Imperfect Forgery: (A Dark Romantic Suspense)

by G. D. Madsen

  "More..." My eyes follow the cotton ball David places on a tray. He dips it into a glass of water and presses it to my lips again.

  "Anything you want, just don't strain yourself."

  I do not care what he is telling me; I do not even care all this might still be a hallucination. "Are you real?"

  A silent chuckle reaches my ears. "I am." His warm hands encompass mine. "I am here, and I'm not going anywhere, not unless you want me to." The breaking note in his voice draws my attention to his face, his eyes glistening through the haze surrounding me.

  Is David crying? My vision is unfocused, but his eyes are still beautiful. God, I am so high on morphine. I should ask him to leave, but all I want is to kiss him.

  "Stay."

  "I am so fucking sorry... I will beg for forgiveness every single day for the rest of my life, and if you choose not to, it will still be a lesser punishment than I deserve."

  So much desperation in his voice. Mercy is a luxury I was always deprived of. How can I deny it to the man I was ready to die for?

  "Sing to me... That sad song..."

  His low voice caresses my ears again and carries me away from the hospital bed into a happy place where fairytales are easy to believe in.

  Chapter 13

  David

  The last words of the ballad I sing to her get stuck in my throat.

  Lava had every right to throw me out, yet she asked me to stay.

  She may not believe it herself, but she is more than a queen. Her heart is pure gold, despite her monstrous experiences in life, or perhaps for this very reason.

  I fear she'll be unable to hate her torturers. This is what I am for. I will avenge her every scream, I will become her warrior, and I will not stop protecting her, even if she chooses to forget she ever knew me.

  I caress her pale cheek and go to the bathroom, the entire world's weight finally lifted off my chest.

  It's been almost forty-eight hours since I entered this room, and left it only when nature called. I probably stink like a skunk.

  I open the shower and let the water run while I undress. Before I even get the chance to take my T-shirt off, a heavy bang from outside the door overwhelms the sound of the streaming water.

  Tony, the officer guarding her, storms into the room at the same time as me. We both freeze at the terrifying sight of Lava convulsing violently on her bed, her eyes shut, her mouth open and gasping for air.

  "Get a nurse," I yell at Tony. Pushing the urge to run to her aside, I bolt back into the bathroom instead. "You deserve one of those Darwin awards for stupidity, you idiot!" I curse myself, closing the water, and rush back.

  She is still deep asleep and fighting an invisible menace with every ounce of strength she has left. Utter and complete helplessness of the moment makes me want to howl. Unable to simply observe her agony, and listen to her erratic struggles for air, I get on the bed beside her and pull Lava into my arms.

  "You're safe, you're safe..." I repeat over and over like a mantra into her ear, but neither my presence nor my attempts to calm her do any good. "Kahina, my queen, wake up, please."

  By some miracle, her struggling recedes just when a male nurse rushes in. "It's over," I say, laying Lava's head back on the pillow. Soft tremors are now the only reminder of her panic, her breathing still deep and erratic, but at least she is not drowning inside her mind anymore.

  The reproach for moving his patient is written all over the nurse's face, so I explain, "She just had a nightmare. Please, give me another minute to calm her down."

  The young man hesitates but allows me to stay and talk to her. I take her hand in mine and lean closer, murmuring the words my mother used to speak to me in her native Tamasheq whenever I had a nightmare.

  Only my nightmares included imaginary childhood monsters, while hers were more than real.

  "I was correct when I picked the name for you." I kiss her damp forehead. "You are a queen; you are my queen, my goddess, my warrior... Don't give up now... Don't give up on this fool beside you. Please, love..."

  A small movement of her hand on my thigh. The feather-like squeeze of her fingers. And a whispered request. "My name... Say..."

  "Lav—"

  Her quiet grunt turns my face into a fool's grin. "Kahina," I say again, a whole world's worth in this name. "You are my world."

  My queen gazes at me as I lay her head on the pillow, her long eyelashes almost concealing her eyes. "You saved me," she murmurs, and I cannot keep myself from kissing her bruised lips.

  "No, love, you saved yourself. Rest now. I am here. I am not going anywhere."

  Lava's eyes close, and a slight curve appears on her lips before she drifts away. I kiss this hint of a smile and leave the nurse to re-insert the needles Lava ripped off her skin when she launched the IV pole to the floor.

  What her doctor told us two days ago never left my mind. Lavinia Beltrani is a ghost figure. She has no memories of the life before that freak took her.

  Where did he find the girl? When? There are so many unanswered questions. I am going to devote my whole energy to uncover the truth, and I am going to start by urging the lab to process my mother's photo.

  Chapter 14

  Kahina

  There is a vague image of the dream I had last night. I was choking and sinking deeper into the mass of blood-red liquid, so thick that despite the desperation, my body remained paralyzed. The swamp-like pull was taking me to meet my demise, but then the voice whispered in the back of my head.

  Death showed up too late for the date with me. I did not want to go; not when David's distant words were urging me to fight. So, I fought for the chance to look into his blue eyes again. Every awkward move grew bolder, and the voice surrounded me.

  'My queen'… 'My warrior'… 'Don't give up now'…

  This was all I needed to begin the most crucial journey of my existence. I swam toward the surface – toward the man waiting for me there.

  'Kahina' – the name on his lips became my guiding light.

  Lavinia never fought to live; she only hoped to die. Her wish came true. Silvio's puppet died in that freezing cold basement, and now it was up to Kahina to push herself through the blood. I will not give up until I justify that name. For David, no doubt, but above all, for myself.

  However, this very moment, the queen is utterly broken. Why does my body feel like somebody tied me to a horse and dragged me down a gravel road? The simple act of opening my eyes hurts, and it is so damn bright in here. I squint as I try to adjust to the sharp white light of the hospital room.

  "Hey, good morning," a stranger's voice says. When I look at the man standing by the sunlit window, I recall where I had seen him before. He came to the Academy; he interviewed me at the police station. David told me they were long-time friends.

  "I'm Gregory. Do you remember me?"

  "You questioned me." I cannot recognize this sound leaving my mouth. It is hoarse and scratchy. I am about to ask for water, but the hiss instead of words and my dry lips provide enough of a hint.

  Gregory holds a glass in front of me and puts a straw to my lips. I want to drink it all, but as the first gulp of water travels down my throat, tears form at the corners of my eyes. The water never tasted sweeter, but it also never felt like swallowing a razor blade.

  "How are you feeling?" he asks after I take another sip.

  I zoom in on his face and frown when I see what I believe to be pity written all over it.

  "Like I survived the apocalypse." I hold the gaze of his brown eyes, and a more relaxed smile pushes the previous one aside. "Better."

  His smile widens. "You shouldn't talk too much."

  Why does everybody need to keep saying it? My mouth hurts no more than usual after Silvio's lessons. The rest of my body is another thing. An unexpected cramp in my lower belly makes me squirm, and shivers run down my spine with the memories of that horror show.

  They are still hazy, those pictures, and I would wish for nothing more than to keep i
t this way, but it is only a matter of time till they come crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. Those cold shivers might become a daily routine.

  "Where's David?"

  "He is taking a shower in another room. David didn't want to risk frightening you again."

  "Again?" I try to sit up, but my muscles refuse to go along. Last night was not a dream. "Did I scare him?"

  Gregory sniggers. "Are you seriously worried about that punk? He deserved to get scared."

  I shake my head, and from the center of it, a thousand needles propel in every direction, forcing my eyes shut. "Nobody deserves to be scared," I force the words out of my mouth after the probing ache recedes.

  Gregory peers at me, no hint of humor left in his eyes. "You are wrong, you know. Some people deserve to be scared. They also deserve to be punished for their crimes."

  He means Silvio, no doubt. I never thought of what he deserves, because I was too anxious about what he might imagine I deserved. Nobody has ever succeeded at punishing this man. "He always wins."

  "Not this time." Greg takes my hand. "Trust me on this."

  The door opens wide, and two men in suits, one visibly younger than the other, walk in like they own the place. "Step away from her right now," the smaller of them speaks.

  Gregory does not release my hand. "And who the hell are you?" he asks with a clear note of annoyance in his voice.

  "We represent Miss Beltrani and her father," the same man responds, readjusting his silver-grey tie matching his hair.

  Frost consumes every single blood vessel in my body. My cold fingers dig into Gregory's flesh. He covers them with his free hand and squeezes it.

  "David Aghilas, we came to serve you with a restraining order," the silver-haired man continues. "If you come near Miss Beltrani, you—"

  "Are you serious?" A deep threatening tone from behind makes them both flip in the air to face the source of possible menace. It also defrosts my bloodstream. "You idiots don't even know how David Aghilas looks!"

  None of the men moves to stop him when David walks past them. He may be dressed in blue jeans and grey shirt, but his whole stature promises war. Only after he leans closer to me, do the hard lines of his face soften. The ice in his blue eyes melts, and his warm lips touch my forehead. "Don't worry, he is not coming anywhere near you."

  "Mister Aghi—"

  "Yes, I'm the one!" David cuts off the man who does all the talking and faces the lawyers again. "Get the hell out of this room before I smash your noses. You clearly don't know me if you believe you can intimidate me into leaving her!" David takes another step closer to the men, and they shrink but retain their ground. "You can shove that restraining order up your asses, or better yet, up the ass of the psycho who hired you."

  "We are only doing our jobs," the silent one speaks. "Miss Beltrani signed the document herself."

  What?

  The confirmation of what I told Gregory only a while ago comes like a slap to my face – nobody can make Silvio pay unless he wants to. Now he is paying those lawyers to get me back.

  God, no...

  "When exactly, in your corrupt minds, did she sign the bloody paper? While she was being raped and tortured?"

  "David! Not in front of her." Gregory releases my hand, but before he leaves my side, two more silhouettes appear at the door.

  A woman and a man I have never seen before step inside. "You need to come with us," the woman says, looking at David.

  "Fuck," Greg curses under his breath. He seemed collected enough up to this point.

  What changed? Who are those people?

  "We need you to answer some questions," the woman says discretely, as she looks past him at me. "You should not be near her until then."

  "I know." David sighs. "Give me a moment to say goodbye, at least." Without waiting for the woman to respond, he returns to my bedside.

  I want to ask who those people are, but somebody shoves another invisible razor down my throat, and it travels all the way to my belly, forcing my eyes to water.

  "Don't worry…" David sounds calm, but the dark shadows under his eyes prove the opposite. "Those are the SVU, Special Victims Unit, detectives," he explains the term before continuing, "and they need to ask me some questions about that night, because..."

  "…we had sex," I conclude the sentence when the cramping seizes. "I need to tell them Sil—"

  Something heavy drops on my chest as I try to say his name. I cannot breathe, and I grab David's wrist in panic. The film of cold sweat layers my skin, and I am unable to stop palpitating as threatening images immerse my mind.

  I must remain silent; it is the only way to survive this. It is the only way Father would save me from drowning in the bloody pool...

  "Calm down, baby. I'll be fine." Warm lips touch mine, and I see Father's face in front of me. He came to rescue me. He's here, and he will be proud I remained silent. Father leans for another kiss.

  "Stay with me, Kahina..."

  Kahina? Who is… Wait... I am.

  That name may be a spell powerful enough to banish Father's ghost altogether. The darkness recedes, and David’s face reemerges.

  "I can't fight his dominance," I gag on my words, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I can't... Why?"

  "Don't worry about this now." He kisses the tears away. "We will figure this out together once I'm back, I promise."

  "I'll stay with her," Greg tells him, and David's eyes brighten up a little.

  "Thanks, bro." David straightens and shakes his friend's hand. "If you need to go, please ask Bryan or Lucas to come."

  As I watch David leave with the other detectives, something flashes in my memory. There is something I wanted to say to him at the lake house; something important... No, crucial!

  "David," I call him, but my voice is too low.

  "David!" Greg gets his attention for me.

  He turns around, but the younger lawyer, the silent one, moves in between us. "Step away from our client."

  I only get a glimpse of David’s fist in the air when the man stumbles to the side, knocking a chair down.

  "What the hell is going on in here?!" A female voice could cut through glass.

  Everybody stills.

  A woman in white scrubs stands tall and unimpressed. "Where do you all think you are? A circus? A boxing ring? This is a hospital! Leave her room immediately! All of you!" She glares at the detectives and the lawyers.

  "No..." I have to tell him. Instead, I jolt in the bed with a hoarse scream, unprepared for the onslaught of pain paralyzing me from the waist down to my tiptoes.

  The woman and David reach my bedside at the same time.

  "What’s happening? Shit, you're in pain! Why didn't you say something? She needs morphine, doctor!”

  My throat is burning, my stomach is throbbing, and my head is about to explode… Yes, I am desperate for something to make this stop, but not until I talk to David.

  "Listen..." I whisper, still gasping. "That painting... Not mine..."

  "What painting? What do you mean?"

  "Enough!" The doctor pushes him away and inserts a syringe into the IV line. "She needs to rest. I promise to take good care of her, but you need to leave now."

  David is reluctant, but he obeys. "I'll come back soon. I swear."

  I only smile, or I think I do.

  The room with everybody in it spins around me, and I float away.

  ∞∞∞

  "That little shit made sure I'd spend precious time looking for you." The sound of Silvio's voice is like the jolt of electricity he used on me with no remorse only a few nights ago. "Taking you to the furthest hospital from the mansion. Maybe he is not as dumb as I thought."

  No, no, no... This must be another nightmare. He cannot be here. Gregory would never let him in. Unless Silvio hurt him.

  I force my eyes open and stop breathing. He is real, and he is right above me, so close his hot breath is stirring my eyelashes.

  "Nice to see you back to life." He flas
hes a full set of teeth in a smile claiming 'you belong to me'. "In fact, Mauro unsuspectedly did me a favor. Now that I had enough time to cool off, I am beginning to crave our play times."

  "No," I whisper, despite the terror chaining my body to the bed.

  "Yes, Lavinia."

  My mouth tastes bile in response to this name, and heartbeat resonates in my head provoking a wave of revulsion. I would rather die than return with him. "Never again."

  "You will return home, and we will continue living happily ever after. I made you, and only I will decide who gets to fuck you. Have you forgotten that nobody else can protect you from the flood? What will happen next time it sneaks into your room and crawls up your bed to swallow you? Who but I will save you from drowning, sweetie?"

  I shake my head, fighting tears. With his every word, my head is spinning faster. Everything swirls in a nauseating spin, blood leaking from the walls onto the floor, the red mass flooding the room and my bed.

  I sink again, the pull of the bloody swamp dragging me deeper until there is only the silhouette of Silvio I can focus on. I grab his shoulders, desperate for him to keep me up.

  "Yes..." A snake-like hiss should terrify me, but I hold on to him tighter. Father will not let the flood swallow me. He promised.

  "There's my girl. I am going to take care of you now." Silvio runs his fingers down my arms to my back. His caresses feel like sandpaper to my bruised skin, but I am unable to fight. My body arches toward him, and he rams his mouth into mine, biting and sucking my lips with a predator's roar.

  David, where are you? Why did you leave me? Now I will never see you again...

  A metallic taste reaches my tongue, but Silvio does not stop. The smell of blood invades my nostrils, and every horrid memory from the agonizing night returns tenfold.

  No! No more... Fight! Don't allow Father to resurrect Lavinia from the dead… Please, fight, Kahina.