and protect us from Barcelo, whether he knew what was happening or not, he is our father, and up to that point took care of us, protected us, put a roof over our heads and fed us for the majority of our lives.
And trained us, me especially, probably because I wanted to learn more than Anna.
Maybe it just felt good to be able to disappear a little bit and physically train hard with Delz, and it got me out of the house when the other choice was to sit in that ivory tower of a bedroom while life passed me by.
Loud voices reverberate through the walls of the house, distraught men, all trying to talk at once, both arguing and agreeing on nothing that I can make any sense of at all.
I lay my head on the mattress trying to drown out the noise, still holding Anna’s hand as she sleeps while fluid drips into her body, hoping against hope that it will help bring her back to me and make her strong again.
The shuffling and voices get lower and then louder but it all seems like a bad dream, one that I would do anything to escape.
I grasp Anna’s hand in mine as the adrenaline from earlier begins to leave my body and pure exhaustion takes over as I lay next to my sister, listening to her shallow breathing.