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“Security?”
“Yeah, security. You know, a person who guards another for protection.”
We had a ten-second staredown.
Vito held up the cold towel. “Can I put this on your forehead?”
I held my hand out to take the towel from him. “I can do it myself.”
He swatted my hand away and gently placed the towel on my head. “You came to me, and I’m trying to give you what you need. Let me help you.”
“It’s cold,” I protested.
“It may be cold, but you need this to help stop the swelling. When did this happen?”
“What day is it?”
Vito frowned. “It’s Thursday.”
“Well, it happened two days ago.”
“Why don’t you know what day it is?”
“I think I’ve been passed out since Tuesday. At least, I don’t remember anything since then.”
“You passed out Tuesday, the day I bought you the groceries?” he asked, realizing what had happened when I returned home from the store.
“Yeah, he didn’t like that I got that money from you.”
“He’s dead, you know? If you must, you can start mourning him now.” Vito looked like he wanted to wreck some shit until it was completely destroyed. At this point, I wasn’t sure if he was asking me a question about killing Desi or if his statement was simply a predicate to what was about to happen.
“I don’t want any more trouble. I just want to get away from him and forget I ever knew him,” I conceded.
Vito grew more upset as he studied my bruised face and swollen forehead. “I can’t guarantee there’ll be no more trouble because there will be more trouble. You don’t have to worry about it, though. I can guarantee he won’t put his fucking hands on you or any other woman again. Now that you’re under my protection, no one will harm a hair on your head?”
I pleaded with him to let it go. “Please, just let me handle it.”
Vito took me by the hand and walked me into the nearest bathroom. He faced me so that I was staring into the mirror. “Look at yourself. You’ve been handling it, Nicole. And this is the result of how you’ve been handling it. This is a no-go from this point on. Tell me you’ll never go back to living like that.”
“I’m scared of him, Vito,” I admitted. “He’s crazy, and I don’t want him to retaliate against anyone. He said he would kill my parents if I left him. Hell, he said he would kill me if I left. I can only imagine what he would do if he found out I was here with you. He’d probably kill us all.” My fear seemed to increase Vito’s anger, as evidenced by the tension in his jawline and crinkling of his brow.
“You have no idea who I am, so I understand you underestimating my ability to protect you from him. You’re afraid of him; I get it. But Desi knows exactly who I am. He knows I will end him if I want to. That’s because he is and always has been lightweight to me. The only reason he survived that day I followed you home from the store was that you pled for his life. Now that you have come to me for safety and protection, he can forget it. If he comes anywhere near you, it will not go how he plans,” he assured. “And besides, you can’t live in fear of what someone says they will do to you. I refuse to live in fear. It’s not in my blood to do it, and I won’t let you do it either.”
He obviously didn’t understand what I’d been through. My entire body trembled as memories of brutal beatings flashed across my mind. The punches, the shoves, the chokings…it was all too much. I had to admit, “I’m just so scared.”
Retribution flashed across Vito’s orbs. “For the life of me, I can’t understand why a full-grown, muscle-bound man would put his hands on someone as delicate as you. Why would any man want to break you like this?”
I shut my eyes in shame. “I just don’t know what to do.”
He dragged my chin back upward to face the mirror. “You may not know what to do now, but in time, you will. Until that time comes, I stand by my word that I will protect you.”
“Vito, I just don’t want to make things messier than they already are. I don’t think you understand how unstable he is. He will come after me. He won’t give up until I’m back over there with him.”
Vito’s voice boomed, “Let him come. I can guarantee you he won’t go the same way he came. He will get carried away in a body bag. That’s my promise to you.”
Tears fell down my cheeks in streams. “I can’t take that risk.”
“You can, and you will get your life back, Nicole. But tonight, I just want you to not worry about anything. Stay here until you have some time to think about everything. In the meantime, I got you. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
