CHAPTER XIX
I paced outside the X-ray doors, waiting for them to bring Gigi out.
One of the nurses approached me, her eyes narrowing as she stepped in front of me. “Sir, you can’t be in this area. It’s against policy?—”
“Does it look like I give a fuck about policy?”
Her expression faltered for a moment. She took a deep, almost trembling breath.
I stepped closer, invading her space. “If you want to keep your job, I suggest you back the fuck off. I’m not going anywhere, and no one will stop me from seeing Gigi. Not you, not anyone. Do we understand each other?” I held her gaze, daring her to challenge me.
The nurse bobbed her head vigorously. “Y-yes sir,” she stammered.
She scampered away, and I resumed my restless pacing.
When the double doors opened wide, a nurse with dark blue and silver hair came into view, pushing a hospital bed with Gigi in it. My heart quickened at the sight of her. She appeared so fragile and vulnerable.
I stepped forward, urgency propelling me, and surprise flickered across the nurse’s face. “Let me take over.” I grasped the bed’s handles, but the nurse intervened, placing her hands over mine in an attempt to stop me.
My gaze shifted slowly from her hands to her face. I must have radiated a murderous expression because the moment our eyes locked, she hesitated, then withdrew her hands as though they had been burned.
With a barely restrained breath, I pushed the bed forward as I maneuvered my girl back toward her room.
As I turned the corner, I spotted Alphonse, Tabi, and Lo standing outside Gigi’s room, their faces drawn. Tabi’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Oh, my god,” she whimpered, taking a hesitant step closer.
I forced myself to ignore her reaction, focusing instead on getting Gigi back into her room. I navigated the bed into place, the nurse assisting me as we carefully positioned her and reconnected the various machines that monitored her condition.
After the nurse checked Gigi’s vitals, she tucked her pen into the front pocket of her scrub top and turned to me. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” she said.
I responded with a curt nod.
I pulled the chair up beside her bed, the wood legs scraping against the floor.
I reached out, gently taking her hand in mine, feeling the coolness of her skin against my palm.
With the pad of my thumb, I rubbed the top of her hand.
I needed her to know with my touch that I was here, that she was safe, and that she wasn’t alone.
The silence was unbearable, but I held on, willing her to wake up.
Alphonse stepped back into the room with Tabi, Lo trailing closely behind them.
No one spoke a word, and I was grateful for it; it would give me time to fucking think.
Alphonse moved to the window, but his gaze never left Gigi.
Lo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his posture tense. Tabi took a seat in the only remaining chair, tucking her legs underneath her.
Our eyes were glued to her, a collective apprehension hanging in the air as if we all feared she might slip away from us at any moment.
A soft knock echoed against the door, but I couldn’t pull my gaze from Gigi.
The door opened, followed by sounds of light footsteps.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Morgan.” I noticed the woman was as tall as me when she stepped closer to Gigi.
“Are you all family?” she asked.
“No. We’re just a bunch of strangers. What the fuck do you think?” I snapped.
Dr. Morgan didn’t flinch, her blue eyes clear of fear. It was as if she was accustomed to families lashing out.
“For fuck’s sake, Nico,” Alphonse mumbled, but I paid him no mind and turned back to my girl.
“I’m her father, and yes, we are all family,” he explained. “What’s wrong with my daughter?”
Dr. Morgan took a deep breath, her expression shifting to one of deep concern. “I want to be completely transparent with you about Gigi's condition. She has endured unimaginable trauma.”
My heart sank as I pulled my hand away from Gigi’s, careful not to hurt her delicate fingers. Clenching my fists in my lap, I prepared myself for what was to come.
“Not to mention the long-term effects of her trauma,” she continued, her eyes searching ours. “It’s crucial that she sees a counselor as soon as she wakes up.”
The doctor went on to list all the injuries that my angel sustained.
Malnourished…
Multiple contusions and lacerations…
Hairline fracture on her forearm…
Broken fingers that did not heal properly…
A few fingernails torn off…
Penetrating wounds to the soles of the feet...
“Stop.” I was barely holding on, and the fragile line of hope was rapidly unraveling with every second that passed.
There was a special place in hell reserved for people like the Puppet Master, and I intended to make sure he knew he’d earned a front-row seat.
The doctor spoke again. “I need you all to be prepared because Gigi will experience flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.”
Resting my head against the cool metal of the bed rail, I clutched it firmly. I closed my eyes tightly, desperately trying to block out the vivid images the doctor had painted in my mind.
The images of what my baby endured were like a horror film trapped in a Viewmaster.
The images changed every time I closed my eyes, each more vivid and agonizing than the last. Had she called out to me to rescue her?
The thought that I wasn’t there to protect her from every mark that fucker put on her beautiful body and the damage he’d done to her mind made me sick.
A superhero would save the world, but a villain would go to the depths of hell and burn the world to save his girl. I was the motherfucking villain in this story because the devil would always risk the world to protect his little angel.
“There’s one more thing,” the doctor said. “She was pregnant and lost the baby at some point. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
A collective, guttural growl rippled through the room, followed by sharp, furious intakes of breath and muttered curses.
Her words felt like a punch to my chest, and I could barely process them.
Pregnant?
My baby?
Dead?
“I think we need to start considering what’s best for Gigi,” Enzo said, his silhouette framed in the doorway.
My body tensed at his implication.
“I’m sorry, sir. You can’t be in here if you’re not family,” Dr. Morgan interjected, taking a step forward as if to block Enzo from entering.
Enzo pulled out his badge and held it in front of the doctor. “I’m with the FBI and Gigi is part of my investigation.” He tucked the badge back into his pocket, then turned to me, his gaze intense. “You know I’m right.”
“Meaning what?” I asked in a murderous tone.
“Put Gigi in protective custody.” He held his hands up when he noticed my expression hardened. “Just hear me out.”
“No.”
He sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. “She will be safer if she’s with agents. Then we can protect her.”
“ I can protect her.” I pounded my fist against my chest.
“Really?” Enzo challenged, his brow furrowing. “She was sexually assaulted in your club and then taken from under your watch. Can you honestly say that you can protect her?”
And that thread snapped.
“You motherfucker!” I lunged toward Enzo, but Alphonse stepped in between us.
The doctor gasped.
“Move,” I ordered him. “I don’t care if you’re her father. Move the fuck out of my way.”
“Not here ,” he said, his voice firm but calm, casting a glance toward Gigi’s still form on the bed. “Let’s take this outside.” He fixed me with a piercing stare.
I marched out of the room, everyone trailing behind me except Tabi and the doctor.
“Why the fuck would you say that?” Lo snapped at Enzo, incredulity blazing in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Enzo said. “That was a shitty thing to say. But I’m thinking of her safety.”
Alphonse glared at Enzo. “My daughter is safe with all of us. We may have fucked up the first time, but danger won’t go near her a second time.”
“The answer is no,” I snarled at Enzo. “She stays with me .”
The fuck I was going to let her out of my sight. I’d handcuff her to my wrist if I had to. She was not fucking going anywhere.
Enzo nodded, his expression serious. “I don’t agree with this. But”—he raised a finger, emphasizing his point— “If we are doing this your way, I want full disclosure on everything if the bastard contacts you. I want to help, Nico. So let me .”
The urge to swing at him was almost overwhelming, a primal instinct that clawed at my insides. Anger pooled in my chest, but I forced myself to swallow it.
The weight of my unspoken words hung between us like a loaded gun. Enzo’s gaze sharpened, and without another word, he turned to Lo and Alphonse. “I didn’t only come here for Gigi. I understand another woman was found where Gigi was held.”
“Yeah. What about her?” Alphonse asked.
“Nico, I saw the site where Gigi was being kept. My team was there, combing through evidence at the location and the burial site.” Enzo’s eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, I could see the unspoken understanding reflected in his gaze.
He knew what it did to me to see where my angel was kept all this time, the horror etched into every corner of that place. He must have read the reports; he knows exactly what happened to her.
“I’m sorry, Nico.”
My jaw tightened involuntarily, and I averted my gaze, unwilling to let them see the agony etched across my face. The ache of failure gnawed at me, a relentless reminder that I couldn’t protect my girl when she needed me most.
“Look,” Enzo continued, a more authoritative edge to his tone, “I didn’t come here to stir up trouble or get in your way, but this is my investigation.
I need to find the person responsible and anyone else tied to him.
But first, I need to speak with Valarie.
She’s our best shot at getting the answers we need. ”
“I agree,” I stated. “Which is why I’m going with you.”
Enzo shook his head, the lines of his face hardening. “No, you’re not. You need to stay here with Gigi.”
Alphonse stood firm by my side, flanked by Lo.
“Nico, this is an FBI investigation. Let me do my job,” Enzo insisted.
I shrugged. “I won't stand in your way.”
“I said no , Nico. Or I’ll throw your ass in jail. Is that what you want? What about Gigi, huh?” he taunted, his eyes narrowing in challenge.
I smirked. When was this man ever going to learn that the badge he wore wouldn’t stop me from seeking the answers I needed, the answers that would lead me to avenge my girl? The stakes were too high, and I wouldn’t be sidelined, not when it came to my angel.