Someone Else

Chapter 21

***Matteo's POV***

"Don't call me Amelia, I'm- I'm not-"

Not what? I hear her weak intake of breath and a quiet thump.

She's dead? No, no she can't die! I'm the criminal, why am I the one who got out of that unscathed? God is spitting on me.

"Princess, Princess please wake up!" I begged. "Please, please, please, please! I lost my brother, I can't lose you, please wake up!"

The hospital is in sight! We're minutes away, only minutes. But people die in seconds...

"Princess, we're almost there, hold on for me." I haven't screamed like this since I was six when one of my father's men shot my dog.

I stop in front of the ER, leaving the keys in. Running to the other side, I open the door and carry her in carefully.

"f*****g help her, she's been shot!" I yelled as I walked in. Now that I can see her clearly, my heart drops to my stomach.

The front of her top is completely soaked with red, she's dripping all over me and the floor. Her stomach...

"Sir, sir put her down here!"

I put her on the bed and get a look of all of her. Cuts on her thighs, three bullet wounds on her forearm, calf and stomach. She's so pale, almost blue. Seeing her here, covered in blood and cuts makes me want to take a gun and shoot myself. I would shoot myself right now but the doctor said her heart is still beating.

If she dies, I will die with her. This life isn't worth living if she's not here with me.

They rush her into surgery and I am forced to fill out some f*****g forms. Where are my men? They should be here by now.

I fill everything out, I've seen all of this in her file from when I hired someone to do a background check on her when we first met.

That day, I went out for a run because my i***t brother had a w***e and his bed kept banging on the wall. Then I saw her from behind.

She looked tiny in those clothes that were too big and the mess of hair piled on top of her head looked like it could tip her over at any given moment. She intrigued me a lot, I've never felt a pull to any woman like I felt at that second.

When she talked to me and looked into my eyes, she was intelligent and unafraid. She looked like she knew everything about me, like she could see what was buried underneath the ice. My heartbeat had spiked and felt so warm. I always feel warm when I'm with her; only with her.

"Are you related?"

"We're engaged to be married." I lied.

"Now, can you tell me how this happened or do we have to wait for the police?" She asked. Her expression is suspicious, disapproving almost. Does she think I did it?

I would sooner shoot my mother than shoot her!

My men run in and I grit my teeth.

"Boss, what happened? We swept the woods and-" I punch him in the face before he can finish.

"Deal with the mess! Someone finish filling this out. Go get me and her a new change of clothes and for f**k's sake find out who is responsible!" I ordered them.

They drag away the guy lying unconscious on the floor and I try to control my breathing. The nurse goes away to do god knows what.

Julius, my right hand, stays to fill out the forms. "Sir, the bodies in the woods, they were shot. Did you-?"

"No." I said, rubbing my temples.

"Who did?"

Princess. She killed all of them to protect me. "Who do you think, i***t?"

"Amelia Shackler, sir? But there are almost twenty bodies?"

I don't understand it myself. I watched her move, it wasn't like anything I've ever seen before. She was fast and didn't hesitate or pause for even a second. When she was shot at, she didn't scream and cry like any other woman, but she shot right back at them.

When there was a flashlight in front of her, she pushed me ahead. At first I didn't understand why, but now I do. She knew that it would take a split second for the shooter to comprehend who were were, a split second for me to pass. That's probably when she was shot the first time.

I don't understand. How did she do that? Men with decades of training couldn't do what she did, I most certainly couldn't do what she did.

And at the parking lot. I heard her scream for help and it sounded so real I had to stop myself from going to her, she had used an accent to make sure I didn't come. I watched as she pretended to collapse and then use someone as a human shield.

The shot in her stomach...it was right under the vest... If it were an inch higher, it would have hit the f*****g vest.

She did all of that for me. Why? What have I done for her? What have I done for anyone?

"That woman in there is the only reason I am alive. If I see any pigs or reporters around here, it will be your head."

He gulped and nodded rapidly. Good. I have to see her now, I'll lose my mind if I stay in this ER.

Where is my phone?

"Julius, our things." I snapped.

He hands me my phone and her's that we left in the camper. My parents have called non stop for the past hour.

I call them back and my mother answers.

"Mio mimmo, where are you? Are you okay? Julius told us what happened, are you hurt?" My mother rushed into the phone.

"Sto benne, madre." ("I'm fine, mother.") I said, following the trail of blood. It stops outside the operating room so I find a way to go up to the observation room. "Amelia, she killed those men for me, she was shot 3 times."

She gasps. "I don't understand, Amelia killed those men? How could she do that?"

"I don't know but she's dying right now as we speak. She sacrificed herself for me, I'll explain what happened when I know she will be okay."

"Okay, mimmo. We will be there in a few hours."

I find the room and sit in one of the chairs. They've just begun. I watch them take out the bullets and see if anything is wrong internally. What's worse is I can f*****g hear them talk among themselves.

After they take out the bullet in her stomach, blood spurts out and I pale. I've seen blood before, I've tortured men and women by gouging out their eyes. But seeing my Princess bleeding out on the operating table, I can't bare it.

I squeeze my eyes shut and feel something wet on my cheeks. Tears? I haven't cried in twenty years.

They cut her open further and I have to look away. I can't stand being so useless.

My brother is gone. He was in Italy with our parents, how could he have died? My brother, who I have always hated, is dead. He was a friend to Princess, so I will mourn him.

At first, I stayed away because I didn't want to bring her into my world of crime. But I knew that I belonged to this woman now, so I made sure I could always find her.

When my own f*****g men brought her to the house, I rushed back from the docks and almost killed myself in the process.

From that day, I knew I could not stay away any longer so instead, I had her protected 24/7.

But today- today I thought it was safe for us to be alone. But somehow those fuckers found us. This is my f*****g fault! If I had left my men where they were supposed to be then she would not be dying.

She told me that I needed to trust her, that she wouldn't die if I just listened and followed her. Now I understand that she meant I would not die. If she hadn't done what she did, we'd both be dead, I know that.

After many hours, I'm not sure how many, they start sewing her back up. Her heart monitor is still on, I hear the steady beep beep that shows her heart is still beating.

Happiness explodes inside my chest and completely consumes me. My Princess is still here! The surgery was a success!

I run to the waiting room where they will be expecting me to be.

The surgeon comes out and calls my name. "Yes doctor?" I said.

"Your fiancee's surgery was a success, we managed to repair the damage caused by the bullet puncturing her stomach lining." She said, sounding very cheery. "But she lost a lot of blood so we don't know when or if she's going to wake up. Right now she's being transferred to where we can monitor her further. You can come see her now."

I had completed forgotten the possibility that she might not wake up at all. But I will hold on to hope. During the surgery, she did not flatline once, her vitals were steady all the way through. My Princess will wake up.

The sun has come up.

___________________________________

"Mimmo! My baby, how is she doing?" My mother asked as they come in.

"They said she can wake up today or tomorrow or never." I said grimly. "And Gio?"

She shakes her head and starts crying. "Your fratello was-" she bursts out in sobs and turns to my father.

"Shot. In the head." He said. My father, who has never showed any remorse or fear, has sadness in his eyes and slumped shoulders. "He was in the pool when it happened, he had been sniped. We still don't know who or how."

Sniped? While in the pool at our house? How was that possible? Trees and men surrounded the house and the land within a 100 meter radius was a forest that had men sweeping it 24/7. It is simply impossible, even God could not make that shot.

"Tell us how this happened, tell us everything." He said.

+ + +

They sit in silence after I told them. They seem shocked, confused, impressed but mostly grateful.

"Are you going to take my advice and marry her now?" My mother asked after a few minutes.

"When she wakes up, if she still wants anything to do with me, I will tell her." I decided. They know about her now, so the only way she can be safe is if she stays with me by my side.

I look at her sleeping state. She is beautiful. Principessa, svegliati... What will happen when she goes back to University? She will probably not be safe in her dorm.

She will simply have to move in with me.

As if she could read my thoughts, her lips part to start protesting before her eyes open. "f*****g hell, that hurt." She said, bringing her hand to her stomach.

"Cara, she's awake!" Father said.

"Grazie, Dio! Amelia, how are you feeling, my dear girl?" Mother asked, coming to her side.

My dear girl? We're not married yet.

Princess opens her eyes and I almost fall to my knees in relief. Il mio amore, la mia vita, il mio tutto is awake.

"I feel like I'm missing class." She said. I laugh, I laugh hard because I know she's completely serious about that. "Didn't think I was that funny..."

"Are you hungry? We'll go get you some food. What do you want to eat?" Mother asked her, patting her hand lightly.

She smiles. "Anything is fine, please." Amare almost died and she's still being polite, I will never understand her.

They leave us and I caress her cheek. "Thank you, for saving me." I said quietly.

She puts her hand on top of mine and presses her cheek into it. My heart melts with her small affectionate gesture. She's always been this affectionate and kind.

"If I didn't then who else would have?" She said, smiling brightly. "Matt, I feel fine, when can I go home?"

"Soon, amor, soon." I press my forehead against hers and close my eyes.

The doctor comes in and she jerks away. In my head, I shoot him for ruining this moment.

"Amelia Shackler, hi, I'm doctor Peters. I'll be the one making sure you get better soon." He said cheerfully.

She nods and holds out her hand. "Good morning, Dr Peters." She said as they shake hands. "When exactly can I go home? I have many classes and important meetings, you see."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be here for at least two weeks until we see that your skin is healing up nicely. You are very lucky, little lady. The bullet in your stomach didn't cause too much damage but we do have to be careful with what you eat. No more fizzy, carbonated drinks."

She frowns. "What if I shake all the carbonhydrates out? Then can I drink it?"

"In that case, we should get you into therapy, it seems you're addicted to pop." He joked. "Technically, I suppose that's fine. None of my patients have come up with that solution before."

That's my girl.

"Your vitals look steady so I'll take some blood to test for any infection." He said. "Give me one minute."

He goes out, probably to get the needles and s**t. I on the chair next to her bed. "Do you need me to do anything?" I asked her.

"I need my phone, laptop, clothes, Toothless, and some proof I'm in the hospital so my tardiness won't affect my GPA."

Of course that's the only thing she cares about.