Her cheeks flushed red, “Salvatore doesn’t need to pay me.” A delighted grin crossed her face, and I grimaced internally.
“Get out,” Her face fell and she flitted out of the room.
“I thought we talked about this.”
“I can’t stop her if she wants to—”
“Don’t fuck with me today,” I cut him off.
He held up his hands and then adjusted his pants, pulling up the zip.
“Tell me what you know about Simone.”
Salvatore sighed, “Someone broke in. They were looking for something.” We exchanged a knowing look, “When they didn’t find anything, they beat her.”
“How do you know?”
“Her legs are full of bruises and she was missing a tooth. You don’t get that from being in a fire.”
My fists clenched against my legs as rage built inside of me. I was too busy looking at burns to search for other injures.
“They threw her upstairs and set the place alight.”
“And the dogs?”
“That’s where they started the fire.”
I hung my head thinking of all the howls, the singed skin, the desperate growls and shrieks as the animals burned. I thought about Spots and my heart chilled.
“They found her downstairs. She’d tried to rescue the dogs, most were too far gone when she got to them, and the others ran around like crazy things and spread the fire. When the firefighters got there, it was an inferno. They barely managed to get her out, she was fighting for those fucking mutts.”
“Those mutts were her family!” I screamed at him, slicing the air with my fist. Feeling the need to stroke Spots’ back or scratch his long snout.
“Yeah, right. Sorry.”
“Do we know who did this?”
“Emilio.”
“Have you found him yet?”
“He’s a fucking ghost. No sign of him, no clues, no threads, no loose ends.”
“Well, maybe you’d find something if you weren’t spending all day getting your cock sucked,” I slammed the table with my hand and, for the first time since the beginning of our relationship, I thought I saw Salvatore scared. Truly terrified. Of me. I clenched my jaw as we locked eyes.
“I want him found. No more casualties. This ends now.”
Salvatore was already out of his chair and nearing the door.
“Yes boss.” He closed the door behind him as he left.
I leaned against the table, clutching its lip, trying to calm my galloping heart, and steady my shivering hands when the door opened and Mia stepped inside, allowing the music to crash into the room.
“Come on, you need to rest.” She reached out and I took her hand, her warmth calming me as she guided us through the club and into the hidden corridor that led to the private elevator bank.
The elevator flew to the penthouse and pinged open. Mia steered me through the rooms, bypassing all distractions.
My mind was frayed with worry and anger, distrust and despair as she unclasped my belt and undid my jeans allowing them to slip to my knees. She pushed me onto the bed and removed them throwing them onto the floor. She tapped my arms and I lifted them over my head, allowing her to peel the shirt away from me. I crawled up to the pillow and watched as she unzipped her boots and threw them off, shedding her skirt and shirt, and removing her bra. She crawled onto the bed, her body gluing itself to mine. And like always, she was a balm, soothing and warm as I drifted off to sleep.
The morning felt stark still, the branches of sunlight that seeped in under the door felt harsh and unwelcome. I stretched seeking Mia’s warmth. Her side of the bed was empty. I groaned and ran my hands over my face, brushing away sleep and disappointment.
I checked the bedside clock. 11.14 a.m.
Shit.
I bolted up in the bed. I haven’t slept that long since that first night at Simone’s. Simone.
I jumped up from the bed and opened the curtains. Sunlight spilt into the room. I scanned it for signs of Mia. She was gone.
I walked into the spacious lounge and kitchen area. The curtains covering the floor to ceiling windows were drawn open, and the room felt too white, too bright.
There were no signs of life; no warmth, no smell of coffee or lingering perfume.
“Mia?” I called out. The silence answered in its thundering voice. I shuddered.
“Mia?” Nothing.
I grabbed the receiver and called down stairs to Salvatore’s office.
“Morning Boss,”
“Where’s Mia?”
“Mia? She came down a couple of hours ago, said you were sleeping and not to disturb you.”
“Where’d she go?”
“I don’t know.”
“And you just fucking let her go?”
“Romeo’s with her.”
I could feel my pulse slow at the words, “Get a hold of him! Did I have any calls?”
“Just the hospital.”
“When? What did they say?”
“They were wondering if you were coming—”
“When did they call?”
“A couple of hours ago.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you wake me?”
“Mia said—”
“Since when does Mia speak for me? Since when do you take orders from her?”
“Sorry boss I just thought—”
“No, you didn’t! I’ll be down in ten, have a car ready for me.” I hung up, my body shaking with fury. Mia will have to be dealt with later. For now, she was safe—from Emilio and, more importantly, from me. I didn’t like the fact that the hospital called.
I splashed water on my face and brushed my teeth, dressed and headed out. My head was swimming with thoughts and drowning in worry I pretended I didn’t feel.
I drove too fast and broke too hard. The engine whizzed and complained as I switched it off and made my way into the hospital.
I hurried to the third floor and was greeted by the same nurse from the previous day. She seemed to have aged in the last twenty-four hours, and I wondered if there was a time when compassion didn’t weigh so heavily on her, when the suffering of others didn’t bury itself so deeply under her skin.
She gave me a small smile, just a flutter of her lips and my heart jolted. Something was wrong.
Doctor LeMar walked into the room and greeted me, her face expressionless, “Gabriel, so nice to see you.”
“How’s Simone?”
“Would you like to sit down?”
“No.”
The doctor cocked her head and nodded slightly, her lips stretching into a thin line, “I’m afraid I have some bad news. Her condition worsened overnight.”
“Just tell me.”
The doctor sighed and the stress she carried with her shifted to me as she spoke. I remember watching her lips move but only catching snippets of words; like pulmonary and cardiac failure; given her age and burn area; fighter, just keeping her comfortable. Goodbye.
The words floated around me like a cloud until there was only silence. All I could hear was the crack as my world begun to splinter.
“Gabriel?”
“What?” I shook myself from my daze.
“Would you like to say goodbye?”
“No, that’s not good enough. There must be something you can do for her.”
“Gabriel, there’s nothing to do.”
“I’m going to move her to a better hospital, get a second opinion. You can’t just give up.” My voice rose and my anger took hold of me, lashing at the doctor.
She took a small step back, and a pang of guilt shot through me.
“Gabriel,” Her avid eyes stared fixedly into mine, and she reached, placing her hand gently on my forearm. “Gabriel,” She gave me a waning smile, “There’s nothing more that can be done, not by us or anyone else. Take this time to be with her.”
I nodded, deflating. My shoulders fell forward as the anger fell from me like a winter’s coat.
“Are you ready?”
<
br /> My heart lurched at the question. No, “Yes.”
The doctor lead me to Simone’s room, bypassing the dressing room. I gave her a questioning look, “There’s no need for that anymore.”
I clenched my teeth and nodded as the doctor pushed through the door.
The heads looked up. About ten of them, maybe more. They surrounded her like a protective barrier. From me?
I recognised Alex. Tears ran down her ashen face in long, steady rivulets. The others were smiling. It was forced and anxious, and they were talking to Simone. I had no idea if she could hear any of them. But I was glad that she wasn’t alone. I was glad that she was loved by at least a few people in this godforsaken pit.
I remained on the periphery, letting them have their time. Letting her enjoy their company. Really, if I am being honest with myself, I stayed so far away because I didn’t want to see her, I didn’t want to remember her as this broken, blackened thing with tubes and machines keeping her alive. I wanted the bright smiles and the warm hugs, the way she always smelt like wet dog and how she always had a kind word. My heart chugged with despair.
They murmured and talked to her, and I leaned against the back wall feeling their judgment leak over to my side of the room. I knew Alex never approved of our relationship; I wasn’t the kind of stray she thought Simone should adopt.
After a while the doctor came back, “Visiting hours are over.”
They stood up in unison and each in turn whispered, kissed, or squeezed what was left of her and shuffled out of the room, their tears sitting on the rims of their eyes waiting to be shed.
“You too.”
“I’m staying,” I moved away from the wall and sat by Simone. At the sound of my voice her heart rate jumped up, “She needs me.”
“I’m afraid—”
“I’m afraid you don’t understand. I am staying. Call the police if you need to, I’m not leaving.”
The doctor studied me for a long while. It reminded me of the night Spots was hurt and the way Simone looked at me, through me, as I refused to leave his side. She nodded stiffly and left the room.
There were so many things I wanted to tell her. How can I thank her for everything she’d done for me, for the kindness she’s shown and the courage she displayed? There were not enough words in the dictionary, in this language, in any language.
“I’m sorry,” I put my hand on hers. Her body remained still but her heart jolted at my touch, at my voice; the beeping screeching through the heart monitor. Without any warning multiple alarms sounded, various machines burst into life. The room flooded with nurses and doctors that pushed me out of the way. Their faces drawn but resigned. I looked at the clock. Only minutes left, only seconds.
Chaos.
Calling.
Chirping.
Screaming.
Flatline.
And just like that, I’d lost a mother all over again.
I knew Doctor LeMar was speaking because I saw her lips move. We were moving but I didn’t feel my legs walk; maybe I was floating, maybe I was sinking. Then there were the faces of the others; they were hugging and crying and staring, and I didn’t belong. I never belonged.
I was back in my car and it was moving, floating through traffic—the tyres spinning, the engine revving all on their own because I wasn’t there. Not really.
Then I could feel the breeze, shade covered my face through the strong sunlight. The bench was sturdy beneath me, somehow holding me up. But there was no Alice, there was no Simone, and all I felt was a great emptiness—a gaping black hole of sadness. I sat in a pool of regret, saturated by my sins and my guilt. It was all my fault. Just another promise I couldn’t keep, another life I couldn’t save, another shining light that I brought to an end. I was a destroyer of worlds and the creator of misery.
And I would bring my gift to Emilio. I would break and destroy everything he held dear.
All I had to do was find him.
I sucked in a long, hard breath, burying all the pain and all the anguish; and holding on to the anger, the hatred, and the bitterness. I would need them. For later.
Right now, I had to deal with the living.
To be continued…
Acknowledgments
A Word from Jane:
I would like to start by thanking you, the reader, so much for reading! If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review and recommend the book to any friend you think would love Gabriel’s story. You will have my eternal love and gratitude. Even a few short words go a long way.
As always, I would love to thank my wonderful friend and beta Dawn, her enthusiasm knows no boundaries, her genuine love for books, reading, and helping authors is contagious and humbling. I have loved having her in my corner. Thank you.
To all my other betas and C/Ps your input and critiques have been invaluable, without you Gabriel would not have been where he is today.
About the Author
Jane Wynters doesn’t quite know how to answer the question of “where are you from?” She’s moved from place to place like a snowflake on the wind always searching for a safe place to land. She loves meeting new people and exploring new places. She loves reading, writing and conjuring new worlds from her imagination. Coffee is at the top of her food pyramid and she is fluent in three languages, her favourite being sarcasm.
Want to know more about the author and keep in touch? Get snippets of up coming books and have a bit of twisted fun?
Come join me in Wonderland…
Also by J. A. WYNTERS
Standalone
Guarding Gabriel
Parts of Me series
Spare Parts, Book 1
Fixed Parts, Book 2
The Parts of Me Series continues with:
Broken Parts, Book 3
Torn Apart, Book 4
Picked Apart, Book 5
If you enjoyed Fixed Parts, why not leave a review and tell everyone how much you enjoyed it?
Fixed Parts Page 16
