Chapter 43
I study the space around me, impressed with the shelter’s clinic room that smells like lemon disinfectant.
It’s not like I expected something bad.
But this is hospital-worthy.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
It seems when the Lombardi men help their wives, they go all out.
There’s no giving the bare minimum with them.
From what I learned, Julian helped fund Safe Hearts to move into a different building. Somewhere with more square footage, better privacy, and higher security.
Genesis beams proudly. “Do you think you can make this work?”
I nod, opening the drawers and taking in the surplus of supplies. “I can definitely make this work.”
She hoists herself onto the clinic bed. “Thank you again for doing this.”
“It’s no trouble,” I tell her. “I loved being a nurse. Plus, it gives me something to do.”
She points at me, her nails bright red. “You used to work at the hospital, right?”
“I did …” My words trail off as nervousness hits me. “I was, uh … fired.”
Volunteering or not, being terminated from a job, especially one as serious as this one, never looks good on a résumé.
Genesis raises a brow. “For what?”
“The attending physician put his hands where they didn’t belong. I kneed him in the balls.”
A grin stretches across her face. “Niiiice.” She cringes, holding up a finger, and her dark brows crush together. “Wait. You got fired, not him?”
I nod.
I’m reminded of that day, and anger knots in my stomach. I thought I could trust HR to do the right thing. I went to them straightaway. I cried and told them the situation, and they swore they’d fix it.
Their fixing it was firing me.
Genesis shakes her head, disgust lining her flawless features. “That’s some bullshit.”
I nod in agreement, a hint of sadness mixing with that anger.
She studies me for a second, kicking her feet back and forth. “Did you tell Emilio about that?”
I rest my back against the counter and stretch out my legs. “I think he already knows.”
She smirks. “Is the doctor alive?”
I slowly shake my head.
“Then he knows.” She does a mocking clap of her hands. “Nice job, Emilio.”
Even though I most definitely shouldn’t laugh at the murder of a man, a small hiccup of a chuckle leaves me.
“How are you adjusting to your marriage?” she asks.
I fake excitement. “Perfect. Like a honeymoon that never ends.”
She laughs. “It’ll calm down. I promise.”
“I hope so,” I grumble, massaging the space between my brows before motioning toward the doorway. “Is that why you spend so much time here? To get away from the craziness?”
She stops swinging her legs and shakes her head.
“I’ve volunteered here for over a decade.
It’s one of my favorite places.” Her posture tenses as she squeezes her eyes shut.
“It’s always been more of a home than mine ever was, if that makes sense.
Now that my parents are gone, it seems even more so. ”
“Both of your parents are dead?” I suck in a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.”
“Just my father is … well, dead. But my mother might as well be.”
I see her visibly gulp as she tries to make herself more comfortable.
“My mom fled the country just before my father committed suicide. She knew the feds were coming for them. She didn’t tell me goodbye or ask me to go with her.” She scoffs. “She couldn’t. They’d sold me to your cousin.”
I scrunch up my nose, hating that I had some connection to that pain she suffered. “I’m so sorry, Genesis.”
She offers me a simple smile. “You have nothing to apologize for. It’s the people who see us as currency who need to apologize.”
I return the smile. “I’m glad you’re with Julian. Not my crazy-ass cousin.”
“Yes, I witnessed his craziness firsthand.” She looks up, as if reliving a memory of him.
“The man planned to sneak me into Russia.” Her voice turns a tinge more playful.
“Now, I consider myself a smart person, but it’d take me a good ten minutes to find Russia on a map.
How the hell would I have made it back to the States?
But I’d have stolen a canoe and rowed here if it had come to that. ”
I throw my head back and laugh.
She hops off the clinic bed. “I have a class to teach.” Her hand brushes my shoulder on her way to the door. “You let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay,” I reply softly as she disappears from the room.
I turn, looking through the drawers to take inventory, but stop when someone lightly taps on the door. A blond woman wearing a yellow jumpsuit stands in the doorway. A little girl with a sparkly Minnie Mouse headband stands between her legs, peeking through them at me.
“Hello,” I greet, smiling at the mom before sending the girl a friendly wave. “I’m Liliya. Come on in.”
The little girl waits for the woman to move before she follows, nearly at her heels.
“I’m Renea,” the woman introduces herself.
“And I’m …” The little girl starts to say but then slaps her mouth shut, glancing up at her mother like she did a moment ago.
“Go ahead, honey,” Renea urges.
“I’m Nova,” she whispers shyly.
“Hello, Renea and Nova. It’s so nice to meet you.” I point at the door. “Do you mind if I close this to give us some privacy?”
Renea nods and waits until I shut the door to say, “Nova’s throat is swollen. I was hoping you could take a look.”
“Of course,” I say, patting the clinic bed. “Can you hop up here for me, Nova?”
Nova waits for Renea to give her the okay.
When her jump is too short, Renea helps her.
As I slip on gloves and grab a penlight, I listen to Renea list off Nova’s symptoms. I ask Nova to open her mouth wide and say ahhh.
She does, her ahhhh super long as I examine her throat.
All the classic strep signs are there.
I open a few more drawers, muttering, “Yes,” when I find a rapid strep test.
Nova squirms as I swab the back of her throat.
“Now, just give it a few minutes, and we’ll have the results to see if it’s strep,” I tell Renea as I toss the wrapper and start the timer.
Renea ducks her head toward me. “Thank you, Liliya.”
I smile in response.
As we wait, I notice Renea’s gaze keeps drifting to my ring.
Nova starts singing the ABCs when Renea leans toward me and says, “I’d say your husband must love you a lot. That’s a beautiful ring.”
I raise my hand, admiring my ring for what feels like the hundredth time since Emilio slipped it on my finger.
“Thank you,” I say brightly.
She frowns, her shoulders caving forward. “I had a nice ring too. Big diamond.” A sarcastic laugh escapes her. “Big house. Everyone thought I lived the perfect life.”
I’m speechless for a moment.
“He used to beat me,” she says, making sure to keep her voice low enough that Nova’s singing drowns out her words. “Broke my fingers. Left bruises.”
My chest tightens. I reach for her hand and squeeze it gently. “I’m so sorry, Renea.”
A tear slips down her cheek.
I swallow, holding back my own.
“You’re safe here,” I assure her. “You and Nova both. We’ll take care of you. Your husband will never touch you again.”
It’s at that moment that I decide this is where I’ll stay.
Working at the clinic isn’t temporary for me.
Like Genesis, I want to help these women and children.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a husband who’d rather suffer every ounce of pain than for you to feel even a pinch of it.
And if needed, I’ll have my husband hurt the men who hurt these women, like he did to the one who had hurt me.
Tears prick at my eyes as I give her hand another squeeze. “You’ll find happiness. A love that cherishes you. Until then, you have us.”