Chapter Nineteen
ROME
It had been far too long since I had seen Bec.
She was injured and had a nasty cut on her forehead.
After hours of pestering them during my interview, the detectives finally confirmed she was taken to the hospital for her injuries.
With how bad the cut was, I was assuming she had also sustained a concussion.
I was allowed to make one phone call, and I was at least able to send someone her way. If I couldn’t be with her, I needed someone I trusted to be with her. I didn’t want her to be alone, especially now.
Watching her get taken from me was my worst nightmare.
The fear and confusion on her face as she was snatched away from me would be etched in my memory.
It would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.
The moment that car door had shut, cutting off my access to her, a switch flipped in my mind and body.
I hadn’t thought through any of my choices; I simply acted in whatever way would get me to her the fastest.
I would need to track down the guy whose bike I’d stolen and reimburse him for the costs.
I had a feeling he was less than pleased with me at the moment.
The guy had been standing across the street, having just pulled over.
He seemed like a douche anyway, so I didn’t mind stealing from him too much.
“We’re almost done out here, and then you can go,” an officer explained when she poked her head into the interrogation room I was currently stuck in.
After I had been placed in the back of the squad car, I was driven here, put in this room, and haven’t been allowed out since.
Logically, I understand why. In my pursuit of getting to Bec, I had broken a handful of laws.
The officers also needed to confirm I wasn’t involved in the initial kidnapping.
The driver was in a separate interrogation room, and the passenger—the man who had actually grabbed Bec—was taken to the hospital since he was still unconscious when the police had arrived.
I hadn’t meant to hit him as hard as I did, but I didn’t regret it either.
He deserved much worse for what he had done to Bec.
I sighed and leaned back, trying to stretch my very sore body. The adrenaline had waned long ago, leaving a plethora of sore muscles and an aching back. Which wasn’t shocking; I had jumped onto a moving car.
I scrubbed at the dried blood on my hand.
Despite using a helmet to break through the glass, I had cut myself on the way into the car.
It didn’t look deep enough to need stitches, but it still hurt like a bitch.
It may need an X-ray, though. I wouldn’t be shocked if I had broken some bones from the force of punching through that glass roof.
I was praying they would let me go soon. I had been interviewed by two separate sets of detectives. It looked like no charges would be pressed against me due to the extenuating circumstances, but I could see in their eyes that at least one of them believed I was involved.
They hadn’t interviewed Bec yet, and I wasn’t sure what the actual abductors were saying about my presence.
I was banking on the fact that I had stopped them and the car was enough to prove my innocence.
Well, my innocence in the abduction at least. I did steal a bike, run multiple red lights, and evade police cruisers for several blocks.
To keep Bec safe, there was no law I wouldn’t break.
The door opened again, revealing a very exasperated-looking police officer, his hair mussed from what I assumed was his hands running through it. “You can go now,” he explained. “Please go.”
I stood and followed him out to where my sister, Livia, was yelling at the receptionist.
“Is that what you do? Detain innocent men for crimes they didn’t commit?” She asked loud enough that the entire station could hear. “Innocent! I tell you, innocent!”
I chuckled at the outburst, gaining her attention. Livia practically threw herself at me, “Oh, thank God! I didn’t know if you were going to prison or something,” she mumbled against my chest as she held tight.
“As we explained, ma’am, we were only interviewing Mr. Cipriani about today’s events,” the officer who had let me out explained. “He was never going to prison. At least not without a fair trial.”
Livia let go and glared at him, "Interviewing him? He was detained in a cell for hours! He’s innocent!”
“Okay, I was in an interrogation room. But they gave me painkillers, and even food,” I mumbled, grabbing Livia by the shoulders and pulling her towards the exit. “Please give me a call with your findings. You have my number,” I called out to the officer.
He nodded in understanding and turned around, probably trying to get as far away from Livia as possible.
“Asshole,” she grumbled under her breath.
“Liv,” I chastised, “it’s more likely you’ll be detained for disrupting the peace than me for all the various laws I broke this afternoon.” I then pulled us out of the station, onto the busy sidewalk.
“He’s still an asshole,” she mumbled before turning her attention towards me. “Luna went to the hospital and promised to take Bec home with her if she was discharged before we could get there.”
I sighed in relief, grateful Bec wasn’t alone and would be taken somewhere I knew was safe. “Thank you. Are they home now or still at the hospital?”
Livia shrugged. “I’ve spent the last three hours yelling at that man to let you go; I have no idea where they could be.”
I held back an eyeroll and started towards the hospital that the officers had mentioned Bec was taken to. It was only a block away from the station, making it a quick walk.
“Will you slow down?” Livia called from behind me. “We don’t all have legs as long as yours.”
I didn’t listen. I had one goal: get to Bec as fast as possible to ensure she was safe. I waltzed through the ER doors and past the receptionist, looking for that dark brown hair I cared for. Livia was hot on my heels as we bypassed the receptionist’s desk and walked past the first few beds.
I heard her before I laid eyes on her.
“I’m fine, and I need to go! He’s still in custody,” Bec complained from a bed on the far wall. Luna was sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, her legs kicked up on the side, holding back a laugh as Bec complained to the poor doctor attending to her.
“You are not fine, Ms. Bly. You have four stitches in your head, have been given a heavy dose of pain killers, and have a concussion,” the doctor explained in a calm voice.
Bec humphed and crossed her arms in front of her in protest. I laughed at her tantrum and closed the distance between us. Bec turned at the sound and breathed an audible sigh of relief.
“Rome.”
“Hey, sweetheart,” I mumbled and sat on the bed beside her, gathering her into my arms. “Are you okay?” I leaned back and took her head in my hands as I got a better look at her head.
She had a nasty cut on her temple next to her hairline, surrounded by an angry bruise.
I touched it lightly with the tip of my thumb, and Bec hissed at the sensation.
“Sorry,” I mumbled before giving the top of her head a light kiss.
Bec sighed and leaned back into the bed, “It’s really okay. Just stings a little bit. And my head is killing me. And the lights are too bright. And I want to take a nap. And I’m hungry. And I want to go home.”
I glanced at Luna, who mouthed concussion in explanation. I nodded my thanks and turned to the doctor. “When can we take her home?”
“She can’t be alone. If you’re willing to take responsibility for her, I can start the discharge paperwork now.”
“Of course I will,” I answered quickly. “She’s coming home with me.”
The doctor nodded and wandered away. Bec turned to me, confused, “I’m coming home with you?”
I nodded. “I need you somewhere safe, and it’s safe there.”
“I’d argue my penthouse with top-of-the-line security is safer,” Bec argued.
“Usually, I would agree. But the people who took you work for Bly Enterprises. The notes you’ve been receiving are coming from someone inside Bly Enterprises—most likely facilitated by your father,” I reasoned. “We need you far away from all of that as we look into what happened today.”
Bec sighed, but didn’t argue. Whether she agreed, or the concussion was keeping her from protesting, I wasn’t sure… but I wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth.
I turned to my sisters, who were now sitting side by side next to the hospital bed, staring at the two of us with barely concealed fascination.
They had spent a lifetime watching me flirt with anything that had a pulse.
This was the first time they had seen this side of me.
The side that was head over heels for Bec.
“Can one of you call Mom and let her know we’re on our way? ”
“Already did,” Luna explained. “After receiving your call and getting over here, I called everyone, letting them know what had happened. Mom and Dad are already prepping the house, and Bella is bringing dinner home from the restaurant for everyone. As soon as we get the go-ahead, we can head home.”
“Thank you,” I sighed. I was so utterly grateful, knowing that I didn’t have to worry too much about the logistics of settling Bec into the house.
When I was only allowed to call one person, I called the house. I knew whoever answered, whether it was my mom, stepdad, or one of my sisters, they would show up without question. Luna answered, and she and Livia got to us at lightning speed.
“How do you plan on keeping me safe at your mom’s house?” Bec asked with a yawn.
I wrapped my arm around her, essentially forcing her to cuddle against me… not that she cared, seeing as she burrowed straight into my chest.
“What kind of meds did they give you?” I asked, noticing the IV for the first time. For some reason, I had assumed it was a simple painkiller.
Bec sighed against my chest, “Something for my head and for the pain. Apparently, it might make me loopy.”
I chuckled, “I think it already did.”
“She poses a good question, though,” Livia interjected. “Why is she safer at our house?”
“I can keep an eye on her 24/7. That, and I’m not telling anyone that she’ll be there,” I explained.
“Whoever is causing this, clearly has inside knowledge. So, until we know more about who is behind this, I think I might just lie and say she flew out to her brother’s place in Oregon.
We’ll have to keep it to ourselves about our house guest.”
Livia nodded, accepting my explanation.
“You’re pretty,” Bec mumbled to her. “You’re pink.”
Livia giggled, “You’re right. My hair is pink.”
Bec shook her head and then winced, “Not your hair. You. Rome is red, you’re pink.” She paused and turned to Luna, “You’re purple.”
“What is she talking about?” Luna asked me.
I waved her off. “Ignore it. She’s loopy. I think the drugs are finally kicking in.”
“I wanna be red…” Bec mumbled, her eyes now closed. “Just like Rome.”
“How do we get her to the house?” Luna asked. “I don’t think she can handle the subway in this state.”
I looked down at Bec, who was half asleep against my chest. “How’s the engine in the Beetle holding up, Livia?”