Page 16 of Fighting

“Enemies? You think I’d hurt him?” The confusion and sadness is clear in her voice.

“Haven’t you?”

Their fighting isn’t helping my head. I need them to shut up, or leave the room. Or both. And I need to get back to work.

What the fuck was I working on? “Ugh.” I can’t help the groan that escapes my mouth this time.

“Val? Thank fuck.” Luca says as he rushes over to where I’m laying.

“Most people would thank god.” Not sure where that snappy comeback came from, but I like it. I laugh. It’s delayed. Fuck them. I have a head injury.

“He’s still not funny.” That’s a new female voice. I know this one. Milan. I turn to the door. Sure enough, there she is. I wave her over. There are tears in her eyes. She wipes them away before they fall.

“Hey…” I say calmly. “What happened?” I reach out for her hand. She takes it. We never used to be close. Her mother was a vicious conniving woman who controlled everything Milan did. From the clothes, to the make-up and heels. Yes, the girl was forced to wear make-up and heels starting at the age of twelve. Her mother was grooming her. Thank fuck her mother isn’t around anymore.

Huh, I guess “thank fuck” is a saying people say.

With tears still lingering in her eyes, she answers me. “You were kidnapped.”

I give a little laugh but then groan when it hurts too much. “Yeah, I remember that part.” I try to shift to get a bit more comfortable. The first female, the Doctor, is at my side helping me. There is something familiar about her. I still can’t remember why. “I meant how did I get back here? How did you all find me?”

“Livianna volunteered to be kidnapped." Milan replies.

My eyes involuntarily bug out. “What?” Luca curses. Elena laughs from the doorway as she and Livianna enter the room. Massimo is a few steps behind her.

Livianna steps up to my side and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek. Shit even that hurts.

“I wasn't planning on getting kidnapped.” She huffs. “It was supposed to be one final field mission. Find Joseph, get him to talk. I knew there were risks. We were prepared. We had back-up this time.” She explains as Massimo steps up to her back. His arms wrap around her and pulls her close. I see Luca doing the same with Elena at the end of my bed. The Doctor has stepped back. She’s shrouded in shadows now. “They brought me to the same place as you. I was only there a few minutes before the house was surrounded.”

“Are you okay?” My eyes scan over her. She has a few old looking bruises on her arms and a small cut on her forehead that looks mostly healed. “Did they hurt you?” It feels like a stupid question even as I ask it. Of course they hurt her.

“Few bumps and bruises. Nothing major.” I’m not sure if she’s telling me the truth. Looking to Massimo, he doesn’t look ready to commit mass murder, so it must be true.

“Good.” I say with a nod. Nope. Don’t nod. I’m instantly nauseous. I close my eyes in the hopes it helps it pass. “Don't you dare do that again.”

“If it means saving...” She begins a rebuttal. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t ever want her or any other female in our family hurt.

I don’t wait for her to finish. “No.” I say sternly. I open my eyes. Making sure to make direct eye contact with her. “Never. You leave me.” I then look to Elena, and finally Milan. “Understood?” They don’t respond. “You find another way to save me, or you leave me. Got it?”

“No.” Says Elena while Milan and Livianna nod along. “We're a family Val. We don't leave family like that.” The conviction in her voice is hard to argue against. So I don’t. I’m also too tired, and I have a feeling none of them will be leaving the compound without an army to escort them for a very long time.

My energy is fading fast. The bed is comfy, but I’m not. I need something. I try to move to fix it. I only succeed in groaning again. The Doctor moves out of the shadows and to my bedside. “That's enough.” She says as she helps me to lift my upper body and stuff another pillow behind me. Then she takes a second and third pillow and stuffs one under each of my arms to prop them up. Huh. That feels pretty good. “He needs to rest. He still has a long way to heal.”

No one argues. They all look tired too.

Luca squeezes my shoulder before leading Elena and Milan out of the room. The girls both give me a wave over their shoulders. Massimo leans in to bump my knuckles gently. Livianna repeats the move but with a smile before they leave.

Dad steps up last. He gives my shoulder a squeeze. The familiarity of the move washes away any pain it gives me. I really am home. Safe. For now. “Glad to see you awake son.”

Before he shuts the door behind him, leaving the Doctor in the room with me, she whispers to him. “Can I go home now? Please, people will be looking for me.”

“Let them. They won't find you until we want them to.” With that said, Dad leaves the room.

The Doc flops into the chair in the corner. I try to get a better look at her. Their is something familiar about her, but I still can’t figure it out. She’s beautiful. Even with dark circles under her eyes. She’s got her long brown hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head. A few pieces have fallen out and circle her heart shaped face. Her eyes look green, maybe hazel. I once knew a girl with beautiful emerald eyes.

My eyelids grow too heavy to keep open, so I close them and let the memories take me away. Everything else is still hard to concentrate on. Not her though. Never her. I can see my girl clearly in my mind as I drift to sleep.

CHAPTER TEN

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