Turn Towards the Sun: Book Three- Forever in Bloom (The Sunflower Trilogy)

by Domenico, Jennifer

  “It’s not supposed to be Enzo! It was you. You are supposed to die not Enzo! Oh God! Oh God!”

  She holds the gun up again and points it at me. “You shot Enzo, Anna!” I scream.

  I hear a commotion in the hall and look up to see Dax, Danny, Grayson, and several police officers. When she sees them, Anna rushes to me and holds the gun straight to my head. I can’t summon the strength to be afraid. All I can do is stroke Enzo’s hair off his face and whisper to him how much I love him. I’m losing him.

  “Drop your weapon!” The police shout and pull their own guns on Anna.

  I attempt to scoot away from her but she grabs my hair and holds me in my spot. I try to reason with her. “Anna, please let them take Enzo. He needs help or he’ll die. You don’t want him to die do you?”

  Anna looks down at Enzo’s unconscious body and shakes her head. “No. I don’t want him to die. They can take him. You come with me.” She pulls my hair and I stand up and back away from my husband, my blue dress now covered in his blood. Two policemen rush towards him and pull him from the room. Anna holds the gun to my head threatening to shoot me if the police don’t let her leave. They assure her they have no intention of letting her leave with me. The situation is getting tense and I realize I’m going to have to do something if I want to get out of here alive. I have to be here for Enzo.

  There is so much yelling and screaming from Anna and the police. I close my eyes praying somehow this will end without someone else getting hurt. Anna pulls my hair and goes from aiming the gun at me to aiming it at herself. Opening my eyes, I can see that the police are trying to find a way to shoot her but every time I move she pulls me closer. My only hope is to get some distance between us both. I look at Danny who nods at me. Taking a deep breath I use my elbow to punch her in the stomach. She loosens her grip just enough for me to start to run away. In the chaos, I can see her confusion escalating and she points the gun in my direction.

  “Drop the gun!” the police yell just as I drop to my knees. Several loud shots are fired as Danny pulls my arm and drags me from the room.

  The next thing I know I’m lifted off my feet and carried from the building out a back entrance. The only coherent thought I have is that I need to find my husband. I need to know Enzo is okay.

  “MRS. MILANO, YOUR husband is in surgery right now. The bullet hit near the subclavian artery on his left shoulder and he lost a lot of blood,” the doctor explains. “He also suffered a concussion. Fortunately, the assailant used a low caliber weapon which limited some of the damage. We expect it to be another forty-five minutes to an hour. We’ll let you know as soon as he stable in recovery.”

  I nod my head, trying to understand his words. Grayson and Danny stand nearby me as I support my weight against a column. “Is he going to be okay?” I ask.

  The doctor frowns. “I can’t answer that at this time. We need to do some tests to see if he suffered any other injuries. For now, we just need to get him safely through surgery. I think we should have a nurse check you out as well.”

  I nod and take a step forward but feel unable to hold myself up. I call Enzo’s name right before everything fades away.

  “AVA? AVA CAN you hear me?” I hear Gabby’s sweet voice calling my name. Opening my eyes, I see that I’m lying on a hospital bed. I’m confused for a moment until the night’s horrible events come rushing back to me. I sit up quickly but the room spins when I do.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “You fainted but you’re okay. Grayson caught you before you hit the floor. How do you feel?” she asks.

  “When did you get here?”

  “Five minutes ago. Calvin brought me.” She strokes my hair from my face.

  I look down at my bloodied dress and fresh tears start to flow. “They don’t know if Enzo is going to make it. She shot him, Gabby.”

  “I know. Enzo is strong, Ava. He’ll pull through. I just know it.”

  A nurse comes in the room and starts checking my vitals. “Mrs. Milano is there any chance you could be pregnant?” she asks.

  “I suppose there is but I doubt it. I haven’t been able to get pregnant for months.”

  “Well, let’s do a test anyway to be sure. We don’t want to run any x-rays or anything else until we know.”

  “That’s fine.” Gabby helps me off the table while the nurse shows me to the bathroom where I provide a sample for her. Back out in the waiting room, I pace back and forth waiting for news about my husband.

  One by one, our friends and loved ones show up. Francesca is the last to arrive, having managed to keep the crowd at the hotel calm in spite of all that’s happened. She’s clearly been crying and rushes to hug me. As soon as she sees my dress, she releases a loud sob. I do my best to comfort her even though we are all scared.

  In all the chaos I realize I don’t even know what happened with Anna and I don’t care. The only thing I care about right now is Enzo. I’ll deal with her later.

  Cassie holds my hand while Francesca holds the other. Gabby periodically gets water and coffee for all of us while the men take phone calls. Alex arrives and Grayson explains what happened. Alex goes into action preparing statements to release to the media. There is no way this information won’t get out.

  Finally, a doctor approaches us. I stand and brace myself for the worst news. Please, God, let Enzo be okay.

  The doctor smiles. “Mr. Milano is stable. He’s very strong and made it through surgery. He’s recovering now but still unconscious. You can see him, but only you. We need to limit his visitors for now.”

  Nodding, I let the doctor lead me to Enzo’s room. I strain to hold back my tears when I see Enzo hooked up to machines, looking small in his hospital bed. As I approach his bed, my body starts to shake with fear. My wonderful, strong husband was almost taken from me by that crazed bitch. My heart hurts watching him lie there, struggling to pull through. I lift his hand and hold it against my cheek as my tears fall freely. Staring at him, I fear that he isn’t going to make it. What if he doesn’t make it?

  “Please, Enzo, please come back to me. I’m here, my love. Your Ava is here and waiting for you. I love you so much.” My words choke on my tears. “Please, Enzo. Don’t let her win. Don’t let her take you from me. We have so much life to live. We have so much love.” I sob heavily now. “Please, don’t leave me.”

  Bending down, I kiss his forehead, his nose, and his lips, hoping that he knows I’m here and that I love him. I sit next to him and softly begin to sing his favorite Italian song, Se. It was the first song I learned the meaning of the Italian words and it was even more beautiful after that.

  I love how the words describe what it would feel like if he could be inside my heart for one day; if he could feel the love I feel when I look at him. If he could see himself through my eyes, he would know everything my heart feels without me saying a word. That song perfectly describes the love I have for Enzo and his love for me. I just need him to wake up.

  I lay my head on his chest and am comforted by his soft breathing. Suddenly I feel his hand in my hair and I pop my head up to see his stunning blues eyes open and gazing at me. In spite of the pain he must feel, his face lights up and he smiles.

  “I love you, Ava,” are the first words he whispers.

  “Oh, God, Enzo. I love you too. I thought I lost you.”

  “You will never lose me, amore,” he says slowly. “Are you hurt?”

  I shake my head. “No, just shaken up.”

  “You’re so strong, bella,” he whispers again.

  “So are you, my prince.” I lean down and kiss his face a thousand times so thankful that he’s alive. My attention turns to the door when the nurse that helped me earlier comes in.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking for you,” she says. “Your test results are back.” She looks down at her chart. “It seems your blood sugar is a little bit low which combined with the trauma you endured tonight may have caused you to faint. But the best news is that yo
u are going to have a baby. Congratulations!”

  “What did you just say?” I ask, in pure shock.

  “I said you’re going to have a baby. You’re pregnant.”

  I stare at the nurse for a moment before looking back at Enzo. “I’m pregnant? Oh my God, I’m pregnant!”

  Enzo squeezes my hand and a tear falls down his cheek. Leaning in again, I kiss his lips and whisper, “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “Yes, we are. It’s wonderful news.”

  “Yes.”

  A knock at the door breaks us away from our happy news and two police officers enter. “Hello. I’m Officer MacMullin and this is Officer Joanisse. We’re sorry to bother you but we need to discuss some things with you both.”

  I nod and scoot up onto Enzo’s bed beside him, holding his hand in mine. Officer MacMullin pulls out a notebook.

  “We were able to speak with your associate, Daxton Delaney, who provided additional details regarding Miss Pierce’s actions leading up to tonight. Apparently, she had contacted him and he thought she was harmless only seeking to cause you and Mr. Milano some embarrassment. To hear him tell it, he had no idea she was as dangerous as she turned out to be.”

  I nod my head. Why am I not surprised that Dax was involved on some level? Still, he probably saved our lives by running for help.

  “What condition is Miss Pierce in?” I ask.

  “Miss Pierce passed away in the ambulance on the way to hospital.”

  “She’s dead?” I ask.

  “Yes, ma’am. She’s dead. She was shot several times by police officers and died en route.”

  “Any chance the baby survived?” I ask. I don’t see how. It’s much too early.

  Officer Joanisse looks at a notebook. “I don’t see anything about a baby so I don’t believe it survived.”

  She’s dead. Anna, stalker bitch, is finally out of my life forever and with her, the baby she forced Enzo to give her. I told myself that one way or another, Anna would be out of our lives forever and she is. I feel nothing but a sense of relief.

  I look down at Enzo whose face says it all. He is just as relieved as I am.

  “What do we need to do now, officer?” I ask.

  “We’ll need to get statements from you both, if you’re well enough, Mr. Milano?”

  Enzo nods his head and sits up a bit in the bed, wincing with pain. “I want to get this done tonight once and for all. We have a lot to share with you, officers.”

  The two officers pull up a chair and Enzo and I share the whole sordid history with Anna from the first interactions with me at Girasole, to the blackmail, to tonight’s bloody showdown. Periodically, Enzo sips water and I remind him to pace himself. I’ve never seen him so weak and helpless before but I have to admit, it’s nice that I can be the one to take care of him for once.

  After more than an hour, the officers thank us for our time and leave. I’m exhausted but there is no way I’m leaving Enzo. No way at all.

  “Ava, you should rest. I’ll be okay here,” Enzo suggests.

  “I’m not leaving. They’ll just have to bring in a cot for me.”

  “Lay down here with me.”

  I climb up on the bed and cuddle close to my husband, being careful to avoid the various tubes and machinery around him. Rubbing his chest, I just have to ask the question.

  “Are you sad Anna’s baby died?”

  “It’s always sad when a baby dies, but I have to wonder what kind of life that child would have had with an insane mother and a forced father. The only saving grace that child would have had in this world is you.”

  “I don’t know about that. I think raising her child would have been harder than I imagined, especially after tonight.”

  “I know but what a wonderful person you are to have tried.”

  “Dax was involved on some level, you know.”

  “Yes, I know. I will deal with him.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet.” Enzo reaches out and rubs my tummy. “My baby is in there. Our baby.”

  “Yes, can you believe it? As soon as I stopped worrying, it happened.”

  “When do you think it happened?”

  I stop and think for a moment. I had my period while I was in Denver so it had to be after that. “The hood of the car in a rainstorm, perhaps?” I reply, grinning.

  “Mmm, what a lovely place to conceive a child.”

  “I love you, Enzo. You are my life. Thank you for coming back to me.”

  “Ava, my love, I never left you.”

  MORNING COMES AND I stretch my cramped body as best I can lying next to Enzo. The first thing I do is check and make sure he’s breathing and I’m relieved to find that he is. I shift to get up but Enzo grabs me and holds me tight.

  “Don’t leave me,” he says, frantically.

  “I won’t. I’m just going to the bathroom and it’s right there,” I say pointing to the room to our left.

  “I don’t want you to go alone.”

  “Enzo,” I say, rubbing his cheek. “She can’t hurt me anymore. She’s gone.”

  He sighs, releasing me. “I forgot for a moment.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, an angel slept beside me all night.”

  “Ah, I see Mr. Romantic is alive and well.”

  “I am,” he says, grinning.

  As I take the short walk to the bathroom, I hear a scuffle in the hallway and look out the door to see Dax trying to get past Grayson, Danny, and little Marisa. I open the door and step into the area and as soon as I do everyone stops and stares at me.

  “What are you doing here, Dax?”

  “I came to see Enzo. Is he alright?”

  “Don’t answer him, Ava,” Grayson says. “He doesn’t deserve to know.”

  Placing my hands on my hips, I say, “I think Grayson is right.”

  “Ava, Mrs. Milano, please. I want you to hear my side of it,” Dax pleads.

  I laugh. “Your side? You have some nerve.” I want to kick him out, but he did run for help that saved Enzo’s life and probably mine. He probably knows a lot more about what Anna did. I relent and decide to let him talk to us. “You’ve got fifteen minutes to say your piece. That’s it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I nod my head and Grayson and Danny release his arms while Marisa moves to the side to let him pass. “We’ll be right outside, Ava,” Danny adds.

  When Dax and I enter, Enzo looks up and immediately stiffens. “What do you want?” Enzo asks.

  “I want to explain. I never meant for anyone to get hurt,” Dax says.

  “What did you mean to happen?” I ask.

  “When she first contacted me, I didn’t think it was a big deal. She said you fired her. She was humiliated and she wanted to get you back. She said all she wanted to do was cause a little inconvenience for you.”

  “How did she know she could contact you?” I ask.

  “I wondered that too at first. Eventually I figured out that she heard me…” he looks at the floor briefly. “She heard me talking shit about you at a bar. She must have been following me. Either that or it was a coincidence.”

  “Nothing Anna ever did was a coincidence,” I say.

  “I went along with it for a while but then she started asking more personal questions and tried to get me to help her,” he continues. “I backed off as soon as she told me about some crazy lie she dreamed up about getting pregnant by you.”

  “It wasn’t a lie, Dax. She was pregnant. I saw the ultrasound. She drugged Enzo in Vegas and took advantage.”

  Dax looks at me. “No, Ava. It was a lie. She told me. When she told me she was pregnant and was going to use the information to break up your marriage, I told her that she shouldn’t use a child that way, that it would harm the kid in the long run, and that Enzo would never love her. Everyone knows that. I asked her how she even got that far with Enzo, knowing full well he would never cheat on you. Well eventually she got mad and admitted it was
n’t true. She forged the ultrasound she had on the computer. She was never pregnant at all.” He turns to Enzo. “In fact, I got out of her that you were so out of it after she roofied you that she couldn’t even get your pants off much less get you to, uh, perform. Sorry, ma’am,” he says in my direction.

  “So she never had sex with Enzo?” I ask.

  “No. She never had sex with him and she wasn’t pregnant with his baby or anyone else’s.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask. Now I’m trembling.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it.”

  A loud sob escapes my throat causing Enzo to rub my back. My worst nightmare was a lie. It was all lie. She was never with my husband and she didn’t have his baby in her.

  “That chick was unhinged,” Dax continues. “The more I pushed her and told her that Enzo would never leave you for her, the more she talked. I told her I would report her and tell you two if she tried anything else and she disappeared, so I honestly thought she was gone. But then I thought I saw her outside at the opening and I thought, oh shit, something bad is going to happen. I tried to get to one of you, but so many people surrounded you both. I was keeping an eye on Mrs. Milano but all of a sudden I lost her in the crowd. I went to look for you, Enzo, and you were gone too. That’s when I started looking for everyone. I decided to go down the hall where the office is and that’s when I saw everything. I didn’t know if I should try to fight her off or get help. I decided to get help.”

  “You did the right thing, Dax,” Enzo says. “Why did you go off alone anyway?” Enzo asks me.

  “You texted me. At least I thought it was you.”

  “My phone was missing.”

  “She must have gotten close enough to take it from you,” I say.

  “I’m sure you know this, but I think she had every intention of…” Dax stops short.

  “Of killing me? Yes, I know. It’s the second time she’s tried,” I say.

  “I had no idea. I swear. I just thought she was trying to get you back and well, you know the three of us had a rough history. I didn’t realize she was fucking nuts.”