Page 38 of Dangerous Vengeance

He’s right. I ran in there to save her because she is more than just a potential threat to our family name. She’s more than a risk or a mole. Natalie is mine, and I will fiercely defend that with everything in me. In fact, if I had to do it over again knowing the outcome, I would still do it.

“I want to see her.” I clench my hands into fists and tighten my jaw. This hurts like fuck, but if I have to get out of bed and find her, I will. I need to know she’s okay, that they really kept their word and haven’t harmed her.

“That isn’t going to happen, Matty. You will rest and get your strength back, because if you don’t you won’t make it. You almost died.”

This time when I try to sit up, it’s Sven who holds me down. I feel the stab of pain in my chest where the bullet struck me and a tightening in my gut. There is no point fighting him. On my best day it would be challenging to overpower him, but right now I can’t even think of resisting him.

“Rest, little brother. Your wishes are being respected until we can have a proper conversation with you.” Dominic moves between me and Sven and Sven backs away. I relax into the firm mattress and look up at him. I know he is a man of his word, and I will trust him to keep that word. I have no other choice.

So, help me God, if I wake up and find she’s not okay, or they have touched a single hair on her head, I will kill them all. I shut my eyes and breathe as deeply as I can without excruciating pain, then let my body release any tension I have. I lie here for a moment thinking sleep will claim me, but it doesn’t. It’s just peaceful to have my eyes shut.

That’s when I hear them speaking. Brewster chimes in first and I don’t like what he says. “Maybe I should sedate him. The more he moves and talks, the harder it will be for his lungs. If he gets a coughing fit like that again, he could rupture the sutures and bleed out internally.”

“Prepare the sedative,” Dominic says, and internally I groan. My body is too weak to be alert and react. All I can do is just lay here and take whatever they give me. I am not weak though; my soul and passion are flaming infernos ready to take down anyone in my way.

“Is he really going to make it?” Sven asks. He’s still so near to me. I can hear the concern in his voice now. Like he really is worried about me. Maybe I’m not out of the woods yet.

“If he can stay calm and let the wound heal how it is. I may need to suction off fluid from his lung, and I have to keep him on the antibiotic, so he doesn’t get an infection.” I feel Brewster’s hands working at my chest, maybe check the bandage. Every sensation is amplified, like needles on my skin and jackhammers in my ears.

The room is silent for a while except for the sound of the machines to which I’m hooked. They beep and drone on, clicking and hissing, and I think I’m alone. I’m tempted to let my consciousness drift and fall asleep, but Dominic clears his throat and I’m instantly alert again.

“She’s dangerous, Sven. Lenny hacked the computer. While we don’t see any outgoing emails, there is no way to know how many times that information was copied or downloaded to independent flash drives or hard drives. She may know as much as one of us, and that’s hitting a little too close to home.” Dominic sounds certain that Natalie is the problem, but if I had the chance to explain it to him, he’d know she wasn’t.

Sven hums a solid note then I hear him snort out a sigh. “You know the code, Dom. We can’t go back on it. Not even a little. Matvey is not out of the woods. If he dies, and Leo or Rome know we’ve hurt Natalie, they’ll never trust the family name again. Their loyalty will go out the window.”

“So, we just keep her locked up in my house the rest of her life because Matty got himself killed?” Dominic sounds angry, his pitch higher and volume louder. I lay as still as I can, so I don’t alert them to the fact that I’m eavesdropping. Sven is right. If they go back on my final wishes and I really do die, the family falls apart. They’ll turn against each other one at a time. None of them will trust each other because the code is broken.

“Listen to yourself, Dominic. As the leader of this family, when you break the code of honor, the family falls. You may as well hand the laptop over to the police and the Italians.” Sven has my back and even though he may not agree with my assessment of Natalie or my desire to keep her alive, he will follow my instructions.

Darkness starts to creep in, fatigue tugging my consciousness into the throes of its depths. I feel the weight getting heavier now as I begin to drift into sleep. Dominic and Sven continue talking but their words grow fainter, as if they’re moving away from me. But it’s me who is moving away, traveling faster than I care to toward the blackness of sleep.

I’m on the street running, chasing a black figure who eludes me. He’s carrying a weapon, a large one. I know it’s loaded, and I’m acutely aware that he’s used it. I look down at my chest as I run and see the blood. It’s spewing from my chest as I take each step, but I feel no pain. Instead, I pursue faster, pushing my body to the brink.

The man turns down a dark alley and my father is there watching. He stands with hands folded in front of himself and a stoic expression. His features are older, faded, his eyes forlorn. He watches as I advance on the man and point my weapon.

But when the man turns, it isn’t a man anymore. It’s Natalie, she’s here in my dream tormenting me, testing me, teasing me. She points at me then turns her hand upward, beckoning me toward her with a single finger, curling and pulling me in. Her lips mouth something I can’t discern, and her shirt is open, revealing her tits. She’s seducing me, wooing my attention away from the danger around me.

Then a noise behind me startles me. I turn around to see a bullet racing toward my chest and Natalie is there, stepping in front of it. She takes it. Her eyes go wide. She’s stunned and hurt. And I catch her as she falls, and I’m holding her as she bleeds all over me.

She’s dying and I can’t stop it.

And when I look up, I see Dominic with a gun pointed right at her.

I awaken to the whir and click of the machines and I’m alone. The room is cool and dark. The stench of alcohol and bleach permeate everything. I blink my eyes several times trying to adjust to the darkness. I’m still in the bed, but I have no idea how long I’ve been here or what time of day it is. Hell, I don’t even know which day of the week it is.

I try to scratch my nose, but my hand is restrained. I focus hard on my wrist, trying to narrow my eyes to slits to see what’s binding my hand. It’s a leather cuff. I’m chained to the railing. And when I try to sit up, I notice my chest is restrained too. I sigh and let my head loll to the side. Maybe they’ve restrained me because I’m a danger to myself, trying to pull tubes out or get up in my sleep. Or maybe they don’t want me to get up and see that they’ve harmed her.

Given the conversation I overheard as I was drifting into unconsciousness, I believe Sven will keep Dominic at bay, but I can’t be certain. I’m helpless now, strapped to this gurney and chained up like a prisoner. Shouting for help will be futile too. If it’s anything like last time I woke up I won’t even be able to speak, let alone shout. I can’t even take a breath deep enough to do so.

So, I lie here staring at the ceiling waiting for my body to heal so I can fix this. She has to know this wasn’t my fault. She saved me after all; how could she blame me too?

23

NANETTE

Isit in the bay window, cushioned with pillows covered in pink flowers, staring out the window. It overlooks a beautiful garden that sweeps down a hill toward a pergola draped in wisteria and a fountain. The fountain is off, probably winterized as the harsher temps of fall have settled in. But it’s still picturesque. I could sit here all day watching the birds’ flit about. They’re migrating now, moving south, so there are so many species we don’t see around this area of New York most times.

And though most of the plants have lost their flower heads, the foliage is still beautiful. Reds and yellows pepper the hillside and every now and then I see a rabbit hop from beneath the outstretched branch of a tree or bush. I am so immersed in observing nature that I hardly hear the door click open. For seven days I’ve been locked in this room with no human contact except Nanette who brought me fresh towels, a change of clothes, and a meal three times a day. She never says anything; she just lays her parcels on the nightstand and leaves.

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