by KL Donn
A finger lifts my chin, forcing me to face my future. “Hiding only makes it worse,” Anatonia advises.
“She’s right,” Paige says softly.
Dr. Fields places a hand on my covered shin. “Mr. Morello says you don’t speak. Frankly, you barely make a sound. You tried to tell someone before, didn’t you?” I shrug my shoulders, slumping in defeat. “I don’t know your story, what’s happened in your life, Posy, but I do know the Morello family. Whoever hurt you, you can be confident they will no longer get away with it.” She sounds so sure. As if Natale has some sort of sway over who gets justice and who doesn’t.
Patting my leg, Dr. Fields stands to leave when I grab her hand. Staring back at me, I squeeze, and she smiles. “You’re welcome, Posy.”
Left alone in the room with Anatonia, I don’t know what to think. My mind is spinning in a million circles with so many questions.
Why will this time be any different than the last three times I tried to get help?
Who is Natale Morello?
What happens to me now?
Natale
As the doc and nurse exit the room I’ve been pacing in front of for the last hour, they simply shake their heads at me before I go to re-enter and stand at Posy’s side.
“Just a minute, Mr. Morello.” Dr. Fields stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “I know who you are, who your family is, but I get the feeling she doesn’t.”
“What’s your point?” I bark, impatient to see my girl.
“She has gone through years of abuse. Years. Betrayal, ignorance, agony. She is someone I would normally put on suicide watch.” My heart constricts at the mere thought. “Make sure whoever did this to her doesn’t get away with it again.”
Did she just ask me to kill the guy?
“Deal,” I tell her and rush in to see Posy sitting up in the bed, her head down, hand still holding onto Anatonia like a lifeline.
When Ana’s tormented gaze meets mine, I can see her turmoil. Whatever happened in here, whatever was said or implied, has this woman in knots. Someone I’ve never seen flinch in the face of an adversary.
“Tesoro,” I murmur as I approach Posy. She doesn’t move, but I see the way her breathing changes, picks up in pace. Her nerves are wrecked. My girl has been through hell and doesn’t see a way out.
Sitting on the bed next to her, I invade her space by pulling her into my side. I know she’s been hurt, abused. Doesn’t trust a single person on this planet, and I can’t blame her, but I’m going to prove to her that I am one of a few people who will give her everything she needs in life and more.
Slowly her body stops shaking, and I feel her delicate hands wrap around my waist. The fingers of one even play with the edge of my shirt, cautiously touching the skin of my back.
A peace I’ve never experienced settles over me, and I’m such a selfish prick that I know it’s because of her. Posy is my peace, and even though I acknowledged I would keep her before, now is different. The rage I’ve always felt has simmered down to a slow burn that is controlled by her.
“I’m going to keep you protected. Forever with me, you will be safe.” A vow I will never break.
The sound of the exam room’s door opening has me looking back to see my parents entering. Papà has a scowl on his face while Mamma holds a bag close to her chest.
“Oh, Natale,” she whispers, consternation on her delicate face. She realizes a travesty has occurred. Neither of my parents deals with harm to innocents well, and after meeting Posy, I know they will both agree with me when I tell them that my love’s abuser needs to face justice.
“She’s fragile,” I say in our native Italian.
“She’ll come with us,” Mamma responds. They already know of her living situation. The identity of her parents and how they’ve failed to protect their only child.
Papà doesn’t say anything as he comes over to stand next to us. Cupping Posy’s face, he lifts her chin so he can take her in. His eyes flash with rage before he hides it.
Leaning down, he whispers something in her ear before kissing her cheek and walking out of the room. The way she stares after him, I have to wonder what he said, but I know she won’t tell me until she’s ready.
“Oh boy.” Mamma lightly laughs because she understands her husband and likely knows he’s about to do something that will get him into trouble.
“I brought the things you requested, Nat. However, now that I see her, I fear they might be too large.” Placing the bag she brought in with her on the bed, Mamma begins pulling out one of my favorite sweaters, a t-shirt, and a pair of her own lounge pants for Posy. I wanted her to be comfortable when we left here, but I can see my mother’s likely right.
“You can shop for her later. I just want to get her home now.”
I need Posy to know she’s going to be safe, and seeing the security we have at the house will help.
“Why don’t you go grab her a chocolate bar and a tea; she could use the sugar, I’m sure. Ana and I will help her dress.” Mamma shoos me out the door before I can protest, and as I leave, Domino is waiting with a new file and conversing with my father.
“What?” I bark as I approach them.
Domino hands me the folder marked confidential. “They’ve disappeared.” His words only further piss me off.
Posy
Silence surrounds the room as Natale leaves, and my panic rises. He left me. I’m clingy and terrified, and he just left. I know this is his family. I know he trusts these people, but I have no idea who they are. What their intentions with me are.
Grasping Anatonia’s hand in mine, I slowly scoot closer to her, not wanting to insult Natale’s mother but also somewhat afraid of the woman. She carries a ton of power that radiates off her like a furnace. Her love for her family is evident, but I’m new. A girl that her son has gotten entangled with, and she likely wants nothing to do with.
Why would she?
Why should she?
Being wary around strangers is second nature to me, so when his mother reaches a hand out for me, I flinch and turn away.
“Oh, dear,” she whispers. “You have been hurt. I thought Natale was exaggerating when he explained how timid you were.” Hearing her sympathy, I’m inclined to look towards her.
I want to apologize, but I can’t. The pain from biting my lip is all that stops me from crying. “You are safe here, Posy. Nobody is going to hurt you, least of all me.”
Slowly nodding, I sit up a little more before relaxing. “Good.” She gestures before reaching back for the things she pulled out of the bag in her hand. “Nat asked me to bring you some clothes, but I figured his sweats were too big for you, so I brought a pair of my lounge pants, though I’m afraid they’re still going to hang off of you.”
Leaving the bed, she moves everything around to where I’m holding onto Anatonia. “My name is Maria, my husband is Carlo. I know you don’t speak, but one day, when you feel the safety we’re promising you, you will. I’m confident in it.” Maria’s smile is welcoming as she continues on.
“We’re going to slip this shirt over your head, then pull the gown off. I’ll help with the pants after. Though”—she digs through the bag—“I forgot shoes. I wonder if yours are still around.” Dismissing the thought, Maria begins dressing me and contorting my limbs gently to do as she wishes.
She suddenly stops while pulling my gown down before the shirt meets my flesh, and I know what she sees. Only I didn’t realize it was so ghastly.
“I hope they filet him,” she murmurs, lifting my shirt to expose the bruising across my stomach and ribs. They look much worse than even I imagined, and once I see the full damage Brian inflicted upon me, I begin hyperventilating.
He could have killed me. My ribs could have snapped and stabbed through a lung or my heart, pierced any organ within its reach. I was one kick away from potential death, and it all hits me at once.
“Go get Nat,” Maria says, but I can’t focus on who she’s speaking to or why. I can bare
ly concentrate on inhaling. “Stay with me, Posy. Listen to my voice.”
Maria continues to talk, but all I hear is the pounding of blood in my veins. Laying me back on the bed, she snaps her fingers in front of my face repeatedly. I shake my head so she knows I’m acknowledging her and continue to count the ceiling tiles. Any mundane task that helps me return to my body.
After the beatings.
The assaults.
Terrifying nights hidden in a closet.
I can always depend on counting objects to bring me back to life. But never have I been so close to death before, and it has me wondering if it wouldn’t be better if I were gone.
All of my pain and suffering would end. No more abuse. No more bullying.
No more Natale.
How have two days of knowing him made him so important in my life?
“Tesoro?” I feel his rough hand tentatively touch my leg, and I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of his soft stroke as he moves closer. “Look at me.” There’s a command in his tone that I don’t ignore.
Tears swim in my eyes as I stare up at him. I’m naked from the waist down, except for the sheet covering me, and all I want is to feel more of his hands.
When his gaze drops to the bruising on my stomach leading up to my chest, I turn my head, disgusted that he has to see me so frail.
“I told you to never look away from me,” he growls in my ear. “They’re minor imperfections that will heal in time.” I want to believe him, but it’s so common for me to look a mess that I don’t know how.
“The doctor is ready?” The question is to his mother. “Good. Let them know we’re leaving.” Maria must go because I hear the door open and close.
“Posy.” Natale’s handsome face hovers over mine, making him my only line of view, and I notice things I never saw before. Reaching up with a hand, I trace the dimple in his right cheek, the curve of his full lips, and the tiny dip in the middle of his chin. “You’re coming home with me.” I acknowledge him, but I’m still fascinated with discovering more about him. Like the small daith piercing he has in his left ear.
Caressing my cheek softly, Natale leans forward to place a kiss on my lips. It’s so tender it almost hurts in its intensity. Not wanting the moment to end, I unconsciously follow him when he pulls away. Noticing this, Natale grins, and his dimple becomes more prominent. His eyes alight with joy.
“We’ll do that again later. When you’re ready for more.” He traces my lower lip with a finger before helping me sit up and sliding on the pants his mother brought. She was right; they still hang off my sleight frame. Anatonia hands him the sweater, and I slip it over my hand, bringing the front to my nose and inhaling. It carries his scent. A mix of spice and wood.
“She didn’t bring shoes,” he comments, shrugging. Natale hands Anatonia the bag and picks me up in his arms. “Just means I get to hold you close.”
While Natale enjoys the move, I hide my face in his neck because I know that by him carrying me out of the hospital, it’s going to draw attention, and that’s the very last thing I want.
Joined by his parents, a man in uniform, and a handful of men in suits, we’re escorted outside to a waiting limousine, and I have to wonder just who these people are that they need all of this security.
Chapter 6
Posy
It’s the middle of the night. The moon is high, the house and the grounds are silent except for crickets chirping, singing a song only they understand. It was only minutes after leaving for Natale’s home that I fell asleep in his arms to the sounds of his parents speaking in Italian. Natale didn’t join in, so I have no idea if they were talking about me or not, and I did my best not to stress about it before closing my eyes and drifting off.
I didn’t wake again until I was placed on a bed and heard the door click closed. My eyes popped open like a bomb had gone off next to me.
For hours, I tried in vain to fall back to sleep, exhausted and anxious, but it never worked. I’ve been up ever since, too afraid to leave the room because I’m in a strange place, and I have no idea where anything is, so I’ve been sitting by the cracked window, listening to the universe.
“It’s a beautiful time of night.” I nearly jump out of my skin at the masculine voice.
Briskly getting to my feet, I see Natale’s father in the now open doorway, leaning against the frame, arms crossed. The hall light illuminates his structure, making him appear menacing.
“Would you care to join me in the kitchen for a glass of milk?” I get the feeling he’s not used to asking for anything.
Hesitantly, I stand and follow along after him. My throat is parched, or I might have turned him away. As we walk along the hallways, I notice the grand paintings of men and women along the walls. After passing a number of them, I realize they’re generational.
On one side is what appears to be Carlo’s family. I can tell from the dark looks, strong jawline, and intense gazes. While on the opposite wall is Maria’s. They’re softer. Their faces are expressive, and you can almost imagine what they were thinking as the photos were taken.
“These go back over one hundred and fifty years,” Carlo says, pride evident in his tone. “Roots are important to us. In order to get where we want to be in life, we first need to know where we came from.”
Leading me to the kitchen, it’s enormous. I know I have a lot to learn about Natale and his family, but if there’s one thing I know now, it’s that I don’t fit in here with all their history and lovely furnishings. I belong in some seedy back alley begging for their scraps.
“Maria and I were paired by our parents before either of us even knew the other existed,” Carlo shares as he reaches in the fridge to remove the milk. “The day I met her, I thought I was going to have to fight my family to keep her. I knew, immediately, that she was the one I was going to spend my life with.”
Accepting the cool glass from him, I pay attention because I’m certain he’s about to reveal something of importance.
“I always vowed I would allow any children we had to choose their own partners. I swore I wouldn’t get involved in their love lives.” I can feel the pit in my stomach forming as I get the feeling he’s about to tell me I’m not good enough for Natale.
And he’d be right. I’m not.
Spying a pen and pad next to a butcher block, I reach for them as Carlo continues to speak. “Natale has never shown much interest in bringing girls home before. He’s always wanted to finish school, especially after missing an entire year, and then worry about love.” I pause at his revelation.
Natale missed a year of school? So he’s older than I thought.
Slipping the pad over to Carlo, I closely watch his face as he reads what I wrote. He doesn’t disappoint.
Like Natale, he’s quick to anger as well.
“This is what you think?” He hisses the words out as he crumples the paper.
I nod my head, ready to leave once he asks.
Shaking his head, Carlo drops his fists on the counter. “In Italy, women are the backbone of the families. No matter the power one wields, the shames, the heartache, the women all shoulder it and dictate in the homes. The woman of a family is made of faith, love, and, at one time or another, a shattered soul.”
Reaching out, Carlo grips my chin and drags me closer, so we’re inches apart before peering into my eyes.
“When Natale asked me to look into you, your family, I knew you were his choice. When I saw you, felt your traumatized soul in that hospital room, I knew you were the one who was going to propel my son into greatness. Not this.” He scoffs at the paper on the counter. “Do not think that your past defines your future. You are aware of how your family has fucked up, how they have broken you, and dragged you to your lowest points, and you know what to do to prevent that from happening to any other women around you.”
Letting go of my chin, he hands me the note. “You will be the strongest of any women to join this family because you were brought to your weakest moment
before Natale will help build you back up.” With his parting words, Carlo leaves me to contemplate our encounter.
Unrolling the crumpled paper, I read my words back.
I’m not good enough.
Could Carlo be right, though? Can I become stronger because of what I’ve been through? I hope he’s right.
Natale
My room is next to Posy’s, and I’d been listening to her pace around for hours, waiting for her to come looking for me. When I heard my father get up and, shockingly, go to her, I waited until they left for the kitchen before slipping out of my room and waiting outside of Posy’s for her return.
Noticing my father pass this way again without her, I worry until he stops in front of me. “Don’t let her go, son, she’s going to change a lot of lives.” I can only nod because I see the same thing in her.
Posy is a unique individual with a kind soul who has been broken down to her bare bones. It’s my job to rebuild her. Show her that she is worth more than anyone else in my eyes and that even though she doesn’t feel it, she has value beyond her comprehension.
It feels like an eternity before I hear Posy walking down the hall from the kitchen, and when she sees me, her whole body freezes. Like she’s expecting to get in shit.
“Tesoro.” I can see the way she relaxes at the nickname and continues to glide forward. I don’t move from my position against the wall because I want her to come to me.
She’s a foot away, and I can sense the battle she’s waging within herself. Posy has no reason to trust me. No reason to suspect that all I want is to protect her and give her the world.