CHAPTER XVIII
T he entire ride to the hospital, I kept my eyes on my broken Angel in my arms, waiting for any sign of life.
I caressed her cold, pale skin, wishing for her eyes to open from my touch.
But they didn’t. At certain points, my hold on her became so tight that I had to loosen my grip.
I was hanging on by a thread, hoping she would stir, anything to give me peace of mind that she was going to be okay. But nothing.
Fucking nothing.
“Everything is set,” Lo said, ending the call and slipping his phone into his pocket. “Jacobi and Emillia are waiting for you on the second floor of the parking garage.”
I nodded. As the chief of the hospital, Jacobi understood the importance of keeping our arrangements under wraps, and I trusted him to handle things the right way.
“And the guards?” I asked, my gaze fixed on Gigi.
“The guards are in place, just like you requested,” Lo replied.
“Good,” I said.
When the car stopped, Alphonse opened the door and said, “I’ll come around to you.”
I didn’t acknowledge him but returned my gaze to my girl. “You’re safe, baby.” I leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.
Matteo stepped out of the car and rounded the vehicle to Luca’s side.
When the door opened, Alphonse held his arms out. “I understand your pain,” he rasped, “but I’ll hold her until you climb out of the car. And I’ll give her right back.”
Hesitantly, I gritted my teeth, but I understood where he was coming from. This was his little girl. A daughter he never knew he had but still loved with all his heart.
Reluctantly, I gave him a curt nod and handed my girl to him. He pulled her close and whispered, “My bambina . I love you so much.”
As soon as I stepped out, I quickly grabbed her from him but not before he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
I turned to Matteo. “Take Luca to get his leg checked out.”
Matteo wrapped his arms around Luca’s waist, steadying him as he winced in pain. “Already planned on it,” he replied.
We moved quickly toward the elevator in the parking garage, where Emillia stood, flanked by two guards, her eyes red-rimmed and brimming with unshed tears.
“Her room is ready,” Emillia said softly as she took in Gigi’s state.
“Thank you,” I muttered.
We stepped into the elevator, and I cradled Gigi closer to my chest. I watched the numbers light up, the elevator climbing slowly, each beep echoing my rising anxiety.
The door dinged open, and two additional guards stood watch as we stepped out onto the floor.
“Which room?” I asked Emillia.
“It’s the fourth door on the right,” she replied.
I followed her down the corridor to the private room, where two more guards were stationed outside.
I turned to Alphonse, who was glaring at the collar wrapped around Gigi’s neck. “I’ll find something to take that off,” he growled, his hands clenched into fists as he stalked away.
I stepped into the room, gently laying Gigi on the bed, trying to handle her fragile form with care.
There was a soft knock at the door. I looked up to see Jacobi with his nurse in tow.
“Come in.”
The nurse pushed a cart with an ultrasound machine and other supplies into the room. I turned my attention back to Gigi, who lay there as if in a deep sleep. “Hello, Nico,” Jacobi greeted me.
“Please be gentle with her,” I told him.
“Yes, of course.”
I felt Jacobi beside me, but I couldn’t move. My eyes were still on Gigi, pleading with her soul for her to open her fucking eyes. But she just laid there, so fucking still.
“Nico, may I examine her?” Jacobi asked.
I stepped back to give him room to examine her. He set his medical bag down, and the nurse stood on the other side of the bed, looking at my angel with somber eyes.
I noticed Jacobi reaching for the blanket covering her naked body, and like a possessive fuck, I wrapped my hand around his wrist. “What the fuck are you doing?” I growled.
I knew it was stupid, given he was a doctor for fuck’s sake and that I’d called for him. But the idea of another man touching her after what happened to her was killing me inside.
Jacobi swallowed hard. “I need to see the extent of her injuries.”
“Continue.”
He nodded, and he winced as I let go of his wrist. “I’m sorry,” I muttered and stepped aside.
“No need to apologize, sir.” He gave me a small smile.
I stood by the end of the bed with my arms across my wet shirt and watched Jacobi examine her injuries. The nurse takes her vitals, temperature, and oxygen level.
“Oxygen saturation is eighty-eight percent,” she stated. “She has a fever of 101 and her blood pressure is alarmingly low.”
Jacobi nodded. “Let’s put her on oxygen, give her ibuprofen to reduce the fever, and hook up a central line for her IV. She needs fluids.”
The nurse got to work while Jacobi pulled down the blanket. I growled. Jacobi tensed but continued. When her naked body was exposed, I paused when I saw a big fucking gash on her stomach.
“This looks infected,” Jacobi said. “I’ll clean this wound and draw some blood and do some testing. I’ll also run other tests such as for pregnancy and STDs, and…”
I glared at him. “And what?”
“A rape kit.”
Every muscle locked in place, every breath a struggle. I couldn’t even close my eyes. I was fucking terrified of the images I didn’t want to see, the ones I couldn’t escape.
What happened to her… it was all because of me .
Just the idea of it twisted my insides; it was a pain I’d never felt before, one so profound it made me want to rip my heart from my chest.
Pregnancy.
STDs.
Rape kit.
My stomach churned, and I stumbled into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before I doubled over, the contents of my soul spilling out in a violent rush of shame.
I was not sure how long I stayed in the bathroom before there was a knock, followed by Jacobi’s voice. “Sir, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. My girl was fucking kidnapped, tortured, buried alive, and left for dead!” I hissed. And god knew what other damage that piece of shit did to her.
There was a brief silence before the nurse told Jacobi everything was set.
“Thank you. Please take the blood to the lab and put a rush on the order.”
I didn’t hear what she said, but the door closed, telling me she’d left.
“Why isn’t she waking up?” I asked Jacobi, sitting against the wall with my gaze to the ceiling.
“Her body has been through so much trauma. It’s going to take time for her to heal and recover, including her mental state.”
I silently took in what he was saying.
“With your permission, I need to run further tests for organ failure.”
I closed my eyes. I could not imagine the hell she was put through. And I wasn’t there to prevent it from happening. I was too late.
Another knock came at the door. “Nico, I have something to remove the collar,” I heard Alphonse say.
I rose to my feet, and rinsed out the taste of bile with water and mouthwash.
Jacobi and I stepped out of the room, and Alphonse’s gaze hardened on Gigi. He extended a set of bolt cutters toward me. “Is my daughter going to make it?” he asked in a rough voice as if he too was struggling to control his emotions.
“Yes,” I replied.
Grabbing the bolt cutters from him, I made my way to Gigi’s bed, relieved that she was covered up. I positioned the cutters around the lock that held the collar around her neck. With a firm squeeze, I felt the metal give way, the lock clattering to the floor as I tossed it aside.
I drew back, and the collar slipped from her neck, revealing the raw skin beneath. My breath caught in my throat at the redness, the swelling, and the irritation marking her neck.
Anger rumbled inside me like an earthquake, a savage beast ready to wreak havoc on the bastard who had hurt her.
“She needs a bath,” I said, my hands clenching into fists at my sides, fighting to keep the beast in check.
“The nurse can give her a sponge bath,” Jacobi suggested.
“No,” I replied sharply. “I will take care of her.” My gaze swept the room, landing on Emillia, who stood by the door. “Can you help me?”
She smiled warmly. “Of course.”
Turning my attention back to the others, I said, “I need you to leave.”
Alphonse moved with purpose, retrieving the collar and cutters from the floor. He paused for a moment, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Gigi’s forehead.
One by one, the others filed out, leaving me with Gigi and Emillia.
“How did you want to do this, Nico?” Emillia asked.
I glanced down at Gigi, her fragile form still and silent. “I’ll give her a shower. Can you?—”
“I’ll get the shower ready,” Emillia interjected as she headed toward the bathroom.
A minute later, the sound of running water filled the space. Emillia returned, her expression focused. “There’s a shower chair. If you want to hold her, I can wash her,” she offered.
I felt a tightening in my chest that came from knowing I didn’t have a choice. But the thought of anyone else touching her made me feral like a rabid dog. I hoped that, somewhere deep in her unconscious mind, Gigi could feel my touch like a lifeline pulling her back to me.
With a deep breath, I unbuttoned my wet shirt and tossed it aside. Leaning down, I scooped Gigi into my arms, cradling her as Emillia grabbed the IV pole.
Stepping into the walk-in shower, I settled onto the shower chair with Gigi in my lap, her head lolling against me.
Emillia positioned the IV pole beside me, removing the blankets that had been wrapped around Gigi’s body, folding them neatly and placing them on the counter.
I pulled Gigi closer, my bare chest pressed against her cool skin, the warm water cascading over us both.
Emillia handed me a washcloth and squeezed bodywash onto it. The water began to turn a reddish-brown color as I washed the dirt and blood from Gigi’s body. My eyes followed the washcloth as it moved over every bruise, every cut that would leave a scar.
I'm so fucking sorry.
I should’ve kept you safe.
This is all my fault.
I closed my eyes as I cleaned her, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.
How the fuck was I supposed to help her heal? How would she come back from this hell?
I pulled Gigi forward and washed her back while Emillia washed her legs and feet. Once we were done, Emillia handed me the handheld shower wand and I started to spray Gigi’s hair.
“Emillia, can you please hand me the shampoo?” I asked, continuing to wet her hair.
“Yes, of course.”
While Emillia squirted the shampoo in my hand, I massaged her hair. Gigi hadn’t moved. I felt like she was just a corpse, but she was breathing, reminding me she was still alive. I rinsed her hair and body once more and Emillia shut the water off.
Emillia handed me a towel, then gathered the pile of dirty laundry before stepping out of the room. I pulled Gigi’s wet body against my chest and wrapped her in a big fluffy towel. I grabbed another towel on the counter and wrapped it around her head.
I stood up and walked out of the bathroom and laid Gigi on the bed. The covers were already pulled back and there was another towel on the sheets. I grabbed a clean hospital gown and started to dress Gigi, careful not to disturb the IV.
I could hardly bear to look at her small feet as I covered them with socks. Her feet were marred by sores and wounds that would take time to heal.
Removing the towel from her head, I began to brush her hair. I buried my face in her neck, sighing in relief at knowing she was with me.
“I’m so fucking sorry, my angel. I’m so sorry,” I whispered against her soft skin.
There was a soft knock at the door but I kept my eyes on Gigi.
“Nico.” I glanced up to see Matteo standing in the doorway, his jaw tight, eyes flicking to Gigi.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Matteo’s gaze met mine. “Got a minute?”
Turning my attention back to Gigi, I brushed my knuckles down her cheek to her jawline, and placed a kiss on her lips and then another one. “I’ll be back, baby.”
With a reluctant sigh, I stepped away, finding my aunt standing there with a clean shirt in her hands. She offered it to me, and I took it, pulling it over my head while she reached out, pulling me in for a brief, comforting hug.
She squeezed me, rubbing my back soothingly. “Go take care of business. I’ll stay with Gigi.”
I pulled back and nodded. She smiled and patted my cheek lovingly.
As I followed Matteo out of the room, I opened the door slightly, catching sight of Miguel, Alphonse, and Lo standing just outside the room.
“Where’s Luca?” I asked Matteo.
“The nurse is tending to his wound. He’s going to be fine,” Matteo replied, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
“Good,” I said, glancing over at Lo. “What about Enzo?”
“He’s on the way.”
“Tell him to go through the parking garage,” I instructed. “And take Miguel with you.”
Lo nodded, turning to leave, but I reached out and stopped him.
“Lo, one more thing. I want extra men on the ground, and put a lockdown on all the wings that could be accessible by anyone who shouldn’t be here.
I want guards stationed on every single floor of this building, including the fucking bathrooms.” Just thinking of anyone trying to get to my angel was like pouring kerosene all over my body while someone held a lit match.
“You got it, boss,” he replied and left with Miguel.
Alphonse’s expression softened. “You’re serious about my daughter,” he said quietly.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. You of all people should understand that.”
His smile faltered, replaced by a look of understanding. “You really care about her, don’t you?”
I nodded. “More than anything. I won’t lose her again.”