He removed the bandage and examined my head for a few minutes, and when he was finished he turned toward Nathaniel and spoke rapid Spanish, while pointing to the different areas he had checked. I examined Nathaniel’s face as they spoke back and forth and from what I could tell by the relieved look on his face, everything was fine.
When doctor Luis finished speaking, Nathaniel explained to me that my heart and lungs sounded good, my eyesight was perfect and my blood pressure was normal. “How does your head feel?” Nathaniel asked.
I moved my fingers through my hair feeling a small patch and scar in the back. “It hurts a little and everything is a bit fuzzy.” f
Nathaniel translated what I said to the doctor, and I watched as the doctor nodded before speaking. Nathaniel looked at me with a concerned look in his eyes. “And how is your memory?
“My memory?”
“Yeah, do you remember what happened?”
I paused looking down at my connected fingers in my lap. “I remember the house and you and some other people.”
“Do you remember the accident?”
“I’m not sure. It’s there but it's clouded.” I blinked up at him feeling confused. He faced the doctor and explained what I said and as he and doctor Luis continued, I turned toward the window closing my eyes. There was a flash of light, then I heard a scream. I could feel myself slipping as I saw the night sky overhead and then, I heard voices. I blinked them open turning back toward Nathaniel who sat watching me with a frown on his face.
Doctor Luis was gone and so was that annoying beeping sound. “Where did the doctor go?” I asked. My voice was still a bit gravelly, but the pain had subsided to a dull ache.
“He left. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I guess. How long have I been here?”
“Three weeks today.”
My eyes bulged. “That long, what happened to me?”
“You were in a car accident. The car you were in hit a tree and you hit your head. They had to put you in a medically induced coma until the swelling around it subsided.”
“Oh. I guess all the flashes in my head are trying to form a clear picture of that.”
“What have you seen?”
“Just this light…then I saw the sky and a bunch of other things. I’ll eventually remember, but tell me what happen at the house. How did you guys get out?”
“You remember that?”
“I… guess so,” I said as confused as he looked. I don’t even know why I asked those questions or if any of it was true, but suddenly I knew what had happened before the accident. “I guess it’s how I remember you. I just can’t seem to remember after Christopher and I got into the car.”
His jaw tensed, eyes narrowed. “Did he touch you? Hurt you in any way? Nathan told me what happened back in Brazil.”
“He did?” I said surprised. “Knowing your brother I assumed he’d take that to the grave.”
“Yeah well he was lucky he told me. If I had found out from someone else who knows what would have happened,” he said in a hard tone.
“You didn’t kill him did you?”
“He’s alive. Now tell me what happened when you left the dining room.”
I sighed turning to look at the ceiling. “I needed to find a gun. That was my mission.” I turned my head to face him. “I couldn’t leave knowing you were trapped in there with him.”
“You should have left. You should have known I would have a plan—”
“Yeah well I didn’t.” I glared at him. “Anyway I went to find Willow and that’s where I found them…that’s where he found me.”
His jaw clenched. “That son of bitch if he wasn’t dead...”
I frowned as the realization hit me; as the entire ordeal hit me. “Christopher…he-he was in the car. He was trying to take me away. To make me his.” My eyes filled with tears while Nathan watched me with a grim expression. “I caused the accident.”
“What?”
“I did this. He said he was keeping me forever and I couldn’t live like that, I didn’t see another way.
His eyebrows bunched together. “Are you crying because he’s dead?”
I shook my head. “No.” I smiled beyond the tears. Christopher was gone in a permanent way and nothing could make me happier. He was the reason I was taken a second time. He had me in a cell. He shot Nathan and kidnapped me again, and now he was dead. All his plans and his conniving evil ways died with him and I had nothing to worry about ever again. “I’m happy.”
His eyes softened as he reached over and touched my cheek. “I never thought I’d see that smile again.”
“Was the big bad Nathaniel Versalie scared?” I joked.
His face got serious. “Terrified. When I saw them take you away, I thought my life was over. I hated seeing you like that Izzy. Hated knowing you were in pain. I should have protected you.”
“But you did protect me.”
He bowed his head, shaking it from side to side. “I didn’t. I brought you into this mess—”
“But you weren’t the reason I was in that car. You had no idea what was happening, you didn’t even know about Christopher. You had nothing to do with this. I knew the consequences of pulling that wheel, because I knew I’d rather die than live without you.”
He moved toward me sitting near my hip while I moved over making room for him. Placing his hands on my face, he leaned down and kissed me tenderly. I lifted my hand pulling him closer moaning into his mouth. I missed him. Missed his touch and the feeling of just being with him. Christopher was crazy if he believed I would ever love him like I did Nathaniel. Even when I was with him back in high school I didn’t love him like I loved Nathaniel. He pulled away gazing at me with a heated stare. “I’m glad to see that your brain hasn’t forgotten everything.”
I smirked. “Never.” I yawned into my hand as my eyes grew heavy. I closed my eyes briefly, nuzzling into my pillow. “I’m sorry you had to stay here with me,” I said sheepishly with what seemed like all the energy I had.
“I stayed with you for three weeks, and I would have wait forever.” It was the last thing I heard before everything faded away.
***
I woke up a while later staring out into the dark. The only light in the room came from the three overhead lights above my bed. Turning onto my side I found Nathaniel sitting in the same chair fast asleep. He looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake him, so I watched him thinking of the last few days.
I’d been awake for two weeks, and I was happy to say things were feeling a lot better. My head was less fuzzy and I remembered everything that happened in the last couple weeks. The catheter was removed, and now I could go to the bathroom with the assistance of Nathaniel to help support my broken leg. I felt good and what was even better was the fact that everything had worked out for everyone. Well except Nathan.
Nathaniel told me about what had happened when I was gone. The man they thought was their father wasn’t, and Nathan finally extracted the ultimate revenge. Nicolae’s empire had finally fallen, and Justine/ Vanessa had gotten the credit for the bust. The plan worked and even though I was a bit pissed for not being included in certain areas of the plan, I was happy we all made it out alive.
Gazing at Nathaniel still fast asleep, I noticed he was wearing different clothes than the last time I saw him; a plain white T-shirt and dark jeans. The hair on his face was gone which told me he finally went home, and I was glad. I didn’t like the fact that for over five weeks he had barely left my side. I felt a little guilty knowing it was my fault.
He stirred before his head lifted and he yawned. When he noticed me staring at him, he smiled sweetly before shifting forward. “Glad to see you’re awake.”
“While you were fast asleep.”
“This chair and I have become fast growing friends since your stay here.”
“Glad to know you weren’t lonely while I was asleep. How long was I out this time?”
“Thankfully only about six hour
s. How are you feeling?”
“A lot better than before I think. It's strange though. For some reason my body feels different.”
“Well you were in an accident. I doubt you’d feel like yourself for a while.”
I shook my head. “No it’s not that, it’s something else. I’m not sure—” Since I woke up I’d been feeling strange, and it wasn’t my head or my broken leg. This was something else, something I’m not sure about.
He came to me and sat on the bad with a warm smile. “Can you tell me about it? This feeling that you’re feeling.”
I released a slow breath. “I don’t know. It’s weird. I don’t know maybe I’m crazy—”
“Or maybe you’re not.”
“Huh?”
He was smiling like something amazing had happened. I crooked one brow at him. “The doctor told me something after you were brought in.” Excitement danced in his eyes as he watched me.
“Are you going to leave me in suspense here?”
“How do you feel about babies?”
I eyed him confused. “Aaa… in general. I've never really thought about it.” He was grinning now, why was he grinning? “Are you okay?”
“You’re pregnant, Izz.”
I stilled, all the color that was left in my face was probably gone when I frowned. On instinct I looked down at my stomach with a shaky hand reaching over and moving the blanket aside.
“What are you thinking? I know we never talked about it and with the way your face looks right now I’m guessing you didn’t know.”
My eyes snapped up to meet his. “Of course I didn’t know. Wait a minute…you’ve been here for weeks wondering if I knew?”
“Well women tend to know these things before men.”
“Yeah well I was a bit preoccupied don’t you think?”
He grinned reaching forward to touch my cheek. “What are you thinking?”
I sighed looking down at my stomach again. “I don’t know….I’ve never thought about kids. I mean what kind of example could I set for a kid when I basically sold myself before being sold to the kid’s dad?” I arched my brow at him.
He laughed heartily. “I think it makes for an interesting story.”
“Not funny.”
“Kinda funny.”
“You were mad about that.” His face softened as he leaned back just a little. “The whole selling myself thing, it really was just a way for Reed and I to earn some money and once I got away from Hector, I wouldn’t have to do it again because we’d be set with the money we got. But then Reed gambled away all the money and married some bitch who was crazy enough turned out to be Christopher’s sister,” I said. “I was going to tell you about it, I just didn’t know how. I didn’t know how you would look at me if you knew I had done something so horrible.” I looked down at my fingers ashamed of what I’d done. Maybe all of this was my punishment. Maybe this was God’s way of teaching me to appreciate what I had, and I had to go through hell to see it.
“Izabella look at me.” His fingers were on my chin lifting my head so my eyes met his. “I understand. We’ve all done things we're not proud of. Beating ourselves up about it won’t change the fact that it happened. Sometimes you just have to let it go.”
“And have you let go of all the bad things you’ve done?”
“Most…the rest we’ll just have to work through together.” He smiled before his eyes shifted down to my stomach. “As for this.”
“I know, I know bad timing.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I think everything worked out as it should.”
“So, he’s really gone?”
“Yeah and now we can have that happily ever after. You, me.” He looked down placing his hand on my stomach. “And our family.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Izabella
I stood with my hands in the pockets of my coat as Nathaniel smiled over at me, before leaning down to kiss my cheek. He knew I was nervous and was trying his best to make sure that I wasn’t. Italy was the most beautiful place I had ever seen and since we arrived two days ago, all we had done was sight see and eat some of the most delicious food I had ever tasted. I was thinking about moving here permanently.
“You’ll be fine. They're great people and they’ll love you,” he reassured, placing his arm around me and pulling me into his side. I gazed up at him and was about to respond, when the door opened to a smiling man.
He was dashingly handsome with dark hair and sparking green eyes. I always thought Nathan and Nathaniel got their eyes from their father, but as it turned out their father wasn’t their father and the eyes came from their mother. “Nathaniel.” He released the door as Nathaniel released me and they both met in a hug. “So good to see you, figlio.”
“Alessandro, good to see you too.” They parted as Nathaniel turned to face me with a proud expression on his face. “Uncle, this is my fiancé Izabella.”
I smiled as Alessandro stepped forward with a warm smile as he engulfed me in a hug. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Oh—” He released me looking down at my protruding stomach. I was now five months pregnant and my belly wasn’t as big as it would end up being, but it was still pretty big. Nathaniel had said I looked beautiful, I on the other hand felt anything but because from the moment I was discharged from the hospital, I couldn’t keep my head out of a toilet bowl. This child was secretly trying to kill me.
“I see we are adding another addition to the famiglia. How are you feeling my darling?”
“Like I’m slowly losing my mind with every passing day.” I grinned.
“That’s the usual response.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and started ushering me inside as Nathaniel followed behind. “You know, I had to watch my wife lose her mind five times and she’s still losing her mind after they were born.”
I chuckled with a curious brow lift. “So, I guess what you’re saying is there is no hope for me.”
He shook his head with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Not with a Donatella growing inside you.”
“So, you just steal my fiancé and leave me holding the door.” We both stopped and turned watching as Nathaniel closed the door and approached with a smile on his face. “Don’t think your wife’s going to like that much.”
He laughed. “Thank God she’s not here then.”
“What about the others? They here yet?”
“Si, everyone’s in the dining room. As soon as Silvia returns we shall eat. Go join. I have business to attend to for a few minutes.” With a nod, he left us and retreated out of the room.
“He seems nice.” I said as he took my hand and I followed him through the entryway. I admired this house a lot when we arrived and couldn’t wait to see the inside. Now that I’d seen it, I wasn’t disappointed. It was beautiful in every sense of the word.
“I did say he was a nice man. How are you feeling?”
I sighed. Ever since this whole pregnancy thing Nathaniel rarely let me out of his sight. He’d watch me get sick and was right there holding my hair with an awaiting bag of crackers and tea. He was amazing, truly, but I was getting sick of him asking how I was doing all the time. “Still pregnant.”
“And you would like me to stop asking,” he said amused.
“Would you?”
“Nope.” He grabbed me around the shoulders and kissed my head. “I’ll always ask because it's something I need to know.”
“Not need, want.”
“Whatever you say.” He chuckled as I rolled my eyes. We entered into the noisy dining room and the first person I saw was Vanessa, who quickly stood and started heading our way.
“About time you guys showed up. Andrea’s been grumpy since we couldn’t eat unless everyone was here.” She hugged me then Nathaniel while Andrea followed behind her.
“Because you know how I am with my stomach,” said Andrea patting his stomach before he grabbed me into a hug.
I laughed when he spun me around causing Nathaniel to scowl at him. �
�Alright, alright that’s enough.” On my feet again, he and Nathaniel did the whole one arm guy pat as they both grinned at each other. “Cousin.”
Nathan, who joined us, slapped Nathaniel on the back in welcome. In the four months since Nicolae’s death the five of us had become quite close with having to deal with the mess caused by Nicolae. While Vanessa did what she could helping the FBI gather all the evidence, Andrea and his cousins returned to their respective homes not wanting the FBI to get on their trail. Nathan who for a few weeks after killing Nicolae disappeared because he wanted nothing to do with the house or whatever money that may have been left behind, hadn’t been seen until today. He was still dealing with the death of his girlfriend, and spent a lot of months spiralling the drain.
“Brother, good to see you,” said Nathaniel still holding onto his brother's shoulder.
“What can I say, I deserved a vacation,” he grinned wiggling his eyebrows. He watched me, probably wondering if to hug me or not. I had to admit Nathan and I may have started a little rocky, but ever since our plane ride I couldn’t help but think I understood him little better. He visited me at the hospital and since then we’ve been on mutual ground.
“Good to see you're still you.” I reached over hugging him. “How you doing?” I whispered against his ear.
I felt his body shrug as he whispered back. “Dealing.”
“Good.” We separated. “Where have you been all this time?”
“Yeah, I tried calling you, but your phone was disconnected,” said Nathaniel.
He scratched the back of his neck. “I may have been traveling, sort of forgot to get that fixed. Enough about me, look at you all…pregnant.”
I looked down at my stomach and grinned. “Yep all pregnant.”
“You look gorgeous, Izzy. Congratulations guys,” said Vanessa touching my arm.
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