“Uhm…he’s lost a lot of blood. Is there anything I can use to tie around his forearm?” Nina asks as she moves Simi to sit beside her.
I slump back against the seat, my head lolling in Nina’s direction so I can look at her.
Her lips move, and she scoots closer to me. I feel her soothing touch as she takes hold of my left arm, and I think the corner of my mouth lifts.
Chapter 10
Nina
Georgi drifts in and out of consciousness, then he mumbles, “Dad...”
“I’m here, son,” Mr. Torrisi says as he leans partially over the seat so he’s able to reach Georgi and pat his knee.
“No one…” Georgi fights to open his eyes. “No one touches…Nina and Simi.”
“Okay,” Mr. Torrisi’s eyes flick to me, and I bristle under his dangerous gaze.
“They stay…with me,” Georgi says, his voice barely audible, then he leans into me while I’m pressing a bunch of tissues to the wound on his forearm. His forehead rubs against the side of my neck as the SUV goes over a couple of bumps in the road.
As silence falls around us, and Simi leans into my other side, I struggle to shove all the memories of what happened today into the rotting pile of nightmares that are in the deepest, darkest corner of my soul.
I’ve had plenty of bad days before, but this one has shot past watching Mama die, having Anton forcefully take my virginity, the four miscarriages, and being kept away from Simi.
No, this one far surpasses them all. Being raped in front of Georgi made it a million times worse, and when Ivan dropped Simi, I almost died right then and there.
The god-awful hours flash through my broken mind. One devastating scene after another, the only good part being when Georgi risked his life to save Simi.
God. This man.
I have no idea what he’s made of. He’s incredibly strong, and I’m scared to hope. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a part of him that’s good. After all, he jumped over the banister to get to my little girl.
Making sure the other two men aren’t looking at me, I turn my face slightly, brushing my cheek against Georgi’s forehead.
Thank you for saving my precious daughter.
With Georgi out cold and leaning heavily into me, I glance over all the bruises on his body. The raw wounds around his wrists are going to take a while to heal. I need to clean them as soon as possible.
My first instinct is to make sure he doesn’t get an infection and die. It’s ingrained so deeply into me from the many men I’ve had to tend to in that torture chamber.
Only then does the realization sink in that I did the unthinkable. While I was still reeling from Anton raping me in front of Georgi, I didn’t think clearly and freed him. When he killed the guards, I ran to get to Simi.
The memory of Ivan letting go of her shudders through me, and I place my arm over her tiny body, pulling her tighter against me.
Suddenly, the SUV turns, and when I glance ahead, I see big gates swinging open.
We’re driven up the driveway, then the vehicle is brought to a stop in front of a mansion. Mr. Torrisi quickly gets out and opens the door on Georgi’s side before leaning in and grabbing hold of his son.
The other three men who were on the second floor with us come running to help, and when they haul Georgi out of the SUV, Mr. Torrisi barks, “Come, Nina!”
I pick Simi up as I scoot out of the backseat, and when I stand up, a woman comes running out of the mansion. “Georgi!” she cries, her face deathly pale. “Is he alive?”
“He’s just out cold,” Mr. Torrisi informs her.
I watch as she walks with them, concern etched deep into her beautiful features.
Wondering if she’s his girlfriend, I reluctantly follow them into the mansion, every nerve in my body on alert.
A weird feeling ripples through me, and I recognize it as jealousy. Georgi has been mine to take care of, but knowing that’s not my place anymore makes me feel a sense of loss.