“Is she okay?” I hear Raya ask.
“No.” That’s all Georgi answers while his hold on me loosens.
As soon as I’m able, I pull back and take stock of my surroundings. I’m back in the room, sitting on the bed with Georgi, and Raya is holding my daughter.
I shoot up, and I’m surprised when Raya doesn’t stop me from taking Simi. In fact, she hands her over to me.
Moving away from everyone, I go stand by the window again and press kisses to Simi’s face. “I’m sorry,milo moe.”
“Are you better, Mama?” she asks, her voice soft like always.
“Yes. Much better,” I lie.
“I’m going to shower,” Georgi announces. “Nina, don’t try to leave again.”
I don’t respond and keep bouncing Simi lightly, hoping to comfort her from the scare I must’ve given her.
This time, Raya stays in the room, and as soon as the men go into the ensuite bathroom, she comes closer.
I shoot her a cautious look before glancing at Simi’s face. Her eyes are drooping again, and knowing I won’t escape tonight, I walk to the bed and lay her down.
Covering her body with the blanket, I lean over her and press more kisses to her forehead. “Sleep,malka. Mama will stay with you, and when you wake, I’ll be here.”
“Promise.” Her eyebrows knot together as she turns onto her side and snuggles closer to me.
“I promise.”
Her mouth curves up in a happy smile, as if she hasn’t suffered horrible ordeals today. “Yay. Finally. I’m so happy, Mama.”
When she closes her eyes and snuggles even more against me, I struggle not to break down and cry.
That something so small as me sitting with her while she sleeps is enough to make her happy.
“Can I get you something to drink or eat?” Raya suddenly asks in my language.
It reminds me that Georgi also knows Bulgarian, and I only have the luxury now to be surprised by the revelation.
I shake my head and brush my hand over Simi’s hair.
“Shit, Georgi got blood on the covers. I’ll go get fresh ones quickly.” Raya walks to the door, then stops to look at me. “Please don’t try to run.”
I stare at her for a moment before I nod. Watching her leave, I hear the shower turn off.
Resting my eyes on my sleeping baby, I’m wildly tossed between reeling from the hell we’ve been through and fearing what the future holds for us.
I’m not stupid. I’m in enemy territory, and God only knows what they’re going to do to me in retaliation against my father.
Hearing movement behind me, I glance over my shoulder, and seeing Georgi, my eyes sweep over his powerful body. He has lost weight, but not enough to take away from his muscled build.
Now that he’s clean, all his bruises seem feverish. Knowing I have a job to do, I get up and take everything I’ll need from the first aid kit.
When Georgi sits down on the other side of the bed, I keep glancing between his arm and Simi as I carefully disinfect the bullet wound and the raw gashes around his wrists.
I can feel his eyes burning on me, but I don’t dare meet them. Hearing Raya return, I don’t pay her attention.
After I stitch Georgi’s forearm, I smear salve over his raw wrists before wrapping clean bandages around them. Myattention shifts to the cut on his chest, and relief loosens something inside me when I see it isn’t as bad as I feared. I quickly clean it before checking his older wounds, making sure everything is clean and that nothing is infected.
At least the wound on his thigh is healing and hasn’t torn open again, and seeing that eases some of the worry coiled inside me.