Her Ravaged Life

Ch. -23-

GIA

 He turns and looks at me with startled look, I kind of hoped little more emotions but I guess he is not the guy to give it to me.

 I try to smile but my body is not complying with my commands as it used to. Might be the drugs, might be the damage that was done to it, hopefully the first one, scars will be enough of reminders I don’t need permanent disabilities for that. 

 “You happy now? Was this what you wanted?” he asks me with serious look while walking closer. I have been awake for a minute and this guy is already confusing me. No, worse, he is blaming me for what happened.

 “You are an asshole,” I tell him straight. I didn’t call him to come and taunt me. It was death or him and seems like I made the wrong decision, again. Why did he even help me if I was such a burden to carry for him.

 “Asshole who saved your f*****g life woman.” He stopped at the foot of the bed, looking at me with anger in his eyes. At this moment I remember why I decided to leave him and his vendetta behind.

 “Like I asked for this,” I say while feeling offended by his words. “Like I asked for any of this.” This time I feel tears burning behind my eyes. What is up with my eyes lately, I have never been a crier but seems like I could cry infants out of their cribs right now.

 How dares he blame me. If he hadn’t interrupted my life, any of this wouldn’t happen. Dan would have stayed my annoying boss and I would have been sunbathing in Sicily. He put a target on my back and blames me for being targeted by a crazy man he hired.

 “I gave you an option to stay with me,” he tries to justify his words by throwing his forced marriage in my face. Yes, I had an option to stay, to sacrifice my life and God knows what else to him.

 “You really do live in alternative reality, don’t you?” I guess if you have more money than most countries, you can afford to create your own little- scratch that, larger than life world and run it however you want, take what or who you please and when you please.

 “And this time you’ll join me. You ran out of options with this stunt. We’re flying back as soon as you get cleared by the doc.” And he walks out leaving me staring at the door that slammed shut after him.

 “WHATEVER!” I scream but instead of a response I get a sharp pain shooting straight to my head. s**t. He made me forget what a f****d-up state I am in, beaten and cut open, yet he still has the nerves to push my buttons.

 I don’t want to think about it, but I have to admit, only to myself though, I felt relieved to know he will take me with him. Crazy Dan made me scared of being alone, and after living my life like I did I don’t have anyone left who would care for me. Sucks to be the independent woman I always wanted to be. 

 Lying in hospital bed with butchered body says just how independent I really was. I mistook loneliness for independence. And as he said, I have nothing left, so why not start from scratch. Only downside is that this ‘scratch’ comes with an ‘itch’ called Nikolay Barraza, but I could do worse I suppose. He needs to keep his hands and d**k to himself, and we will have the happiest marriage there is between two strangers who can’t stand each other. Match made in hell.

 I don’t want to think about him anymore. I don’t want him to dominate my thoughts like he does with my life. 

 I need to rest and dispose the dull pain that reminds me what kind off mess I am in. I wish I could close my eyes and make everything disappear, just to open them in another reality where I am free from all of this, from Dan, from him. If life was just that simple. 

 I get hit with another dose of painkillers and sweet slumber takes me out.

 -

 “I don’t care. We are leaving today,” says the familiar voice that wakes me from my sleep. I don’t dare to open my eyes yet as I get the feeling this conversation is the one I want to hear without disrupting them.

 “Like I said, she is still too weak, her body needs time to heal properly.” Doctor tries to reason with him. Been there done that, I guess we are going back today.

 “Did you get the feeling I asked for permission? I said, we are leaving,” he finishes with a tone that doesn’t expect an answer. Like I said, he gets what he came for. 

 “I’ll get the paperwork started.” Doc was defeated and he knew there was no point of further discussion if he wanted to keep his job.

 I hear the door close and footsteps coming in my direction. As I am opening my eyes, I feel his fingers slightly brush against my arm, leaving behind a trail of burning skin that yearns for more. The attraction is still there, the pull I had toward him is yet again crawling to the surface and I want to sink it so deep no one would ever find it. 

 “I know you are awake,” he says as he withdraws his hand.

 “Are you a psychic now also?” I ask while opening my eyes and staring straight at him. He is still standing little too close for my liking, but I have to start getting use to it. If we have to play the happy couple, there will be a lot of ‘standing little too close’ in the future.

 “You hitched your breath when I touched you, so no psychic abilities needed when it comes to reading you,” he said while looking at me with a smug smile on his face.

 Asshole. 

 “One day your cockiness will come back and bite you in the ass you know!” 

 He starts to laugh at my comment and just shakes his head. “You have a lot to learn my darling wife but let me tell you--.” 

 Knock on the door interrupts his little monologue and goliath or Jeremiah or whoever he is steps in and looks straight at Barraza like I don’t even exist. Guess he didn’t miss me too much. 

 “Fontaine is here. He wants to see you and her,” he said with little head nudge pointing my way. At least he knows I am here, cause seems like acknowledging my presence or greeting me is above his paygrade. 

 “Give us two minutes, then send him in,” Barraza tells Jeremiah, who disappears within seconds. “Andy Fontaine. Long time business partner of mine, he donated blood for you, so you are alive mostly because of him,” he said all the while still looking at the door.

 So, turns out I owe my life to Barraza and this mystery Mr. Fontaine. Not that I am not thankful or grateful cause I am, I really am, but not knowing what they want in return makes me little worried. No, it makes me scared as hell. 

 “Why is he here? What did you promise him in return?” I ask with worry laced into my voice as I start to feel nauseous about this situation. Or the painkillers are wearing off. Who knows?

 “He knows we are married so I need you to play your part as discussed!”

 And my questions remain unanswered once again as this older gentleman walks into the room and Barraza turns to greet him with warmness that is something I haven’t seen in him. 

 They exchange few words without me hearing but judging by their faces it is a friendly conversation. Well, he said long time business partner so with time maybe he will show me the same kind of warmth he shows to this guy. 

 When they turn to me Barraza starts to introduce me while giving me the look that reminds me to be the loving wife the world expects me to be, “Gianna, this is my uncle Andy.”

 I nod to Barraza to reaffirm him, that I know my role in all of this, and he can expect a performance worthy of an Oscar. 

 “Nice to meet you Andy,” I say when I look at him and find him staring at me like he is seeing a ghost.

 “Andy?” Barraza also notices that something is not quite right.

 “Maya? How can that be?”