Chapter 12
Nina
Even though I’m exhausted and feel very nauseated with a dull headache, I find so much joy just looking at Simi.
She stirs, and as she stretches and yawns, the corner of my mouth lifts.
“Morning, milo moe,” I whisper as I press a kiss to her warm, rosy cheek.
“Mama!” She’s instantly awake, and sitting up, a happy smile spreads over her face. “You really got to stay with me while I slept.”
“Shh…” I put a finger in front of my lips. “Georgi is sleeping.”
When we glance at him, it’s to see he’s watching us, a tense expression on his face.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “We didn’t mean to wake you.” Picking up Simi, I move off the bed and a safe distance away. “Ah…can we get some of our clothes. I’d like to…clean up.”
Georgi moves, his features straining even more from the intense pain he must be in.
When he pulls the sheet off the bed and keeps it wrapped around his waist, I feel a burst of thankfulness.
He opens the door, then grins at someone. “Stop stressing about me and bring Nina and Simi’s belongings.”
“I just got you back,” I hear Santino reply. “Deal with the fact that I’m going to guard your ass twenty-four-seven going forward.”
“Yeah-yeah. I missed you too,” Georgi replies, his tone playful and even affectionate.
As he shuts the door, I ask, “Do you want to use the bathroom first?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll get dressed while you take your time in there.”
I walk into the luxurious bathroom and set Simi down on her feet. When I go to lock the door, I notice there’s no key.
Hmm. Georgi probably took.
Shutting the door, I gather two towels and bring them closer to the big tub. Smiling at my daughter, I ask, “How warm must Mama make the water?”
“Not too hot. Tanya always makes it too hot. It makes my skin red.”
Jesus.
Unable to regulate my turbulent emotions, I drop to my knees and sweep my baby up in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, milo moe.”
“From now on, your Mama will bathe you and the water will be perfect,” Georgi suddenly says from behind the closed door, his tone very tense. “Sorry to interrupt. Just want to know if you and Simi would like anything specific to eat and drink.”
I appreciate that he’s speaking Bulgarian.
“Can I have juice, toast, and cheese, and an egg in a cup?” Simi rattles off a string of things. “You know, with the shell still on? Tanya always has it, and it looks yummy.”
It’s impossible to keep my tears back as they begin to fall, and it instantly makes Simi’s eyebrows knit together with worry.
My precious girl places her hand on my cheek and tries to comfort me. “Don’t cry, Mama. I’m not that hungry.”
The door creaks open, and Georgi asks, “Are you both dressed?”
A sob building in my throat stops me from replying, but Simi says, “Yes. We’re not bathing yet.”
I take hold of her hand as the sob escapes and press a kiss to her palm, aware of Georgi coming in.
Somehow, he pushes through the pain as he crouches beside us, the sheet still wrapped around his waist.
He grips the back of my neck and pulls me against his black and blue bruised side while he ruffles Simi’s bed hair.
“You can have whatever you want, little one.” He rubs his hand up and down my back. “Tell me about the egg in the shell, so I get you exactly what you want.”
The intense gratefulness I feel that he’s being kind to my daughter while giving me a moment to regain my composure is something I’ve never experienced.
It actually makes it even more difficult to stop crying, and not wanting to cause Simi distress, I smile through the tears and say, “I’m just so happy to spend time with you. That’s why I can’t stop crying. Okay?”
The bright grin returns to Simi’s face. “The egg is in the shell in a little cup, and you break the top open with a spoon, then dunk pieces of toast in it. The yellow must be gooey.”
“And do you want the cheese sliced?” Georgi asks.
Simi shakes her head and moves closer to him. Instinctively, I reach for her and place my hand on her side so I can grab her quickly should the need arise.
“I want it shredded, please.” Her eyes dart between Georgi and me, and when hope shines bright from her, my lips part to stop her question, but I’m too late. “Are you the prince? Were you taking so long because you had to fight all the bad guys? Why don’t you have a sword?”
She moves even closer to him, and I grip her shirt tightly as I pull away from Georgi.
My daughter is oblivious to my panic and continues to pepper him with questions. “How did you fly yesterday? Will you show me? I wanna fly too.” She pulls her shirt out of my hand and moves to Georgi’s side so she can see his back. “Did they steal your wings? Is that why you have so many owies?”
“Simi,” I finally manage to get her name out.
“It’s okay,” Georgi murmurs, his tone soft.
“Yes, I took so long because there were a lot of bad men, but they’re all gone now.
” He lifts his hand, and as if he’s scared he’ll hurt her, he carefully tucks a wild curl behind her ear.
“I don’t have wings. I only get the power to fly when you’re falling, so it’s not something I can do all the time or teach you. ”
Her eyes widen with wonder. “Wow. Am I special, too? Like a princess? If I fall again, will you catch me again?”
“Yes,” Georgi answers. He chuckles as he leans down. “You’re very special, and it definitely makes you a princess, that’s why you get to have whatever you want for breakfast. We’re flying on a plane to my castle, and princesses need a good breakfast.”
When I see Simi fall in love with Georgi, my heartbeat speeds up drastically, and fearing for what damage it will do to her when she realizes he’s not the prince she’s been waiting for, I scoop her into my arms and stand up.
“That’s enough talk of princes and princesses, because you need to bathe and get clean for breakfast.” I force a fake smile on my face so I don’t upset Simi.
“Nina, what do you want to eat and drink?” Georgi asks after struggling to his feet.
“I’m fine.”
Since my mother died and my life turned into a nightmare, I’ve lived on one meal a day and only water. I’m used to it.
I’ll let Simi have whatever they’re willing to give her, but I’m not taking more than the absolute basics. At some point, I’ll have to pay the price, and the only debt I’m willing to suffer for is anything that makes my daughter happy and keeps her safe.
I don’t matter.
Georgi’s eyes lock with mine, and I can see he’s not pleased with my reply.
“I’ll have the housekeeper fix you something,” he says as he walks to the door. “You need to eat as well.”
“Yes, Mama. The flight to his castle is going to be long,” Simi chips in.
He pauses and asks, “Any allergies I should be aware of?”
I shake my head, and when he finally shuts the door, I let out a relieved breath.
Everything in me wants to warn my daughter not to trust Georgi and to be careful what she says, but I’ve never seen her like this. So happy and excited.
I set her down again and let water into the tub. I keep testing it make sure it doesn’t get too warm. “Come feel if the water is okay,” I tell Simi. She leans over and carefully pokes her pointer finger into the tub, then grins at me again. “It’s perfect.”
She takes hold of her shirt and pulls it over her head, and I help her take off her shorts.
Lifting Simi into the bath, I try to inspect every inch of her for bruises without her noticing.
When I find a brown blemish on her thigh, I ask, “How did you get this?”
“I bumped into the coffee table.”
I exhale a breath of relief, then grab the bodywash and loofah.
Simi sits down in the water, then looks at me with wide, innocent eyes. “I like our prince.”
Shit.
“Uhm…”
“Bubbles!” She scoops some off the loofah, and I take the out I’ve just been handed and begin to wash her. She continues to scoop up the bubbles from her skin and blows them into the air.
Some land on my forehead, and laughter falls over her lips, the kind that comes from the belly.
I stare at my daughter as she enjoys her bath, just drinking in the happy sight.
“Your belongings are outside the door,” Georgi says, drawing my attention for a second.
“Sit still,” I tell Simi, and keeping an eye on her in case she slips, I quickly rush to the door and grab the three trash bags. Hauling them inside, I shut the door again and open the bags so I can find Simi’s clothes.
Every document I come across, I set aside and finally pull out a tracksuit set and a T-shirt, along with clean underwear.
Knowing I have our birth certificates and IDs brings me great relief. We don’t have passports, so good luck to Georgi taking us out of the country.
The thought gives me hope that he’ll just let us go, but I don’t hold my breath and return to the tub.
I finish Simi’s bath and get her dried off and dressed before finding her coloring book and crayons. “Color while Mama is busy.”
“Okay.” She lies down on her tummy and finds the page she wants.
While she’s focused on picking the right crayon, I quickly strip naked and climb into the tub. I hurry as fast as I possibly can, and when I clean between my legs, the revulsion that’s always beneath the surface threatens to overtake me.
For a dark moment, I’m dragged back to the torture chamber, remembering how Georgi fought against the shackles while I was degraded right in front of him.
That’s never happened before. It was always just Anton and me in the room.
“Mama,” Simi says, yanking me out of my nightmarish thoughts. “Look.”
She shoves the coloring book in front of my face, and it takes a second or two for my eyes to focus on the stickman figures she’s drawn. A larger one is holding a small one in a flying pose.
“It’s beautiful, milo moe.”
“Can I go show the prince?”
“No.” I shake my head and continue washing my body. “Give Mama a minute. We’ll go together.”
“Okay.”
She sits down right beside the tub and continues to draw while I lean back and wash my hair.