Chapter 38
ISLA
Thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump.
I jerked awake and stayed still in my bed listening to any and every sound. Pippa didn’t make a sound, thankfully. The room was dark and I blinked to get my eyes to adjust.
Maybe I’d been dreaming. It felt like I’d just fallen asleep after doing my skin routine and brushing my teeth to get caught up on sleep. My Friday had been uneventful, getting the apartment clean and laundry done. Pippa and I had gone out for a walk.
Paolo had trailed behind us, which was annoying but the more he was around, the more I was getting used to him. We didn’t talk much, only when needed. Like when he told me Ciro was delayed in Los Angeles and he wouldn’t arrive until around ten o’clock.
I had about lost it and told Paolo that his boss would have to wait to see me and the baby until tomorrow morning because we were going to bed. The nerve of Ciro Remotti thinking he could barge into my home at any hour of the night.
Thump, thump, thump.
“Isla! Please help me!”
Elsie?
Thump, thump, thump. “Help me!”
I jumped out of bed, ran to the front door, and flung it open.
“Elsie!” I gasped at her face covered in blood, eyes nearly swollen shut. My heart stopped. “Oh my, God!”
“Roy has lost his mind this time.” Elsie cried as I pulled her inside my apartment. “He’s going to kill me!”
I looked out into the hallway and didn’t see Paolo anywhere. The fluorescent lights hurt my eyes as I looked to the right, which was the direction of Elsie’s apartment, then I turned to the left, hoping to see Paolo. He wouldn’t have left me alone, so where was he?
Oh sure. You only care about Paolo when you need protection from raging lunatics.
My blood turned cold. I didn’t have any protection. My next thought went to Pippa as I turned around to face my sister and slowly closed the door.
Bruises covered Elsie’s arms, chest, and neck. I couldn’t move, shocked by what I saw. She trembled violently as she hugged her stomach.
“Where’s Roy?” I asked her, even though I was terrified to know the answer. Had she killed him? Was he hurt? Was he going to come after her?
“I hit him over the head with Wulbren and knocked him over. That’s how I got away.”
“You hit him with what?”
“My ceramic gnome, Wulbren.” She cried and limped further into my apartment.
“Oh.” I stared at her shellshocked. We weren’t close at all, but I would feel this amount of compassion for any woman.
I couldn’t say how long I stared at her, totally numb and overwhelmed by fear, but it had clearly been too long, when I remembered I hadn’t closed the door completely.
My door slammed open, hitting my shoulder and making me bump into the wall. Roy’s wild eyes landed on Elsie. She screamed as he charged toward her but in my tiny apartment, there wasn’t anywhere for her to run.
“I will kill you if you ever try to leave me!” He backhanded her hard, knocking her into my small dining table.
Where was Paolo? Why wasn’t he beating Roy to a pulp?
Terror like I’d never felt before crashed through me. Pippa and I needed help, but no one was around to deal with Roy.
Panic burst inside my chest, fearing the worst, that Roy had killed Paolo.
Elsie cowered, covering her face.
Roy grabbed her arm in one hand and slapped her with the other. “Don’t ever!” Slap. “Leave!” Slap. “Me!” Another backhand across the jaw sent Elsie crumpling to the floor.
Finding my voice, I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Stop! Stop hitting her!” Hopefully a neighbor called the cops. I went to Elsie and fell to my knees. Tears streamed down my face as I touched her arm. “Elsie? Oh, God. She’s unconscious.”
“She’s faking it like she fakes everything,” he said.
“You asshole! Look at what you’ve done to her.” I studied Elsie’s limp body and pressed my fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. Where was the right spot? I moved my fingers searching for the gentle pulsing that would reassure me that my sister was alive.
I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off Roy.
I should’ve swooped up Pippa and ran for help when he was beating up my sister.
I should’ve obeyed Ciro when he’d implored me to stay at the hotel to keep Pippa and me safe.
A burning pain shot through the back of my scalp as Roy grabbed a fistful of my hair and flung me back.
“Get away from her!”
I screamed, experiencing the worst kind of pain when my head hit the end table. Dots of light clouded my vision and I heard ringing.
“Mind your own fucking business, bitch!” Roy kicked me in the stomach.
I dialed into my Pippa crying while Roy continued to kick me and yell. My body jerked with each powerful hit. I slowly blinked, trying to stay awake. I needed to stay alive for my baby.
Dark globs burst into the room. Roy stopped assaulting me. Finally, I had a moment to catch my breath.
Pippa’s crying grew louder. It was like she was close enough for me to touch her.
I’m coming, lovebug. Mommy’s coming…
I tried to crawl and make my way to her. Please, God. Please help me get to my baby. I tried with all my might, but I couldn’t tell if I was even moving.
Suddenly, I couldn’t hear my lovebug anymore and my head hit the floor…