Page 13 of Kiss of Ruin (Brutal Empire)

“Not really.”

“That’s because you’re on the other side of this. I’ve seen plenty of cases and for many, they aren’t even ready to begin weights this early. You’re moving through this recovery quickly.”

I sit up completely and wince at the pain in my back. “Will it ever get to the point where it doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“It’ll take time, but it will. You’ll probably be walking with some pain for a bit.” When I frown. She says, “I promise.”

She packs up her stuff and after helping me onto my chair she says she’ll see me on Monday. I thank her and head to my room to clean up. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve managed to find a way to get myself clean without having to ask for help.

I finish bathing and take the chair over to the windows to look out at the beautiful landscape. For the last week, this has been the worst time of day. The time of day where the anger boils over.

Anger at Nico. Anger at Sofia, and Rosa, and Camila. At Luis. Anger at myself.

There will be plenty of time to deal with my feelings for Nico. Sofia, Rosa, and Camila are here now. I can’t keep ignoring their presence and making everything awkward for Pedro and Isabel who were willing to take the four of us in and keep us safe from the war.

It’s not like I can do anything else. I am stuck in this chair, unable to truly go anywhere on my own. I’m too weak to get in and out of the chair without any help. It was lovely of the Acostas to get it and it keeps me from feeling like my own room is a prison. Doesn’t stop the entire house from feeling that way.

With determination, I leave my room for the first time that isn’t during the meal and go in search of my family.

I reach the main floor and go in the direction of the kitchen. If I know them, they’ll be in there making something. Whenever Camila is stressed she chooses to cook. I open the kitchen door. If it wasn’t for the décor, I would think that I was in the kitchen back in New York.

Camila behind the counter, furiously stirring something in a mixing bowl, with Rosa and Sofia sitting at the counter. A cup of coffee in front of each of them. The moment they hear the chair, three heads whip around in my direction.

“Scarlett? Are you okay?” Sofia jumps out of her chair, surprise written all over her face.

“I’m okay. But we need to talk.”

A grimace twists her lips. She takes a step back and sits on the stool once again. “Okay.”

I move closer to the counter and Camila places a mug of coffee in front of me. “Thank you.”

“She may want a glass of wine for this conversation.” Sofia lays her head on the counter.

Camila uses the bottom of the spoon to poke her. “Get your head off the counter. And Scarlett is not drinking with all the medication she is on right now.”

I want to argue that I can drink if I want to, but I know that argument is futile. Both Rosa and Camila would make their opinions obvious on that. And right now, there are other issues that need to be discussed and I won’t distract everyone from the bigger issues at hand.

“You’re right, I’m not drinking, but I would love some answers.”

Rosa sighs. “We will tell you anything you want to know. It’s the least we can do for leaving you alone in the hospital.”

“Let’s start there. Why did none of you come to see me after the first day I woke up?”

Sofia’s eyes fill with tears. “They wouldn’t let us. Nico forced us to return to the house once we saw that you were going to be okay.

Rage boils through me. Nico made sure that I was alone, without a single person to lean on. The cracks in my heart were beginning to bridge themselves as hate began to turn the broken pieces to stone.

It’s like my marriage all over again. I believed a man loved me, who in turn does his very best to take everything, use me, and leave me when I’m no longer convenient. Nico may not have cheated during our short time together, yet what he has done is just as bad, if not worse the Luis. He took advantage of my emotional state and made me believe things with him were different.

It seems that Elena’s taunt about keeping Nico away may have been to make me second guess myself. Question my choices. It seems that Luis wanted to keep me away from Nico to keep him from using me for whatever he could get before throwing me away like a piece of garbage.

I’m still frustrated by their choices. “And you allowed him to force you to leave me there.”

“It’s not that simple.” Camila puts down her spoon and walks around the counter to my side. “Nico told Sofia that they would forcibly remove us from the hospital if we didn’t meet them at the car.” Sofia begins sobbing. “We didn’t want to add any more stress for your recovery and went willingly. We didn’t realize that once we got back to the mansion that we would be in lockdown.”

Camila shakes her head and moves back around the counter, picking up her spoon and begins stirring harder and faster than she had before.

Rosa has been steady staring at the ground. When the room goes silent, she looks us and continues. “The DeLuca’s began attacking our people the same night you were shot.”

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