Chapter 44
Forty-Four
VIOLET
“This is Dr. Asgood,” I say to my sister as the doctor strides into the living room less than an hour later.
When we got back to the penthouse, the other girls were already gone. Their guys got here ahead of us to collect them, so it’s just Rose, Mateo, and Diego here with me. Rose doesn’t seem to want to let Diego out of her sight, and I know she’s in shock.
“Hello,” Dr. Asgood says with a kind smile as she sits on the coffee table across from us. Rose is still clinging to my hand and continues to silently cry. “I’m so very glad that you’ve been found.”
Rose nods and swallows hard.
“Obviously, you’ll need a nice shower to get this soot off you,” Dr. Asgood continues. “Do you mind if I listen to your lungs, Rose? I want to make sure you didn’t inhale too much smoke.”
“I don’t mind,” Rosie whispers and sits stoically as the doctor listens with her stethoscope. She follows direction when asked to inhale deeply, and then the doctor nods in satisfaction.
“I think your lungs sound perfect. Do you have any injuries aside from what’s on your face?”
Rose shakes her head.
“Have you had any illnesses in the past seven years that went without proper medical treatment?”
Rosie frowns and glances at me.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe here.”
“I had to have my appendix out a few years ago and almost died because he thought I was faking it.” She swallows hard, and I have to breathe to get through the anger that sears through me. “And . . .”
Her eyes fill with tears again, and she glances down at her hands.
“And I don’t have a period anymore b-because he m-made me have a h-hys—”
She can’t finish the sentence, and Dr. Asgood sighs.
“I understand,” she says softly. “I’m so so sorry, Rose.”
My eyes climb to Mateo’s, and his whole face is a mask of pure rage. I don’t know if they managed to kill the son of a bitch. I don’t know anything at all because Rose has clung to me every second since the moment that I got there, and I haven’t had the chance to ask questions.
“Perhaps you and I can meet again in a few days once you have your bearings and start to feel a little better?”
“Okay,” Rose whispers and then buries her face in my shoulder, and I turn to kiss her head.
“Let’s get Mateo stitched up,” Dr. Asgood says as she stands.
“You got hurt?” Rose asks, and I think that’s the strongest her voice has been since we found her.
“Just a flesh wound,” Mateo says with a wink. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Gunshot wounds aren’t nothing to worry about,” Dr. Asgood says and points to the kitchen. “Let’s go.”
“You’d think you’re the boss or something,” Mateo says. “Don’t forget who pays you.”
“Yes, yes, I’m intimidated.” She rolls her eyes, and they move into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry he got hurt,” Rose says to me. “You got married?”
“Just the other day,” I confirm. “But don’t worry, we’re going to have a bigger ceremony later so you can be my maid of honor.”
Her face softens into a small smile, and my lower lip quivers again.
“I’m so fucking happy we found you, Rosie.”
Later, after I helped Rose in the shower and got her settled and sleeping peacefully in the guest room closest to my bedroom, I walk down to the kitchen where Mateo and Diego are quietly talking.
“Is she asleep?” Mateo asks as I walk right into his arms and start to cry.
I nod and feel his arms band around me, holding me so tight and finally making me feel safe.
“Is it real?” I ask through the tears.
“She’s here, baby,” he says quietly as he peppers kisses on my hair. His strong hands move up and down my back, soothing me.
“I found her in a bedroom,” Diego says, “that looked like it was her own room. Not a primary suite, just a simple bedroom, but she wasn’t sharing it with anyone.”
I nod and brush the tears away.
“She was hiding in her closet,” he continues. “Probably because of the gunfire. We were just coming down the back steps when the explosion happened, and thank fuck it was in the front of the house or we wouldn’t have made it out.”
“Thank you.” I look up at my husband. “I’m going to hug him now. Don’t kill him, okay?”
“I’ll allow it this one time.”
I cross to Diego and hug him hard. “Thank you for getting her out. Thank you for saving my sister.”
“It was my honor,” he replies quietly, and I pull away and sniff.
“I’ve spent so long looking for her that now that she’s here, I don’t know what to do next. Now that she’s with me, what happens? She’ll need counseling for sure, and I’ll have to take her shopping for clothes.”
“Clothes are on the way,” Mateo informs me. “We have personal shoppers for the girls, and they already have a list of things to start with.”
“How do they know her sizes?”
“They’ll send a bunch of stuff in different sizes, and she can keep what she wants, and the rest will go back.”
I stare at him, unable to form words.
Finally, all I can come up with is “Wow.”
“You’ll take it minute by minute,” he continues. “You won’t know what she needs until she needs it, and then we’ll take care of it.”
I take a ragged breath, but then an ear piercing scream sounds from upstairs, and I go running, flying into Rosie’s bedroom, where she’s sitting up in bed, freaking out.
“I’m here,” I croon to her, climbing on the bed. “I’m right here, baby girl.”
She keeps screaming, and it tears at my heart. All I can do is hold her and kiss her and run my fingers through her freshly washed and dried hair.
“You’re safe. Nothing can touch you here. I promise, Rose. I’m here.”
Finally, she quiets, and then, panting, starts to cry again.
“I thought I dreamed it all.”
“It’s real.”
“Please don’t leave me again.”
“I was just downstairs, baby. I had to talk to Mateo and Diego—”
“Diego’s still here?”
I pull back and frown at her, brushing her hair off her cheek. “He was just a minute ago.”
She nods and exhales in relief.
“He lives in this building, sweetie. And we have a ton of guards here. Mateo and his brothers are the head of organized crime in Vegas. They’re powerful, and they’ll do whatever they have to do to protect us. I know you’re scared, but I would never put you in danger again.”
She nods and then lies down. “Will you sleep here with me? Like when we were little and got scared?”
“Of course.”
I cuddle up with her, and Rose lays her head on my shoulder. I can’t sleep right away, so I sing to her, the way I did when we were little, huddled up together during storms or when Mom and Dad fought too much.
Finally, I feel her drift off to sleep.
A large body fills the doorway, and then Mateo strides inside and smiles down at me, but I can see the worry in his eyes.
“I have to stay here tonight,” I whisper to him.
“I know, baby. It’s okay.” He leans over and kisses my head. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”