The Start of an Era

Chapter 14

It was darkness everywhere. I tried squinting my eyes, I tried opening and closing them over and over again. Nothing worked. Is this what it is like to be dead? I tried shouting out for help but nobody appeared. I could not see anything, not even my hands in front of my face. Was I really dead? I couldn’t be! I am only 22! Who dies at 22? I need to get out of here. The more I tried, the more I started to feel my body moving towards the exit of this awful darkness. I was determined to find the light and nothing was going to stop me.

I have been doing everything possible for what felt like hours. I gave it my all and suddenly a blinding light appeared in front of me. Oh great! I am going to go blind! I closed my eyes and ran into the light. If this was my way out of here, then amazing. If not, then at least I am out of the darkness. I opened my eyes only to close them due to the harsh light. I adjusted my eyes to the light and took in my surroundings. I was in a small hospital room. Everything smelled of medicine, giving me a headache. Nobody was with me in the room but there were two chairs at the side of my bed. Probably Jay and Percy. My shoulder was bandaged and my face was stitched up. I felt a lot better than I did before. I sat up only to feel the pain in my shoulder return, but I did not pay any attention to it. I stood up feeling the cold floor beneath my bare feet. My left arm was in a sling to prevent me from moving my arm. I walked towards the door where there was a conversation being held behind it but I was held back by the wires connected to me. I took out the IV and removed the wires. I was quick to regret my action when the machine flat lined and the doors burst open. I stood shocked in my place as I saw Christian walk in with Ash and Scar right behind him. Where were Jay and Percy? Did they at least get away? “What the hell Skylar?!” Christian roared in my face. “I…I am…m sorry.” I stuttered. When did I start stuttering? I am a grown, independent woman! I do not stutter. “We are glad to see that you are okay Sky.” Ash said, giving me a small hug. I was still shocked so I did not reply. “You gave us quite a scare.” Scar said, pulling me in for a hug. “Thank you.” I said, unsure of what to say. “What no snotty comment?” Christian asked with a raised eyebrow. “I…I…don’t k…know what is h…happening.” I said still stuttering. What the hell is wrong with me? I felt defeated. I felt like I gave up on being myself. I sat down on the bed looking at the floor. Where is the old me? I liked her a lot better than this new soft and I want to say pathetic, but I can never be pathetic. “Miss Rodriguez, you have lost a lot of blood and we need to get you back on the IV. We took the bullet out of your shoulder. You were lucky because it did not do any serious damage but you would have to keep the sling on for six weeks. We have also been informed about your internal injuries.” I closed my eyes, trying not to replay the memories in my head. The doctor put the IV back in my hand as she continued. “I am sorry about what happened.” She said in a sincere voice. I did not look up from the ground, so I do not know what she looked like, but by her voice I could tell that she was young. “We have managed to stop the bleeding and we would like to take a look at your abdomen from the inside to see the damage. It is a simple procedure and will give the results in an hour.” I only nodded at her. What if I can never conceive? Not that I want to be with a man any time soon, but I still had everything planned out perfectly. From the names and gender to the schools they will attend and where our little family is going to live. I know the gender would be unpredictable, but I had my little perfect life envisioned in my mind and now all of that might not even matter? I even saved over four million dollars for my children and I planned to increase that amount with every breath that they breathe. I want to see them take their first steps, say their first words, pack their lunch for the first day of school, take care of them through their first heartbreak, see them off to college, but of course, it would not be far from home, so they would come and visit every weekend, I would love them unconditionally. Now all of that might not happen because of one asshole who could not keep it in his pants.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the doctor telling him that it was time for the procedure. “Could we please have the room to ourselves boys?” she asked, and the three of them left the room. Why were they even here? “Please lay down on your back with your knees open?” I obeyed the orders and did what she said. “This is going to be a little uncomfortable but it would not hurt one bit.” The doctor smiled at me and I just nodded at her. I felt a small object enter me and looked at the screen that the doctor was staring at, trying to look for something. She took a few pictures and retrieved the object. “We are done. Now, if you will excuse me, I will get these checked out and I will be back in an hour with the results.” I nodded and she left. I sat up on the bed once again. I felt so depressed. What the hell is it with me? I am still alive, aren’t I? That has to count for something. I stood up from the bed and walked toward the window. The door opened and I could only guess that Christian and his men were back. “Hey Sky, are you alright?” Scar asked me and I just nodded my head. “Where are Jay and Percy?” I asked, turning towards Christian. My voice did not have any emotion. Ash and Scar looked at each other with a worried and guilty expression and I guess that was my answer. I saw Christian’s expression change and all I could see in his eyes were anger and a tiny piece of guilt. “They are back in their cells where they belong.” Christian spat out. I nodded and walked back to my bed. I sat down with my feet dangling off the side.

I knew I could not trust him. Those two should have run as fast and as far as they could. Even though I was angry at them for not leaving me, I was also grateful that they did not leave me to die. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” came Christian’s voice laced with anger. “I…I am sorry.” Was all I could whisper because I did not even know what was wrong with me. I am broken, that is for sure, but I have always been broken. This was a new level of everything inside me shattered and thrown across the floor of my heart. Every spec of hope I had ever had of success in this world has been replaced with darkness and hurt.

“What are you sorry about?!” he shouted so loudly I winced at his harsh tone. “Boss, she needs time to…” Ash was cut off by Christian grabbing him by the neck. “You got something to say?!” Ash coward away from Christian. He was unstable and that was clear by the look of total rage on his face. What? Was he angry at me for not talking back to him because I clearly remember that the last time I did I was almost chocked to death by his hands? “You are pathetic, you know. You should have died but instead you are wasting my money on all these medical bills!” he stormed out of the room, leaving me in total shock at his words. I knew he never liked me and all that, but who the hell asked him to pay for my medical bills? I am an independent woman. I can take care of myself. If I had died, then maybe just maybe it would have been better, but guess what I did not, so that means that I am stuck here. Does he really think that I want to be here in the hospital and almost die because of him, because I saved his life along with the people that he is holding in a prison cell somewhere? “Skylar, he does not mean that.” Scar said, coming to my side and holding me in his arms and Ash came to the other side. I felt a sense of comfort in their arms. “Thank you,” I said. My voice still had no emotion and my face was blank. I felt dead inside. I did not want to cry or laugh. I did not feel angry or sad and, most definitely, not happy. “We have to check on the boss, but if you need anything, we are here for you.” Ash whispered to me, leaving the room. I was all alone and I knew that. My best friend was somewhere on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere and my non-related brothers were in a cell being starved. What has my life become? The doctor entered the room with a file in her hands, followed by Christian, Ash and, Scar. “Before I read the results I would like to know if you want the guys to stay?” she asked me, but before I could answer, Christian answered for me “I am not going anywhere.” He was still angry and did not look at me. I do not want them here, but right now it does not seem as if I have a choice in the matter. “Okay then let us start. It looks like there is a huge number of scars and, I am sorry to say, but you will not be able to have children.” She went straight to the point. I felt everything inside me breaking into millions of pieces and no amount of glue was going to be able to fix me up. I am never going to be able to have children ever? I saw my future being ripped to shreds right in front of me. I looked down at my hands that were ice cold and also wrapped in bandages. My feet were beginning to turn blue from the cold but I could not feel any of it. “There are other options. And she will not need any of it. Thank you for your service, doctor, but we need to go, if you will excuse us.” That was the last straw. Everything inside me vanished and I became a dead shell of a human. “Of course sir. I will get her discharge forms right away.” Was she flirting with him? This was not the time. He, on the other hand, did not seem to mind. After they left with smiles on their faces, Ash handed me a bag with clothes in it. I headed to the bathroom and took a quick shower. There was matching underwear with a pair of black jeans, a white top and some black sneakers. I looked at myself in the mirror. There stood a beautiful girl looking back at me. The only flaw she had was the scars that were scattered all over her body. She had blue eyes with a matching stitched up scar on her eyebrow giving her a bad ass look. There were also stitches holding a scratch on her cheek together. There were blue hand marks on her neck. Her green and gray orbs held no emotion. Her light brown hair fell down her back and her skin was as white as snow. Her peach lips had a cut on the bottom right. A knocking on the door startled me a bit. “We do not have all day!” Christian shouted from the other side. I folded my hospital gown neatly and walked out of the bathroom not once looking up and placed the gown on my already made bed. Christian grabbed my arm hard. I guess one more bruise does not matter. He pulled me out of the doors and pushed me into a black SUV. He slammed the door close and then got in on the other side. Ash and Scar got in at the front with Ash driving. He turned on the ignition and started driving. “How did you know that I was not going to let you and those idiots go?” Christian asked, making me look at him. “I didn’t.” I said, turning back to the window. “Then why did you run?” he asked this time he was calm talking to me. “I wanted them to be safe.” I said and with every word that comes out of my mouth I felt like I was not present in my own body my lips were just saying the words like it was on auto-pilot. “Your little plan did not work out and now not one of you are safe.” A sick chuckle left his throat. “I know.” I said still no emotion. I knew he was just trying to get to me. That is what the people in the mafia or just people in general do. Get you emotional and they get what they want. “I think we should start with Jay. I mean you knew him the longest, didn’t you?” he had an evil smile on his face. “Okay.” I said flatly, only making him angry. “Then I will move on to little Percy. At least he will outlive his mother. Poor woman has no one to take care of her.” All of this was some sick game to him. “Okay.” I said and that threw him over the edge. He grabbed my arms again, turning my whole body towards him harshly. I still had no emotion. “I am not so stupid now am I? I mean I have caught you and your little buddies and now I get to do whatever I want.” He smirked, but what does he not get? The fact that I do not have any emotion to give to him because I am dead inside, or the fact that he has won and he has nothing to prove anymore?

“You were never stupid.” I said and that seemed to soften his emotions a bit. “You going back on your own words?” he raised an eyebrow. “I only said it to get to you so that you could put up a fight with Estelle’s men. The boss of the biggest mafia in the world is not stupid, he is the smartest person on this planet.” I said, and even though my voice had no emotion my words seemed to move him. He looked into my eyes as if to search for any sign of a lie, but he found none to be more specific, he found nothing. I could see all sorts of emotion running through his eyes. Emotions like regret, hurt, anger, frustration and, last but not least, guilt. He let me go and seemed to have an internal battle with himself. I turned back to the window, staring out of it. We passed through thick woods. We are probably close to the warehouse. “Am I a prisoner again?” I asked without looking at him. “Yes, you ran away from me.” He said, seeming to think about something else. “Okay. Am I going to be alone in the prison?” I asked, making him look at me confused. “I told you Jay and Percy were in the cells, so no, you are not going to be alone.” I never looked at him but I could feel his intense stare on my side. “It would be hard for them to be in there if you did not catch them.” I said taking him by surprise. “What are you talking about?” he asked a bit shocked but he hid it quickly. “They are long gone by now or not who knows... but they are not in those cells of yours. With all your impossibly harsh words and rude attitude, you did not think to tell a good lie.” Everything was coming back to me, all my emotions, all those heart-breaking memories and all the pain and hurt crushed my sole all at once. I pushed everything down as hard as I could but it wouldn’t stay down. “You never seize to amaze me.” He said, but I did not pay attention to him. I just cannot break down in front of him. I started taking deep, shallow breaths, holding tightly on to my chest, hoping to ease the pain. Nothing was working and my breath became shorter and it seemed as if I could not breathe. All of this hurt and pain is swallowing me whole.