Mr. Regnante [Mafioso Book#1]

Chapter V: Recovery

The first thing Rosalie registered the moment she regained consciousness was the feeling of flying. She felt numb and light and she had no idea how to get back to the ground.

Is she dead? Because if she was dead then it would make a lot more sense as to why she felt so weightless.

She would have believed this if it hadn't been for the voices murmuring around her. Who did those voices belong to and what did they want with her?

In her mind, she spoke those words, and the voices stopped suddenly.

A satisfaction washed over her at the fact that she had peace once more. However, this peace was short lived before a sudden light blinded her. A groan escaped her as she swatted away at the light, the harshness suddenly diminishing to a blotchy figure leaning over her in white.

"Sorry." She heard the man speak above her as she tried to blink away the bleariness, realizing that she might not be dead.

"Am I dead?" She asked the figure in white before her, her vision slowly clearing to show a man with spectacles standing in a white overcoat. "Am I dead?"

"No, Ms. Allegro, you are not." The man, or doctor, informed her with an amused smile. "Just injured, but you'll heal."

"Where am I?"

"Safe." The Doctor spoke with such certainty that she had to believe him. "You're safe."

He looked towards the end of the bed, giving a nod followed by a bow of his head before he started to leave. Rosalie watched this peculiar behavior before she turned her gaze before her, a frightened shriek escaping her as she saw the familiar face approaching her.

"You again!" She screamed at him trying to shuffle away from him but a pained cry freezing in her throat as every movement shot searing pain through her

"Stay away from me! Why can't you stay away fr-" Rosalie started to say before she suddenly felt as if though she were falling. A frightened shriek escaping her as she shut her eyes and waited for the impact with the ground. Rosalie waited and felt nothing but a rough material digging into her back. Slowly cracking open her eyes, she met his blue eyes that looked at her with a clear annoyance.

"The bed, no matter how big it might be, has its limited space, and if you continued to move back, you will fall." He spoke calmly as she noticed him to have grabbed her by the front of the sweatshirt she was wearing with his other hand supporting the back of her head, his entire body leaning over her and they were so close she could smell his delicious cologne: musk and dark wood. "So next time, be careful. You already have enough injuries as it is, we don't need to add a broken skull to that list."

Sudden anger brewed inside Rosalie's chest as she could hear the blood rushing through her veins. Gritting her teeth, she glared at him, noticing momentary surprise to slip through his mask of indifference.

"I wouldn't have to be careful if you hadn't gotten yourself shot! If you hadn't barged your way into my life, I wouldn't have to constantly look over my shoulder! This is all your fault!" She screamed in his face as he looked at her impassively. Tears welled up as Rosalie struggled against his hold.

Gently pulling her onto the bed, Arcangelo released her as she feebly tried to push him away.

"You ruined my life." She choked as he started to walk away, halting as her voice cracked. "I got almost choked to death! I couldn't breathe, much less speak! T-then I got assaulted! I thought I was going to die! Why did you do this to me! I don't even know you! Who are you? What do you do? Why were you shot? What do you want from me? I don't know anything! Why are people after me? Why do they want me dead!?"

Rosalie stared at his back in silence, tears streaming down her face as she waited for a response, at least he should have the decency to answer some of her questions. However, her mouth fell open when he started to walk away without a word.

"You were right!" She yelled at his back as he stopped with his hand on the door handle, expectantly waiting for her to continue that sentence. Anger bubbled in Rosalie at his lack of response and corporation. "I should have let you die!"

"Then why didn't you?" Arcangelo asked as he looked at her from over his shoulders. "Why didn't you let me die? You should have."

She gaped at him in silence, clearly taken off guard with his response, having no idea how to respond to his words. Without anything more, he twisted open the door and stepped out, closing it with a distinctive click that resonated through the silent room.

Rosalie sat in silence on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest as the tears streamed down one by one. She was alone and afraid and didn't know where she was or what happened to land her here. She just wanted to go home, hug her mom and cry into her embrace, she just wanted that familiarity and safety back.

Wiping the tears with the back of her hand, the sleeves of the sweatshirt dropped down as the white bandage on her arm came into view. The material catching her eye and causing her tears to come to a sudden halt. Pushing back the sleeves, she stared down at the gauze wrapped around her forearm, few blotches of blood seeping through the material.

With a startled breath, she jumped out of bed, throwing the covers off her before a cry of pain stuck in her throat as her side was burning. Heaving a gasped breath she started to make her way towards the washroom with her aching legs. Letting out a quiet whimper, she pushed open the doors and gasped at what she saw in the mirror before her.

Flipping on the light switch, she illuminated the en-suite bath before staring at the figure looking back at her from the full-body mirror. Her slim figure was drowned in a dark grey sweatshirt that was much too large and covered her till just a little over the knees. She saw her legs to be bruised and scratched and with a shaky breathe, she pulled the sweatshirt off, groaning in pain as she stretched her arms over her head.

Tossing the fabric onto the floor, she stared at her body. Lean and slim, but her ribcage was bound by a gauze, dark bruises littering her body as she felt numb all over. Racking her eyes over her body, she gasped at the face that was looking back at her.

She had a busted lip with a plaster just above her eyebrow. Her cheeks were blue or green with her eye black, the blue of her iris vibrant in comparison to the bruises on her face. Her hair was a mess and her breathing was painful, coming in short rapid gasps as she tried to get the air she so desperately needed.

Placing a hand on her chest, she collapsed to her knees as she couldn't believe this is how she looked. Her beauty. Gone. Her reality. Torn away from her. Her life. In Ruins.

And all due to one man.

That realization seemed to sink in as her face shot up. Pulling the robe off the back of the door, she fastened it around herself before marching back into the room, ignoring the searing pain that shot through her with every step she took. Opening the door, she disregarded the two men stationed outside and she marched down the hall, looking for the stairs.

"Ma'am?" One of them called out as she disregarded him, looking for the staircase before taking a turn down the hall, effectively being out of eyeshot of the men. "Ma'am! Please get back here!"

Meeting their calls with a deaf ear she pattered down the stairs, seeing a few men loitering around with one or two maids bustling about. The people's gaze snapped to her before they walked away as she looked around her, feeling so completely lost as she didn't know where she was or where to go to find him. Much less did she know what his name was, or who he was in this house. But given the amount of respect the doctor showed him, he had to be someone important.

"Where is he?!" She demanded from the people around as they all looked at one another uncertainty. "Tell me!"

"Madam, you aren't supposed to be out here." One of the men stepped forward as he approached her very calmly. "I would have to request you to go back to your room."

"I am not leaving until I find him!"

"Ma'am, that's not possible at the moment."

"Take me to him! Or I swear to God I will tear down this house looking for him!"

The guard before her looked like he was holding back a laugh and Rosalie's anger spiked at the smug smile on his face. Raising her hand, she whipped it across his face, the sound reverberating against the walls as he stared at the floor quietly.

Without warning, the man grabbed a fist full of her hair as a pained scream escaped her as she tried to pry his hands off.

"Let me go!" She demanded from him as he cackled at her.

"You think you can get away with slapping me?" He asked her lowly as he continued to invade her personal space, tears welling in Rosalie's eyes as her head pounded, her knees shaking. "Do you know who I am and what I can do to you?"

"Do you know who I am and what I can do to you?" A bone-chilling voice spoke from behind the man as he tensed and fear clouded his eyes. "Now, release her."

Slowly, the man loosened his grip on her, Rosalie's weakness having her collapse to the floor. The man stepped back and moved to the side as he bowed his head low to the man before her. Arcangelo stood in a two-piece navy blue suit and a black waistcoat with a cigarette in hand as he was looking at the man before him.

"Get out of my sight." He spoke with such venom and ferocity lacing his voice that it had everyone wince.

With a bow of his head, the man backed away before leaving down the hall.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Arcangelo turned towards Rosalie who was staring up at him with wide blue eyes, suppressing the urge to tremble in fear before him. Putting out the cigarette, he crouched before her, inspecting her with his eyes as she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, embarrassment having her cheeks flush as she stared down at the white cotton of the robe.

"Are you hurt?" He asked calmly, softly flattening the hair the guard had previously grabbed. Wrapping her arms around herself, Rosalie shook her head, a lump forming in her throat.

"Your bandage is coming undone." He noted as the white gauze was peeking out of the sleeve. "Come, let's fix that. Can you walk?"

Rosalie felt too weak to stand, her entire being feeling drained of energy as she shook her head. She thought Arcangelo would have one of the men get her upstairs, instead, he slid his arm beneath her knees and shoulders before lifting her into his arms as if though she didn't weigh anything. A surprised squeal escaped her at the suddenness of the lift that she clung to his shirt upon instinct. His shoes clicked against the marble as he walked with her in his arms, peeking around from beneath her eyelashes, she noticed everyone to avert their gaze and look away with bowed heads.

"I'm not the bad guy here, Rosalie." He told her gently as she flushed. "The sooner you realize that, the better."

Arcangelo gave the guards one glance as they bowed their heads and walked away. 

Pushing open the door, he gently placed her down on the bed as she shuffled to a comfortable position. Grabbing the seat, he placed it right in front of her as he removed his blazer, settling down before grabbing her arm. Pushing back the bathrobe sleeve he wound the gauze over her arm again, both of them silent as she watched him with confusion.

"Do you know the people that attacked me?" Rosalie asked as he stopped momentarily.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Did you send them to me?" She asked as her tears choked her up again, but this time they flowed down her cheeks as Arcangelo glanced up at her cracking voice, his eyes visibly softening as he swiped his thumb under her eyes to wipe away the droplets.

"No. I was looking for them and arrived at their hideout when we realized they were targeting you."

"But why? I don't even know you!"

"Apparently, someone from the underworld saw you with me during some time and assumed for you to be someone special to me." He scoffed out a laugh at the statement. "And everyone knows that if a person has a weakness then you use it against them. And given that this is a Mafia household, people would do anything."

"Why would they think I am acquainted with you in any way?"

"People are stupid that way. Always first to jump the gun." He sighed as he leaned back once he had put the bandage in place and she instantly retreated the arm to her chest.

Rosalie watched him sit silently as he had his head thrown back and his arms lying limply by his side.

"When can I leave?" She inquired softly as he slowly lifted his head up to look at the sad expression on her face. "I want to go home."

"I know." He nodded with a sigh, sitting up. "I know you don't want to be here, but I'm sorry, you can't leave yet."

"But why?" Rosalie inquired with a sob, her chest feeling tight. Everything she had bottled up for so long kept surfacing and resurfacing and she hated it when she cried. "Why can't I go home?"

Arcangelo leaned forward in his seat as he looked at her with the gentlest gaze she had ever seen on him during the limited time she had been with him.

"Because you are marked."

"What?"

"That thing on your arm? They cut an 'X' into your skin. And in my world, it makes you a target. So unless you aren't protected, you will die out there."

Rosalie stared at him in disbelief, her arm clutched to her chest as the tears started to stream down.

"B-but why?!" She blubbered hysterically. "I-I didn't do anything! I'm just an average girl trying to become a doctor! I didn't do anything to deserve this! I didn't do anything!"

"I know." He murmured quietly as he placed his hand on the back of her head before cradling her to his chest, her sobs wracking through her as she bunched his shirt into her fists. "I know this is all hard and new for you, but I promise to protect you. No one will hurt you as long as I'm alive, I owe you at least that much after you saved my life."

"I say what I mean, and I do what I say." He assured in a low rumbling voice that had her transported back to older times as she buried her face into his chest, her tears staining his clothes. "And when I say I will keep you safe, believe me, not even a single hair on your head will be touched."

"You have my word."