Natalie #3
“She’s safe,” Dante lifts my hand and kisses my knuckles. “And she will be strong eventually, just like her mother. I meant it when I said we will help her, gattina , we will help them both.” I look back again at the two teens and nod.
“They will be alright.” I agree. “But it will take time.”
As soon as we arrive at the warehouse, Julian holds up a hand, telling us to wait. We see Bull climb into the back of the van with rope and duct tape which means they’re about to tie Pa up.
“Gusin, close your eyes bud.” Dante orders gently. A minute or so later, they emerge from the van with Pa tied up and flung over Julian's shoulder. Bull comes over to us and opens my door.
“Hey, darlin’, I heard I missed a great dance party. I’ll be taking that trophy next time.” He smiles. Distracting me from overthinking things.
“No doubt about it, Bull .” I chuckle and take his waiting hand as he helps me out of the car.
“So this brave young man must be Gustin.” He nods towards the back of the car, where Anya is stirring in her sleep again.
“Hi.” He gives Bull a little wave. “Can you help her?” He gestures toward Anya. “Please.”
“I sure will. Right after I stitch up your arm.”
Dante carefully picks up Anya and carries her inside. Me and Gustin follow close behind as he walks into the medical room. Julian is sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, not looking at any of us as we walk past him.
Dante lays Anya on the bed and I cover her with the blanket. Gustin takes the seat beside the bed, and while Bull cleans and stitches up the wound, the young man never takes his hand from Anyas. Just as Dantes never leaves mine.
“Natalie.” His voice is small, unlike when he held a gun up to Pa.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.” His lip trembles. “I tried. I really tried. I wanted to protect her like you did us .”
Pulling Dante along with me - because of how tight he is grasping my hand there's no chance he’ll be letting go soon - I go round to the opposite side of the bed where Gustin is sitting. He looks so frail, so shattered. Nothing like the playful child I got to know all those years ago.
I never should have left him.
I should have gone back for them.
“You have nothing, and I mean nothing to apologise for.” I give him a one armed hug and he flinches. “Gustin, you have to be honest with us now. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
He lowers his head and slowly lifts his baggy top. I want to cry at the sight. His chest and abdomen is covered in cigarette burns. Leaning forward we notice the words carved into his back. Red surrounds them while green and yellow pus leak from the cuts.
Himbo.
Man slut.
Stupid.
Useless.
Dante mutters something in Italian, his jaw clenching.
“They don’t hurt that much now.” Gustin says.
“They just sting from time to time.” He’s putting on a front.
Just like I used to do, I give him a look.
“I can’t lie to you, can I?” I shake my head.
“They hurt, Nat. They hurt like hell.” He sobs.
Dante finally released my hand and I pull Gustin close.
“You’re out of there now.” I cry, “You’re never going to see them again. I promise.”
“I missed you.” He sobs louder. “I missed you so fucking much, Kanga.”
“I missed you too, Roo.”
Yes, we have our own nicknames for each other, and yes their characters from Winnie the Pooh.
He first called me Kanga after a bad night of beatings and he tucked himself into my robe to rub my injuries better.
Then it stuck, and he insisted on me calling him Roo.
The other boys were always surrounding Ma, never leaving her side.
Gustin was the only one who hated her, and she hated me because of it.
Not like I ever told Gustin that though, or blamed him for the extra beating I got whenever he sat on my lap at meal times, or cried for me to tuck him into bed - only for him to sneak out after Ma got high and sleep in my room.
The only safe room in the house considering Pa refused to touch my dirty body after getting sepsis.
“Please let Bull look you over.” I plead.
“Okay.” I keep him close as Bull looks over the cuts.
“They’re infected.” Bull confirms. “I have some antibiotics in the meds cabinet, take them three times a day for a week but first, I want to try and clean these up a bit..” He sighs. “As for these,” he points to the small burns. “They’ve already healed. We can only hope the scars fade eventually.”
Gustin nods. “Thank you. Before you treat me, can you check on Anya. Please.” He sniffs.
“Anytime, buddy. And okay, but you have to promise to let me clean up your wounds after, okay?” Gustin nods again, stands and slowly coaxes Anya from her sleep, whispering that she will be alright over and over again.
“Good job Pea isn’t here. One look at these kids and she would have,” he mimics a gun to his head and shooting himself, “that fucker there and then.” Bull says in a hushed tone.
“I tried.” I whisper, “only, when I pulled the trigger it just clicked.”
“You didn’t take the safety off.” Gustin answers. “But it’s good to know you would have killed to protect us. I always thought you would.”
I vowed to myself years ago that I would never harm another being. But seeing them both there, injured and neglected. I couldn’t control myself. I just couldn’t.
Anya sits up on the bed, her head rests on her bent knees as she stares at us.
Gustin explains that Bull is a doctor and he will help her.
She hangs onto his every word. “And I’ll be right here, just squeeze my hand if you feel any pain okay?
” He finishes and she nods. Her body shakes violently as Bull starts checking her arms and legs for any injuries.
Fortunately she only has a few cuts and bruises.
She refuses to let him check anywhere else.
“And the baby?” Gustin questions. “Is the baby okay?”
“Baby?” Bull's eyes widen . “Anya, darlin’, are you pregnant?” She nods.
I take a shaky breath. “Okay, have you thought about what you want to do?” She nods again.
“Do you want to keep the baby or abort it?” She doesn’t answer.
“Yes or no questions only, huh?” She nods.
“Do you want to keep the baby?” She nods.
“I have one more question for you. Do you know who the father is?” She nods and looks toward Gustin.
“Either pa, or me.” He chokes. “Pa made me,” he looks at me.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. He made me . I didn’t want to but he made me.
He threatened to kill her if I didn’t, and then he went and raped her after anyway.
” Gustin sobs loudly. “I’m sorry.” Anya hugs him tight, patting his back. “I’m sorry.”
I don’t know how to feel as my legs weaken from under me. Dante catches me just before I hit the floor.
I begin to slowly remove his hands from me to back out of the room.
I know Dante and Bull will keep them safe.
Will make sure they’re okay. But right now there’s only one person I need.
Dante seems to understand that too as he whispers, “go to him, kitten. You need him just as much as he needs you. I understand.” He presses his lips to my temple. “It’s okay.”
I need Julian .