18. Chapter Eighteen #2
I don’t have my phone with me as Dante never let me bring it and my father hasn’t gone to retrieve it for me. I have no way to call Gabriel and tell him to come over and keep an eye on Matteo.
My father and I stare off against each other for as long as I can take it. Until sleepiness hits me and I have no choice but to close my eyes.
The last thing I see is my father getting to his feet but sleep takes me before I can wonder what he’s going to do.
When I open my eyes, I find my father sitting beside me. The realization that I fell asleep hits me like a truck. I jerk up. “Did you kill him?”
“No. I signed you out. We’re leaving. I brought a change of clothes from home.” He points to the clothes at the end of the bed. A simple summer dress and one shoe. I can’t wear the other one until my foot heals.
I call for the nurse to come help me change in the bathroom, away from my father’s eyes. I never thought I could hate him but in this moment, I really do. I hate my father.
Hate him for sheltering me so much. Hate him for keeping me as his little girl when I’ve always wanted so much more. Hate him for choosing his own desires over my own.
After I’m dressed, I follow my father out of the hospital. I can’t run, not in my crutches. Never have I felt this powerless around my own father. This hurts almost more than Dante kidnapping me. At least Dante is insane. But my father is my father and that’s a betrayal that cuts deep.
He drives me back to his house. I don’t even view it as my own house any longer. Matteo’s house is my home now and my father’s taking that from me.
“Let’s get you set up in your old room.” He helps me walk up the stairs.
The moment I see my old bedroom – decorated in pink and all my stuffed animals on the bed – I feel like I’m going to pass out.
I wobble on my crutches and my father grabs my arm, steadying me.
I try to pull away from him but I’m not strong enough.
“Rest,” he advises. “I’m glad you’re back home now, Luciana. It’s where you belong.”
“I belong with my husband,” I mutter.
I can feel my father looking at me but I refuse to look back. After a moment, he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I gasp when I hear the outside lock turn. He’s keeping me in here. ‘For my safety’ as he claims. But none of this is for my safety. It’s all for his own selfish desire.
Matteo
I wake up to the sight of Gabriel next to me. My body aches. It feels like it’s on fire. The smell of the hospital room – disinfectant – doesn’t help any matters. The urge to vomit hits me but I push it down.
“Luciana?” I groan.
“The first thing you think of is your wife? That’s a good sign.”
“Is she…”
“She’s alive.”
I breathe out all the tension I wasn’t even aware I was holding. “She’s fine?”
“She is. She’s alive and well.”
“Good. Where is she?”
“You’ve been asleep in the hospital for days now, Matteo. You suffered internal bleeding. The doctors said it was a miracle you lasted on your feet so long. But you were fighting for Luciana. It’s been days and you just now woke up. You sound good.”
“I don’t give a fuck about myself. If Luciana is alive, why isn’t she here?” Does she still not want to be with me? I thought we had moved past that. I thought things were getting better.
“She’s staying with her father right now. For her own safety. That’s what Rocco told me. Until you were better.”
“So she’s safe?”
Gabriel nods once. “She’s safe.”
“Good.”
“Now that you’re awake, we need to discuss Dante. I’ve been hunting him down but he keeps proving to be a problem. He’s truly insane. I never know what he’s going to do next.”
“So kill him.”
“I would if it were that simple. But I don’t know how crazy his men are either. If he dies, we could have a war on our hands. You know I don’t like that. I was thinking we could offer him a peace deal. Another arranged marriage.”
“A peace deal to the fucker who tried to murder me and Luciana?”
“Leo wasn’t happy that I married you to Luciana instead of killing you but he eventually came around. So will you. Peace is always better than a fight. So I’ve learned. I’m going to offer him a deal. I don’t need your permission but I wanted to give you a head’s up on it. So you were prepared.”
“And if he doesn’t take it?”
Gabriel shrugs. “Then I’ll kill him. But if I don’t have to, I don’t want to. Rest, Matteo. Once you’re better, you can see Luciana again.”
“Has she come to see me?”
He hesitates. “I have no idea. I’ve been here all day. She hasn’t come once.”
Does she really not want to be with me? After everything that has happened between us? Fuck.
The urge to cry hits me but I hold it back. The last thing I’m going to do is cry in front of Gabriel. He nods, like he understands, and finally leaves the room, giving me my space.
Why hasn’t Luciana visited me? Something doesn’t feel right. I can’t just sit here and wait for her to come. I have to go to her now.
Working up all my strength, I get out of the bed. A nurse comes running in after I pull out my IVs and take off my heart rate monitor.
“You need to rest,” she says. “Don’t move, Mr. Marani.”
“I have to see my wife.”
“You can when you’re better. Get back in the bed. Please.”
“I’m leaving. You can’t keep me here.”
She sighs. “I would advise you to stay.”
“I don’t want to fucking stay,” I snap.
“All right.” She holds up her hands in surrender. “Let me get you a form you can sign saying you’re waiving your right for us to help you. And then you can go. All right?”
“Fine,” I grumble.
I’m not going to wait any longer than I have to, to see my wife again. The moment I sign the form, I leave the hospital, despite my aching body.
I need answers as to why Luciana hasn’t come to see me.