Wanted

Chapter 34

Elena

OUR DRIVER WEAVES THROUGH TRAFFIC WITH EXPERT EASE. He’s on the phone, with Enzo for sure. All I hear are his two-word responses.

“Yes, Sir!”

“Understood Sir!”

“Certainly, Sir!”

He cuts the call and pockets the phone.

“He’s really mad, isn’t he?” I ask even though I know the answer.

“Yes, ma'am.” His response is sympathetic.

“Well, it’s been nice knowing you, Darryl.” I say softly.

“He’ll calm down mam. He’s just upset and worried about the boy.”

I give him an unconvincing smile. God, I wish Evie were here. I really need someone in my corner. I pick up my phone and call the only person I know will have my back.

“Tony? Can you meet me at the hospital?”

We pull up to the ER. I rush through the doors carrying Angel close to my chest. Tony is already there, concern etched on his face, he rushes to meet us.

We both make our way to the nurse’s station where I explain in detail what happened.

The nurse smiles and reassures me that it isn’t serious at all and it’s a good thing we had the wound flushed and bandaged.

We’re soon ushered into a little room where another nurse comes in to take care of Angel. She cleans the wound, applies some ointment on it, then covers it with a piece of gauze before neatly wrapping it in a bright blue bandage with dinosaur prints on it.

Tony has his arm across my shoulders the entire time and I lean into him.

The nurse gives Angel a lollipop just as we hear the familiar roar coming from the hallway.

“Where is my son!”

“This is bad.” I look up at Tony for strength and he squeezes my shoulder reassuringly.

The door flies open and in comes a large, angry as shit Italian. He storms right past me and goes straight to Angel. Grabbing his face in his big palms, he looks Angel up and down, assessing, studying, looking for any other injury.

When he finds none, he pulls Angel into a big hug. Holding him tight.

“Thank God you’re okay. I was so worried.”

My heart aches watching Enzo cradle his son so possessively.

He really did believe I had brought grievous harm to his child.

The realization breaks my heart. I know beyond a reasonable doubt that he’ll never forgive me for breaking his rules, for taking the child out without him, for putting him in danger.

I don’t blame him at all though. I knew very well what was at stake, what could happen.

I went to that park thinking more about making a little boy happy, rather than the consequences of my actions.

I deserve his wrath; I deserve his anger.

I broke the rules and now I must pay the price.

The door opens again and Cece walks in. Her eyes meet mine and I can’t help the tears that spill. A sob escapes my throat and Cece comes rushing to me, holding me in her arms and cooing me like I’m a child.

“Hush dear, it’s not your fault.”

I don’t know why, but that just makes me cry harder. She hands me a tissue, squeezes my arm and then goes to Angel.

“What did the nurse say?” She asks Enzo, but he has no answer for her because he hasn’t spoken to the nurse himself. So, I answer instead. Enzo visibly stiffens, his body gone tight and rigid as I speak.

“They said it’s a superficial cut that would close on its own and they have every confidence that it wouldn’t scar.

She gave him a shot of antibiotics and some pain meds.

She said we did a good job flushing it, and it should close and heal within the week.

It will need to be cleaned every day to prevent infection. ”

“Oh, Elena thank you for taking care of him. You knew exactly what to do.” Ceces words make me nauseous, because I panicked, I had no idea what to do. All I thought about is that Angel is hurt, it’s my fault and Enzo will never forgive me.

“Actually, I panicked, I was scared, I didn’t know what to do. So, one of the mums at the park cleaned the cut while I held him.”

She walks up to me and holds my hands in hers.

“You did good my dear, you are not a parent yourself so it’s natural that you wouldn’t know exactly what to do.

It takes experience and practice to prepare for emergency situations when it comes to kids, and even then, we still don’t know everything.

You did a great job being there for him, and giving him the love and comfort that he needed, of that… I am certain.”

I nod at her and whisper a soft thank you. She smiles and then leaves the room to get a coffee because apparently it makes everything better.

Enzo hasn’t looked at me once. My heart is racing and I feel terrible. My stomach is in knots. But I need to tell him how sorry I am.

“Enzo. I need to explain how this all happened. I know I broke your rules. But I had no intention of causing so mu-”

“You need to leave.” He still doesn’t look at me as he says it and the shock of the words he just uttered hit me with the force of a bulldozer.

“What? You can’t be serious? Enzo I’m sorry, truly. I would never intentionally hurt Ang-”

“Leave! Elena. I can’t speak to you now…just leave.”

Tony’s grip on my shoulder tightens. I clear my throat, shake my head to clear my thoughts and straighten up before I respond.

“Alright then. I’ll just say goodbye to Angelo and then-”

“Now! Elena. You can’t be here. We’ll speak later.”

I know I messed up, but I never expected him to be so cold.

To shut me out like I was nothing. Like I was no one.

Tears stream down my face. Enzo stands up and turns to face me.

He looks at my face, his eyes tracking one lone tear as it slides down my cheek.

As if trying to block the image out of his mind he shakes his head, clears his throat and just says,

“Go.”

“Come Bella, let’s get you a coffee, si?”

I say nothing, just numbly follow Tony out of the room but I hear Enzo let out a bitter scoff before the door closes behind us.

The three of us sit in the waiting area, I refuse to leave until Angel is given the all clear to go home. There is still one blood test that we’re waiting for and then we can hopefully put this nightmare behind us.

Enzo walks into the waiting area and we all look up at him expectantly.

“The last blood results should arrive in the next hour. Mama, will you stay with Angelo? I need to have a word with Elena.”

“Of course, my dear.”

She wakes up from her seat and makes her way out of the waiting area, but she stops just in front of Enzo and whispers something to him. He just glares at her and then she’s gone.

“Brother.” Enzo says. “If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Actually, I do mind. I know what happened today is greatly upsetting for you. But it is also upsetting for Elena too, and given the way you spoke to her in there, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave her alone with you, teeth bared an all.”

“Always the knight in shining armor aren’t you brother?”

“Always.”

“It won’t take long. Elena, we need to talk. I didn’t want to talk in front of Angelo.”

“It’s okay Tony. I’m okay.”

Reluctantly Tony leaves the waiting area and then it’s just the two of us. Normally I would relish the thought but after enduring Enzo’s wrath, ghosts of past trauma start to pick at my defenses. Opening wounds that haven’t really healed. The scab torn open exposing the vulnerable flesh beneath.

“I had one rule Elena.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“This could have been avoided if only you’d listened.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“What if it was worse? What if he was seriously injured Elena?” He’s shouting now. My mind is reeling, flashbacks of Matt towering over me come to the fore. I’m numb.

“I know Enzo, I’m sorry.”

“For fuck sake stop saying you’re sorry. It doesn’t change the fact that my son is sitting in a hospital because you were negligent.”

“What should I say then? What do you want me to say?”

“Tell me why you disobeyed an order. Tell me why you would put my child in danger even though I forbade it. Tell me why I should ever trust you again after what you did? Tell me Elena!”

He’s voice thunders across the room. His beautiful green eyes now a dark void. Anger radiates off him in waves and my body trembles in response.

“I w-wanted to make him happy. He missed playing with the children in the park and it broke my heart when I told him no, because his papa is not here. He started to cry and I couldn’t take it.

So, I made the decision to take him, but I told Nicole, and I tried to call you.

I told Darryl to take us. There’s no way I could have known that he would pick up a piece of glass. ”

“It was not your decision to make.”

“Then who makes the decisions when you are not around Enzo? If he had a fever and I needed to get him to a hospital, how long do I wait till I get a reply from you or Nicole?”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different? He could easily get hurt in the doctors’ rooms, lots of sharp corners and dangerous objects around in there. What if he gets hurt right now while he’s sitting on that bed in that room? What then Enzo? You’re not there now, are you? Who makes the decision then?”

I can see the rage building inside of him.

I didn’t intend on making him angrier, I just wanted him to see that he’s not always going to be there and sometimes certain decisions need to be made by others.

But he obviously didn’t like the verbal attack.

Veins start to protrude on his neck and there’s a pulse at his temple ticking away furiously. And then; of course I poke the bear.

“Who decides Enzo?” I’m shouting now too.

“Not. Fucking. You. Elena.”

He storms across the room towards me in quick strides, lifting his hand to point at me. But that’s not what I see. No, I see athletic gamer hands reaching for me. He’s right in front of me now. Ugly rage painted across his features.

“You’re not his mother.” He spits the words out like venom. As if his words didn’t cut deep enough, he twists the knife.

“Never. You.”

He steps closer and that’s when I lose it, curling into myself I lift my hands to shield my face from his attack.

Only he doesn’t, he just stands there, staring down at me in…

shock? I look up through my fingers as he staggers back; disbelief flashing across his face, staring at me in my defensive position.

“What the fuck did you do Enzo?” Tony is there, next to me in a split second. I don’t even remember him coming back in. He reaches for me but I react. I shrink away from him.

“It’s okay Bella. It’s me. No one’s going to hurt you. You have my word.”

Tony takes my hand, and I let him. Tears pouring down my face.

My body is trembling; he pulls me into his embrace, holding me tight against him.

I bury my face in the safety of his chest and I cry, big ugly sobs leave my throat and Tony holds me through it all.

My body spasms with each sob, the tears flowing anew when I hear Enzo speak.

“What the fuck was that? What happened to you Elena?”

I freeze; I can’t look at him. My back to Enzo, I look up at Tony and shake my head no. He nods in understanding.

“Go to your son brother. You’ve done enough here.” Relief washes over me and I sag against Tony. I don’t hear Enzo leave but I do hear the faint click of heels approaching.

“Enzo, the nurse will see you now, Angelo’s blood results are in. They’re waiting for-”

“Oh, no, Lorenzo, what did you do?”

“She’s okay mama, I’ll make certain of it.” Tony breaks the silence before once again urging Enzo to leave.

“This isn’t over Elena. I need to know what that was all about. You know I would never-”

“Go Enzo. They’re waiting for you.” Then I hear the sound of his heavy footsteps retreating.

“What happened here Antonio?”

I push away from Tony.

“I’m okay.” I say it with as much conviction as I can muster.

“No, you’re not.” Cece counters. I smile at her.

“No. I’m not. But I will be.”

I dry my eyes with the handkerchief Tony gave me, then wipe my nose.

“I need the two of you to do me a favour please.”

“Anything.” Both answer in unison.