CHAPTER XXIII
I stirred slowly, the soft beeping of machines and the faint scent of antiseptic pulling me from the darkness.
My eyelids fluttered, and as they cracked open, the harsh light of the hospital room made me squint. A figure sat next to me, his head of tousled hair resting on his folded arms.
“Nico?” I said, my voice hoarse and dry.
He jolted upright, his vivid blue eyes full of relief. “Angel.”
He cupped my face in his hands, his warm touch tender and familiar. He looked wrecked, like he hadn’t slept in months. His dress shirt was in disarray, and he had dark circles underneath his eyes.
My heart constricted at the sight of him, but a wave of confusion washed over me. “What… what happened?”
“What do you remember?”
I struggled to piece together the fragments of my memory.
“Easy now,” he soothed. “I’m going to get the doctor.” He was gone in a flash before I could ask him to stay.
A searing pain shot through my body as I tried to sit up, making me wince. “Oh, god,” I murmured, my eyes drifting to the thick layers of bandages wrapped around my arms.
Pulling back the covers, I saw my legs were bruised in various shades of yellow and angry purple.
What the hell had happened to me?
The beeping of the nearby monitor intensified. Flashes of memories that I wished would stay hidden, dark and terrifying, began to surface.
Kidnapped.
Tortured.
My uncle.
Valarie.
Uncle Malik.
Raped.
My baby.
The doctor rushed in with Nico following behind. The doctor’s questions and the bright light he shone in my eyes triggered a reaction reminding me of being tased.
A guttural scream tore from my throat as if I was being tortured all over again. It felt as if my soul was being wrenched from my body, then pieced together only to be ripped apart once more.
“Help! Please!” I screamed, my voice hoarse with terror.
I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Oh, my god. I was still buried alive.
A woman’s voice broke through the panic, calm and steady. “Gigi, you’re safe, sweetheart. You’re in the hospital.”
“I can’t breathe!” I wailed. My fingers clawed at my throat to find relief from the noose of fear.
“Do something!” Nico thundered from somewhere nearby. I could feel the world closing in, the walls of my panic pressing down.
“Gigi, just breathe, okay? Focus on my voice,” the doctor urged, her soothing tone like a lifeline. But her words felt distant even as I struggled to latch onto them.
Strong hands gripped my arms, and I lost it. “Get away from me!” I shouted, slapping his hands away.
“Baby.” Nico’s voice broke on the single word.
He buried his face into the curve of my neck, whispering for me to calm down. The warmth of his breath was a flicker of comfort, but then the memories crashed over me. He thought I’d betrayed him. He tied me up in the basement. He left me . I was here because of him .
“Get away from me!” I screamed again and bit him.
“Shit!” he gasped and pulled back.
Before I could catch my breath, something cold and sharp pressed against my neck. My vision blurred, and just like that, I was drifting off to sleep.