Chapter 46
ISLA
An ache in my side stirred me awake. But I was so comfortable and didn’t want to get up from the most heavenly bed I’d been in since… I shook my head, keeping my eyes closed.
The most luxurious bed I’d ever slept in was Ciro’s.
“Isla, are you waking up?” a woman asked.
I blinked my eyes and saw Alba hovering above me. We stared at each other, and neither of us said a word.
Tears instantly blurred my vision when I remembered Roy attacked me and my precious baby girl was missing.
“Is she here?” I tried to lift, but the pain in my ribs kept me down. “Where am I?” I looked around the large room, noting a floor to ceiling fireplace and windows, a crystal chandelier hanging above the canopy bed I was in.
“Ciro’s estate. Don’t get worked up, okay? Stay calm and I will fill you in.” Alba held my hand and sat beside me.
“How did I get here? When did I get here?”
“I heard talking. Is the patient awake?”
I looked at the door and saw my friend, Doctor Jon. What was happening? Why were they at Ciro’s estate? None of this made sense.
“She is and I’m trying to keep her calm,” Alba replied.
“Did I hear Isla’s voice?” Luca appeared in the doorway.
“What is going on?” I asked in an awful-sounding voice. My throat was scratchy and dry.
Jon came to the side of my bed, opposite Alba. “Are you having any pain?”
“Yes. In my side and my heart is shattered. Where is my baby?”
“Pippa is with Ciro.” Luca nudged Jon to move out of his way. He sat on the bed, facing me. “She’s in perfect condition, sweetheart.” He took my other hand.
All I could do was cry as I recalled the events leading up to when I blacked out.
“Should we sedate her again?” Luca asked sounding panicked.
“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t. Please,” I sobbed.
“Let her feel her emotions,” Alba said, defending me. “She’s been through a lot, and she needs to deal with them in a healthy natural way. Isla is strong. No Band-Aid fixes, right?”
“Yes.” I continued to cry as flashes of images played in my head. But my most vivid memory was of Ciro in my hospital room and soothing me with a shellshocked expression.
It was strange crying in front of an audience. But I was too devastated to care who was in the room. All I wanted was my baby girl. I’d never ask for another thing as long as I lived. I only wanted my lovebug.
As my sobs subsided and I regained control, I said, “It’s my fault she was taken.” The realization that I could have prevented my baby being stolen hit me hard.
“No. It’s not your fault,” Luca said in a firm voice. “You are not to blame, sweetheart.”
“He’s right,” Alba said. “It was bad men. Blame them. Be angry with them.”
I lowered my gaze in shame. “Ciro was angry I left the hotel.”
“They would have found you both there,” Luca said. “You’ve heard a lot of stuff in this place, I’m sure. You know powerful men won’t stop until they get what they want. That’s why Ciro was afraid to openly love you and why he didn’t want children.”
“But why my Pippa?” I clutched my chest when my breasts ached. I was so engorged. “She needs me.”
Luca leaned his face toward me. “She’s safe and with Ciro. You believe me, right?”
I nodded.
“Good. The man who took her, took excellent care of her. He didn’t have a beef with Ciro, it was Wolf’s brother he was after.”
“Who’s Wolf?”
“My new husband.”
My gaze went to the bedroom door where a very pregnant Rosa stood with a tall, bearded man behind her. She waddled to the foot of the bed, holding his hand. Her eyes were filled with tears.
“We are so sorry this happened. I can only imagine how scared you are.” She placed her hand on her round belly. “I would be terrified if someone took our son, Ivan.”
Wolf growled in his throat like he would burn the world down if anything happened to his child. Seeing him tuck Rosa into his side made me think of Ciro.
“Why didn’t Ciro return to Canada with us?” My question wasn’t directed at any one in particular.
“Are you joking?” Luca snorted. “He isn’t stupid enough to come home empty handed.”
“Luca,” Rosa said in a stern voice.
“I mean, he loves Pippa. Adores her. He would turn the world on its axis to find her and return her to you in one piece.” He smiled at me. “He loves you very much, too.”
“I doubt that.” My bottom lip trembled. “But I’m relieved to hear he loves Pippa. That’s all that matters to me.”
“Well, I think Isla needs to rest some more,” Jon said.
“Yes. They’ll be here by dinnertime,” Luca replied, getting off the bed.
“Whatever you need, we’ll get for you.” Rosa came around to my side and kissed the top of my head. “I’ve so missed you, my old friend.”
“Me, too.” I tried to smile, but I just couldn’t.
Luca, Rosa, and Wolf all left, leaving Jon and Alba with me.
“I have pain meds if you’d like,” Jon said, opening a black medical bag.
“No. I don’t want anything. I’ll need to nurse her when she arrives.” I pressed my hands against my breasts. The ache was growing more intense with every thought of my Pippa.
“Do you want to try to pump a little to relieve the pressure,” Alba asked. “I can help you.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Jon said.
“I don’t have any of my things here.” I scanned the beautiful room. There were six guest rooms in the mansion, but I’d never seen this one before.
“Don’t worry. Rosa had a bunch of stuff delivered hours ago.” Alba pointed to a chair in the corner with a large stack of things on it.
“How long have we been here? What time is it?”
“After five. You’ve been sleeping a long time, which is the best medicine,” Jon replied.
“Can I take a shower?” The thought of holding Pippa after being in the hospital made me feel icky… Hospital germs and all that.
“Only if you let Alba help you. Don’t want you fainting or slipping in the shower.” Jon went to the door. “I’ll be down the hall if you need me.” With that, he left.
I suddenly felt drained and exhausted. But I would push through it all so I could shower and express a little of my milk, so I’d be more comfortable. Then I’d wait impatiently for Ciro and Pippa to arrive.
Alba helped me into the bathroom, which appeared to be larger than my entire apartment back in San Francisco.
“Damn, every room in the place is massive.” She snorted.
I faced the mirror and gripped the counter and gasped in mortification at my face. “Oh, Jesus.”
“Is this the first time you’re seeing your face?”
“Yes. The nurses had covered the mirror at the hospital. I look like a bruised, rotting peach.”
“That’s quite the description.” Alba studied me. “What do you want to do first? Shower or pump?”
“Pump. It won’t take long, then I can shower before I run out of energy.”
“Good plan. You can take a little nap after you’re all clean.”
“That sounds great.” I might appear to be holding it together, but I wasn’t. Inside I was flipping out at the thought of criminals taking my baby. My mind wanted to go to dark places and it took every ounce of energy to not go there.
I had so many questions, but they could wait. I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with anything more than the safe return of my baby.
Also, I didn’t know what would happen with Ciro. He had to be furious with me for putting our daughter’s life in danger after leaving the hotel. Hopefully, Luca was right. We wouldn’t have been any safer there, but Roy wouldn’t have had access to me at Ciro’s hotel.
But if I’d agreed to go to Canada, things might have turned out differently.
So many what ifs. I couldn’t drive myself crazy thinking “what if…”
My only concern was Pippa’s well-being. Nothing mattered more to me than her.
Of course there was the issue of her father, and I had no idea how I would deal with him. Clearly, Ciro had been right about being with him was dangerous.
His fear of losing someone he loved had come true.