Arranged Marriage to the Mafia Boss

Chapter 7

    Once they arrived back to the house Raj noticed that Alexis' breathing had evened out. He decides to quietly carry her into her room so she can sleep. On the way up the stairs Raj sees Damian at the top. He mouths at him telling him to be quiet and Damian, furrowing his eyebrows, responds in a whisper, "Okay take her to her room then meet me in my office."

    Raj gets to her room and lays her in the bed with the help of Eric. He lowers her hood noticing that one of her cheeks is slightly more red than the other, even though right now her entire face is red and swollen from crying. He then pulls the blanket up to her chin and that's when he sees red marks around her neck. He pursed his lips taking in a hard breath through his nose. He knows something happened at school but now he knows she is not only emotionally scarred but physically injured as well from whatever happened to her. When she wakes up he knows that he will need to return to help her through whatever happened.

    Leaving her to sleep he closes the door behind him telling Eric to notify him if he hears her wake up but also telling him not to enter under any circumstances. He takes a breath and makes his way to Damian's office with his jaw clenched tight.

    "So why did it take 45 minutes for you three to return?" Damian questions as Raj opens his office door. He closes the door and takes a seat across from him before speaking.

    "Damian, somethings wrong. Something happened. I don't know what, she hasn't said anything, but all the signs are there."

    "What signs? What do you know?" Damian cuts him off anger and worry radiating out of him.

    "Did Eric tell you anything yet?"

    "No?" Confusion now lacing his voice.

    "Well as you know Eric and John found her in the woods. She was curled up on the ground and crying. When Eric tried to gain her attention she broke down. When I arrived she was no longer crying but it was obvious something had happened to her to make her act this way. She was retreating within herself and not wanting to be touched. She never said anything but her body's actions spoke for her."

    "What does that mean?"

    "When I realized she wasn't going to talk to me I started asking her pointed questions in order to gain some type of response. I waited until her body was completely relaxed. I first asked if Eric and John scared her and there was no visible change in her body language. Then I saw her book bag and asked if she went to school. Her body stiffened at that point. I probed further asking if something had happened at school and she started shaking and crying once again. Now I don't know what happened to her but something was so traumatic for her that she stopped talking and did not want anyone near her."

    "Is she sleeping now? Are you going to try to talk to her again?"

    "Yes she is sleeping. I am going to have to make regular visits with her now because I know whatever happened it won't pass quickly. Unfortunately I also do not know how long it will take for her to explain what happened or if she ever will." A moment passes and he sighs. "There's something else."

    "Something else?"

    "I noticed she had cuts on her hands in the car. Just small minor ones. I also noticed that one of her cheeks is more swollen than the other." Damian visibly stiffens. "Her neck also had red marks around it."

    "Anything else?" He growls.

    "Unfortunately due to her clothing I could not see anymore skin than that. I'm going to have to give her another exam. That is if she will let me get close enough to do one." He looks down. "Damian in my professional opinion I believe someone not only emotionally scarred her but physically hurt her as well."

    Damian's jaw fully clenched and his nails were digging into the armrests of his chair when the phone rang. "What?!" Damian yelled through the phone then almost immediately hung up. "She's awake."

    Raj and Damian immediately stand. "Stay here, I know it's hard but I have a rapport with her now and I may be able to get her to open up a little." Damian growls in frustration running a hand through his hair and sits down forcefully.

    "Go!"

    Raj nods and swiftly makes his way to her room where Eric is standing guard. "What did you hear?"

    "She started crying and then I heard I door shut. I think she is in the bathroom."

    "Do you have a key for the bathroom?" Eric hands him a key. "Thanks. Be ready to come in if I yell for you." Raj makes his way in the room and calls out for Alexis. "Alexis darling. Are you in the shower?" He can hear the water running and her loud sobbing. He knocks on the door, her sobbing stops. "Alexis it's me Raj. Are you alright? I'm just here to help."

    She starts breathing heavily, "Go away!" Alexis is currently in the shower scrubbing at her body under the scalding hot water. Trying desperately to get rid of the feeling of Trever and Tiffany off her body.

    "Sweetie I am just here to help you. I know something happened and I'm a doctor remember? I can help you if you are injured." She starts crying again.

    "Just go away." She makes out through the sobs.

    "Darling right now it is not a good idea for you to be alone. I will go get something for you to wear and you can come out of the shower yeah? How about shorts and a t-shirt?" Hoping she says yes to the minimal clothing so he can easily look over her body, Raj waits until she responds.

    "I want sweatpants and a sweatshirt." She barley mumbles. Raj sighs and goes and gets clothes out for her to wear. Hearing the water stop he waits by the bathroom door until she opens it just enough to take the clothing. He notices the redness on her arm when she reaches out before she shuts the door.

    When she come out she is carrying her old clothes to put them away in the hamper. "Can I take those for you?" Raj steps up to help her.

    "No!" She yells and pulls the clothes away from him. He looks at her in confusion and she stutters, "I-I m-mean I-I can do it." She walks to the hamper and throws in the clothes before walking to the bed and sitting down.

    After a few minutes of silence Raj brings a chair over and sits near the bed. "So I saw the redness on your arm earlier can I look at it closer?" Alexis pulls her sleeves over her hands. "You know I'm only here to help and if you are injured I can help." Still no response. He looks closer at her face and notices the cheek that was red earlier now is showing signs of bruising. "I see your face is bruised." Her eyes widen and she brings her hand to cover her face. "It's ok I'll have someone bring ice for you. Eric? Can you have the maid bring a bag of ice please?" He doesn't respond but he knows he will get what he needs.

    "We can go at your pace Alexis. What about your hands I saw some cuts on them?"

    She looks down at her hands and sighs. "When I was running away I had to carry a large rock and climb a tree. I must have cut them at some point."

    "Did you fall from the tree? Is that how your arms became red and why your face is bruised?" She becomes quiet once again. "So you escaped the house huh?" He tries to change the subject again.

    "Yeah."

    "How did you get out?"

    "Bathroom window."

    "Your on the second floor!" She just looks down. "So then you went home?" She nods. "Were your parents there?"

    "They were sleeping I didn't see or talk to them."

    "Then you went to school?" She slowly nods. "What is your first class?"

    "History."

    "What about your second?"

    "I...I didn't go."

    "Didn't go where?"

    "To second period." Raj is happy that he is getting her to slowly talk about her day.

    "Why not?"

    "They said I graduated."

    "Who said?"

    "The teacher. Mr. Waldorf said that I graduated and I didn't need to be there."

    "So you left?" She nods. "Well shouldn't that make you happy? You've graduated, now you can move on to bigger and better things." He says in a hopeful tone. She shakes her head. "Are you sad because you are going to miss your friends?" She tenses. "If that's the case I can talk to Damian and you can finish out the school year?"

    Her eyes grow to the size of saucers as they fill with tears. "No please anything but that. Don't send me back!" Raj quickly holds onto her to comfort the now sobbing Alexis.

    "Shh, shh, shh. Do not worry no one will send you back I promise. It's okay you are safe now. You can stay here you never have to return." He rubs her back in circular motions trying to soothe her.