The Mafia Heiress

Sei

***

"You look tired, babe. Or have you been having the time of your life on your honeymoon? I want all the dirty details!"

Amanda declared, clapping her hands excitedly as she granted me the widest grin. Seeing her had lifted my spirits considerably despite her questions and misguided thoughts on how perfect married life had been for me so far.

But I can't blame her...I have been painting the perfect marriage for her, just so I don't worry her...

It had been hard to lie to her, to keep the reality of the past couple of weeks away from her. Revealing the brokenness of my marriage this soon into our union was definitely a red flag and Amanda would certainly be prepared to fight for me and protect me from him.

It wouldn't be such a bad thing...You should be considering all the things that have happened- the conversation from this morning...something isn't right and you don't deserve to be miserable with a man who couldn't keep his promises...

The silent voice in the back of my mind was back and made more sense each day. I had struggled to block it out, to file it away with the nightmares that tormented me every night as usual and had grown worse in recent days and yet they always seemed to breakthrough.

"Only if you tell me everything about you and Kyle. I noticed some cute little smiles being exchanged..."

I deflected, grinning at my best friend who blushed profusely at the mention of her crush who seem to now be more. I was happy for her, happy that she was finally with the man she wanted. I had watched her long for him and knowing that things were now different between them brought me true joy.

At least something in our lives is going well....I just never thought that I'd be struggling to keep my marriage together this soon...

"Of course you noticed the shift. God, you are too observant for your own good, babe."

Amanda complained as she took a bite of her lunch. We were in the cafeteria for our lunch period, our day spent fully with patients and reports. I was happy to be back in the hospital, utilizing my skills in an environment that felt more like home than my husband's apartment.

"How could I not when you guys have been giving each other secret looks every single time we pass him in the hallways."

I commented, chuckling at her little smile as her mind seemed to drift into her memories.

"You know the whole thing about people being bonded by shared experiences? Well, its very true because the night of your wedding, Kyle drove me home but I didn't want to get out of his car. I mean, we were at my apartment sooner than I thought and we were just parked there and I don't know whether it was the stress of everything but...well, I kissed him. He was concerned, asking me if I was okay and stuff and I just turned and kissed him. Stunned the guy fully, of course, but then he kissed me back and girl...I am so glad I took the first step."

She sighed dreamily, her excitement filling me with happiness as I chuckled at her own dreamy smile. I listened aptly, reacting once in a while to the story of their newfound relationship. Kyle sounded like the perfect gentleman, confirming his own feelings for my best friend and going as far as to ask her to be his girlfriend. I was so happy for her, the two of us hugging longingly to celebrate her relationship with her longtime crush.

"I'm so happy for you two. I can't wait to see where this goes but honestly, with the way he's been looking at you everytime we happen to pass by, he seems enamored. And rightfully so because you are perfect, A."

Tears shimmered in my best friend's eyes as she hugged me again, sniffing as she did. Emotion filled me as I held Amanda close, the two of us oblivious to everyone around us in the cafeteria. I cared for Amanda more than anything and knowing she was happy filled me with reassurance.

Why does this feel so final?....

I dispelled the thought as soon as it came, focusing instead on Amanda who held my hand tightly in her own before we lapsed into conversation about our upcoming girl's night.

"I'm surprised Alex can spend a full night away from his beautiful wife. Not that I'm complaining. I'm just so happy you and I will have some time to ourselves, away from the men."

I granted her a small smile, knowing well enough that my suggestion to have it at her house was to keep her from seeing all the despair that hung low around my husband and I. Guilt consumed me at the thought of lying to her continously but I knew it was the right thing to do for the moment.

She's so happy...I'm not going to ruin it all for her because of my issues...

My vibrating phone pulled me from my thoughts, the sight of my husband's name flashing on the screen taking me aback. Amanda granted me a mischievous grin before she took our trays away, granting me privacy. I was grateful to her for it, especially considering I wasn't sure how the conversation would go.

He rarely calls me so this is weird as hell...

"I wasn't expecting your call. Is everything okay?"

Worry instantly consumed me at the out of the blue call, anxiety consuming me at the thought of him being hurt or worse. The thought in itself petrified me, reminding me of how much I really loved him despite everything that had happened between us so far.

He's still the man I love....the man I married and chose to spend the rest of my life with...

"Everything is fine. You, however, aren't okay. You shouldn't have gone to work if you weren't feeling well."

I knew that neither Vik nor Max would have told him about my dizzy spell- which only left the new guy Ivan. Although Max had explained the man's presence as a precaution by my husband, I was starting to dislike the man he chose- a man who gave me very bad vibes.

"I'm fine. It was a momentary dizzy spell from having not taken my meds. I'm okay."

I tried to keep my emotions at bay, to insulate my heart from the hurt that always came whenever I believed that he was back to being the man who cared and loved me before. I was always met with disappointment, reminded that things had completely shifted and nothing was as it seemed anymore.

This isn't going to be any different...He's probably calling out of human decency and nothing else. He's proven that I am the least of his concerns time and time again over the last couple of weeks...

"Still, you should have taken the day to rest. I know you're a doctor and you can diagnose yourself but my duty to you as your husband is to take care of you. I'm sending Doctor Fraser to the penthouse to do a full check up on you. I need to know you're okay so please, let him do the tests. I'll be home as soon as I can."

I wanted to deny him, to remind him of all the promises he had broken and the moments he had shown how much he didn't care. And yet something in his voice had shifted, turned into so much more. I didn't want to believe him, to be disappointed in him anymore but a small part of me, the part that loved him now and forever refused to give up. That part kept up hope that maybe, just maybe, he was more than I thought. That maybe he cared.

"Okay. I'll leave work a little earlier than I intended, get some rest after he's done."

The voice in my head was screaming, begging me not to let him back in but it was too late. I wanted to trust him...I was ready to it again. To give him a chance.

"Thank you...I'll be home soon, baby. Just wait for me. I'm coming back for you."

His words made me swoon soon after the call was over, butterflies engulfing my entire being as I replayed his words over and over again. A goofy smile stuck on my lips for the rest of the day as I did my rounds, earning me jest-filled jokes from my best friend. It was scary, how one call from him had instantly brought me back to life and made me whole again. I was scared of how much power he held over me.

I just hope my trust is not misplaced...I hope that the love I have for him is not misguided because if he returns to the uncaring man he was, that is going to genuinely break me, body and soul...

**

I waved goodbye to Amanda and Kyle, making my way to the sleek, black Chevrolet SUV where Max was waiting whereas Ivan was seated within on the driver's side, seeming deeply engrossed with whatever he was doing on his phone. I rolled my eyes inwardly, genuinely stumped by his dislike for me.

Ignore him...don't let him ruin your mood, Reina...

I internalized my words as I turned to the two waiting guards with a small smile.

"Hey Max. I hope you had a good day."

I greeted with a small smile, noting his stunned look before he seemed to restore the usual cool and collected persona he always presented. I wasn't suprised by his reaction. Our morning drive had been quiet and uneventful as had the last couple of weeks. He and Vik had watched me begin to wither away but now, after one day at work and a call from my husband, everything was perfect once again.

"Yes, I did. Thank you. It seems you had a wonderful day as well."

Max commented, making me chuckle.I nodded in agreement as I entered through the door he had opened for me, settling in the seat just as he closed the door and headed towards the passenger side. We were soon on our way, my mind drifiting towards the evening to come. I wanted it to be special, intimate between my husband and I. This seemed like a chance for us to rekindle our romance, to return things to the way they were when we were dating.

"Where is Vik? I thought he'd be with you to pick me up."

I commented as my mind churned out ideas, noting the absence of guard. Vik had become a constant in my life and had become an acquaintance over the time we had spent together as had Max. The two seemed to care more about me than I thought and I was grateful to have them in my life.

"He's gone to the airport to pick up Mr. Myers. They will be arriving in the later part of the evening."

Max explained, his words met with a silent scoff from Ivan that earned him a glare from the guard and a shake of the head from me. I ignored him, choosing instead to focus on the dinner we would have. I was sure Kayla had already made something nice for us and was instantly grateful for her. I was too lost in my thoughts to notice the silent conversation the two men were having, tension seeming to fill the car as all of Ivan's subtle digs at me were forgotten.

It was only when a shot rang out, the bullet shattering part of the windscreen as it tore into Ivan's shoulder that my attention was restored, not that I had a choice as the car veered off the road and went directly towards a building. A scream seemed to escape my lips, filling the space of the car just as Max tried and failed to control the car.

The impact knocked the wind out of me, the safety belt digging heavily into my collar bone and waist as it kept me in place. Spots danced across my vision as my mind veered into and out of consciousness, a splitting headache pounding through my brain. I was disoriented, confused as I tried to comprehend all that was happening around me. My vision was hazy as I tried to search for Max, hoping and praying that he was okay.

My hands shook furiously as I reached over to my safety belt buckle, unbuckling it before I turned towards my cracked window. My movements were slower than usual, no doubt from the disorientation of the accident and the pounding in my mind as flashes of an accident seemed to consume my garbled mind.

I turned to opened the door only to have it opened from the outside, a face I didn't expect to see staring back at me with a worried frown.

"Father? What are you doing here? Am I hallucinating somehow?"

I murmured, my voice hoarse as I watched him say something I couldn't hear through the ringing in my ears. He seemed to notice my disorientation as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car. I winced as my body caught up with my mind, noting the soreness from the crash, my hearing restored as I took deep breaths to calm my fast beating heart.

"We need to go, now! These people are here to hurt you!"

His words registered just as the gunshots did, the sound of a gun fight sending a sliver of fear down my spine. Realization of the dire situation we were in consumed me, my body following my Father's urgency as we begun to run. It wasn't easy, at first, a part of me turning to search for Max. I was worried for him but part of me knew he would be fine. He knew how to take care of himself and would be okay.

I have to believe in him...that's the only constant in this insane turn of events...

I followed my Father down the alleyway, three men accompanying us as we ran farther and farther from the gun shots echoing in the distance. The fact we were still running, though, was a sure sign that we were not away from the danger just yet.

"Father, what are you doing here? How did you know about all of this? I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Alex and I. I was going to come home and explain everything but..."

Guilt broke through my confused thoughts, reminding me of the fact that I had kept everything from the man who had raised me and taken care of me after the accident. His worries for me had been validated with Alex's tumultous life and the despair he had taken me through but I would not change a single thing about my love for the man I married. Worry for him filled me but I refused to latch onto the thought, knowing well enough that the fear would break me.

He's going to be fine...We're going to meet again soon and figure everything out....

"We'll talk about everything later! Right now, we need to get away from those people!"

The urgency in his voiced pushed me to run even faster, tightening my grip on my Father's hand as we made our way through the maze of alleyways. My body was slowly breaking down, struggling from the injuries of the accident. I was too focused on strengthening my mind to keep pushing to notice the emergence of the enemy and the gun fight that had me thrust behind a dumpster.

I winced at the pain that exploded behind my eyes, the concussion I suspected I had being cemented as my headache grew worse. I tried to focus on the gun fight, tried to find my father who had been separated from me but I was too disoriented, my fear for him replaced with the claws of darkness that were trying to pull me under. I struggled to stay awake, noting one of the three men we had been with dead on the ground a few ft. away from me. The sight did not repulse me as much as it should have, my mind focusing only on my Father.

Please be safe, Father...Stay awake, Reina! You need to find him...

My pleas for my body were ignored as I slowly begun to drift, the last sight being a man in a ski mask leaning over me, his eyes striking a familiar chord within me as his words registered with me before I drifted into the darkness.

"Sleep, sorellina. By the time you awake, you will be back home with us where you belong."

***