Chapter 7
LUCY
I hear his cry and everything in my body reacts. Soren. Where is he? Why is he crying? Why is no one helping him?
I fight the darkness holding me down, using every ounce of determination I can muster to pull out of it. I need to get to my son. He needs me.
I force my eyes open, staring blearily at the darkened room around me, but I know instantly that I’m no longer in that hell hole I was before. No, this place is different. Nicer. Even the bed feels nicer. It takes a second, but I manage to turn my head, and I stare, none of them noticing me.
I see Kida, standing there, trying to rock Soren, while also trying to give him a bottle. He batts it away, his face red and angry. Her face looks devastated, desperate, like she can’t understand the problem.
The other people around her, though, I don’t know who they are.
Two women, three men, and, wait, is that a dog?
I blink, trying to focus my gaze and push the drugs in my system away so I can think clearly.
He’s a giant beast, and if I weren’t so exhausted, I might be terrified that he’s so close to Soren, but he looks up at the crying baby with a worried look on his face.
Like he can’t understand why he’s crying or why the humans around him can’t make it stop and help him.
Who are these people? Why are they here?
Fuzzy images filter in my mind, of the man who told me he’d get me out of there. Carrying me out of there. Trying to tell him about my milk…
Wait, my milk. I can’t feed Soren. I can’t pass on whatever they gave me to him.
No, I can’t. But he can’t starve and he clearly isn’t willing to take the bottle.
Fuck. What am I going to do? I don’t have my saved milk supply here.
Or, did I have any left? My brain hurts as I try to remember, and a small whimper escapes me at the pressure in my head.
The sound gets an instant reaction from one of the men.
His head turns quickly, and his hazel eyes collide with mine.
Relief fills his eyes as he turns and walks toward me, which has the others stopping and looking at me too.
“Bella,” the man croons softly as he sits down on the edge of the bed.
“You’re safe.” He turns his head and jerks it to one of the men in the group.
He’s older, with an observant air about him.
He moves quickly to the other side of me, even as Kida rushes forward, relief clear on her face.
“Lucy,” she breathes, trying to rock Soren in her arms to quiet him. “Oh, thank God,” she breathes out on a half sob.
“S-S-Sor-r-en,” I stammer out, my throat dry and voice weak and husky.
“He’s fine,” she promises me, stepping around the man still sitting on the bed beside me.
I can’t remember his name, and I’m not sure how to feel about him watching me so closely.
She angles Soren toward me. “The doctor wants to check you before you hold him, to make sure you’re good.
” She glares at the doctor. “If you hurt her, I will kill you along with the others, do you understand me?”
“I like her,” one of the other women says, and my gaze shifts to her quickly.
She’s beautiful, and she’s the one with the dog at her side.
A dog that leaves her side with slow and purposeful steps to walk toward the end of the bed, following the doctor with a direct, warning gaze.
As if he’s trying to echo Kida’s statement.
“Hades,” the woman admonishes, but the dog only stops a few feet away from the doctor, and sits on his haunches. The doctor shifts uneasily.
“I need everyone out so I can examine the patient,” the doctor says stiffly. “Including the dog,” he adds with a pointed look at the woman.
“I’m not leaving,” Kida declares vehemently. Soren lets out an angry sound and Kida groans. “I’m sorry, chiquito,” she soothes, rocking him in her arms. She murmurs a string of words in Spanish that I can’t quite hear, but it only settles Soren slightly.
“We’ll leave,” the final woman offers, nodding at her and the final man in the room.
She steps forward so I can see her, and again I’m struck with how beautiful and exotic she looks.
She has kind, dark eyes, and she gently reaches down to pat my arm.
“I’m Sofia, Lucy, and I can promise that you’re safe here.
The other woman with the dog is named Rori, and she’s going to stay here to make sure you’re comfortable.
If you’re uncomfortable, you just let her know and Hades will assist, yes?
” I stare at her, unsure how to take that.
Then she looks at the man sitting and says something in rapid Italian.
The man answers and shakes his head firmly.
I glance at the woman, Rori, but she clearly doesn’t know what they’re saying either when her gaze connects with mine. She gives a small shrug. “Get used to it. I spend most of my time not understanding a word between some of them.”
“We’ll have to start doing the same,” Kida replies in Spanish. Rori smirks and agrees right back, making Kida stare at her in shock. A small smile kicks at my lips.
“All of you need to get out so I can examine my patient,” the doctor suddenly snaps, making everyone go quiet, including Soren.
The man on the bed’s face goes hard, as does Rori, Kida, and Sofia's. “Don’t overstep yourself, doctor,” Sofia suddenly warns him darkly.
The doctor looks like he wants to argue, but wisely he keeps it to himself. “I apologize, but my only concern is for my patient,” he states stiffly. “While I understand that all of you are concerned, her comfort is most important. Which is why she may not want all of you here.”
“The people here are staying for a reason, doctor,” Sofia reminds him. “Rori is here to ensure that she is comfortable, along with her sister and son. If she doesn’t wish Massimo to be here—”
“I’m not leaving,” Massimo states firmly.
“Then he will leave,” Sofia finishes, giving him a steely look. “Is that understood, Massimo?”
He huffs but nods.
“Soren,” I breathe out, weakly holding out my arms for my son.
“I need to examine you first, Ms. Taylor,” the doctor reminds me. “Then you can hold your son.”
“I want my son,” I rasp out. “Now.”
“Ms. Taylor…”
“Now,” I snap with as much force as I can muster.
I need my son. I need to make sure he’s okay.
I watch as the man, Massimo, reaches for Soren and slips him out of Kida’s arms so smoothly that at first I don’t think she even realizes he’s done it.
She snarls at him, but he ignores her, even as terror freezes my heart.
What’s he doing with him? No, why is he touching him?
My heart races, but then he smiles at me as he places him into my waiting arms.
I snatch Soren close, holding him tight as tears spill down my cheeks, relief filling me.
Soren’s angry cries quiet to small hiccups of sound as he burrows against my chest. I lower my mouth to kiss his head, trying not to sob.
Thank God, he’s okay. I knew Kida would keep him safe, but the fear of still possibly losing him is almost too much to even think about now.
“He just needed his mama,” Massimo remarks softly, and I lift my head to look at him. He has a soft smile on his face as he looks at me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, looking at him. And I hope he knows I mean it for more than just this moment. It’s for getting me out of there and getting Soren and Kida back to me.
“Of course, dolcezza,” he replies warmly.
“I promised you would be safe here, and I’m going to keep that promise.
Including in that your sister and son.” He glances at Kida.
“Even if she does like to throw things at me and my brother.” There’s a light teasing in his tone, and when I look at Kida, she narrows her eyes, but some of the hostility is gone.
“Tell me you wouldn’t do the same if two men came in and told you that you were mafia,” she scoffs. “All while you’re holding an infant. I mean, what, you just expected me to welcome you with open arms?”
“That would have been a hell of a lot better,” the final man says drily.
“Zeno,” Sofia huffs in exasperation. “Now, come on, we need to let the doctor examine Lucy or he’s going to have a coronary.” She looks at me. “I’ll be back with some food for you shortly.” Then she grabs Zeno’s arm and yanks him out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.
“All of you need to step away from the bed so I can begin,” the doctor says tersely.
He looks down at me, his gaze softening ever so slightly as he looks at me.
“And while I know you want to reconnect with your son, Ms. Taylor, he will not be able to stay there while I examine you. If you would hand him to—”
“He’s staying with me,” I state firmly, holding his stare. “You can work around him.”
“I need to listen to your lungs and heart, Ms. Taylor, while examining your other injuries and a baby in the way is not going to make that possible,” he explains with strained patience. I can see him fighting back the urge to snap at me.
I bristle, ready to argue, but Kida says, “Let me have him back, sis. I know he won’t be happy, but it’s only for a few minutes.”
Reluctantly, I agree, but my body shakes with the urge to snatch him back, and then it jerks when Soren starts to cry angrily again as Kida steps away with him to stand near Rori. Damn it, why can’t I hold him? He needs me. He needs his mother.
“Steady, dolcezza,” Massimo murmurs, a gentle hand settling on my shoulder.
I twist away from him, glaring at him angrily.
How the hell can he understand? Who is he to tell me to basically calm down?
“The sooner you let the doctor do his examination, the sooner you can have your son back in your arms, alright?” My glare deepens, but he just smiles at me, gives my shoulder another squeeze and moves to stand near Rori and Kida.
“Good, now we can get started,” the doctor mutters, making me look back at him distrustfully.
“Now, Ms. Taylor,” he continues briskly, “if at any point you are uncomfortable, then we can have them leave.” Before I can answer him, he lifts a penlight and shines it directly in both my eyes, making my head jerk back in surprise.
He doesn’t react, but when he lowers it, he mutters, “Yes, good, it seems the drugs are leaving your system. They should be gone completely in a couple of hours. You’ll probably be a bit tired for a while, but some food and fluids will help with that.
” He moves on to checking my face and head.
“You will have a minor concussion for a few more days, but thankfully, they left most of your head alone. Your face will be bruised for a bit longer, and there will be some swelling. I did look at your teeth, but saw nothing out of place or loose. If that changes, then we’ll need a dentist coming to look at you to make sure there is no permanent damage that will need to be repaired. Are you dizzy? Lightheaded?”
“No,” I murmur stiffly, clenching my hands on top of the sheets when he grabs his stethoscope and puts it between my breasts. I fight not to shove him away. I don’t want him touching me. It’s worse not even knowing who he is. I don’t care that he is a doctor.
“Your heart and lungs sound good. Now, we need to discuss your postpartum symptoms so I know what might be a problem and what isn’t.
You gave birth six weeks ago, correct?” I nod.
“Any major complications? Tearing? You’re still bleeding, though not as heavily, which I would take to mean that you’re well on your way to being cleared.
There are things I can do to speed that up if you are interested in continuing having an active sex life—”
“No,” I snap, recoiling away from him, disgusted that he would even suggest something like that. What kind of quack do these guys employ?
“Your husband may—”
“My husband is dead,” I hiss, infuriated. “Don’t fucking touch me.” I jerk myself away, almost falling over, but I manage to keep myself upright, even as the jarring motion makes pain slice through me.
Suddenly, the doctor is hauled back and away from me so fast that at first I’m not sure what’s happened.
Then I see Massimo slam him up against the wall, gun to his head, a furious expression on his face.
The doctor’s face has gone white, his eyes wide with terror.
“Rori, get Zeno or whoever is outside the door. Tell them I want this fucker out, and to tell Nico to find a new fucking doctor. Better yet, put this fucker down and be done with it. Disgusting fuck. You think to tell a woman who has clearly been through a horrific experience on top of having just given birth that she should only care about pleasing her husband? I should kill you now because who knows how many others you’ve done the same to.
” He slams the gun against the side of the doctor’s head, making him groan and slump against the wall, a dazed look on his face.
The door slams open, making Soren scream and Kida shrink back, holding him tight.
I want to get out of bed and rush for them, but I don’t know that I can, my body feeling heavy and unable to move.
Zeno and another man walk in. This one is a giant, a dark and foreboding expression on his face, and my eyes go wide as he stalks forward and grabs the doctor from Massimo, slamming his giant fist into his face, before hauling him out the door, barking orders in Italian.
What. The. Fuck?
Before anyone can say a word, Zeno announces, “I’ve already got a call out to a local doctor that I found mentioned in some of Nico’s shit. They’ve used her once in an emergency. She’s competent and she’s on her way. I sent Dante a message to clear her.”
“Good,” Massimo says, voice tight before he turns back to me. I eye him carefully, my eyes taking in the gun.
Until this moment, I don’t think it’s really hit me where we are. Or who we’re with. Kida’s words earlier echo back in my head. Mafia. These guys are mafia, just like my so-called family.
And we’re all trapped here and at their mercy, just like I was with them.