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“Thank God. Listen, let Dr. Ramirez know I’m coming up with another patient. She’s currently unconscious and will need immediate attention.” Gio hesitates as I unlock the cell holding me and Ariana. “Gio?”
“Yes, Boss. I’ll let him know. Should I set up a guest room for the examination and treatment?”
“Yes. And Gio?”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“She’s not one of them. She’s…she’s FBI. And she saved Sophia’s life.”
“Well, that is, um…interesting,” Gio says.Interesting.He doesn’t even know the half of it. Ariana’s spent her life taking down men like me, and yet tonight she saved the life of the person most important to me and asked me for my help. A series of events I never saw coming.
“Interesting. Yeah, I’d say so.” I exit my comms with Gio, swing the cell door open, and return to Ariana. She doesn’t move or moan as I scoop her into my arms, which makes me wonder if her injuries are worse than they appear. I need to get her to Dr. R ASAP. Yet, up close, I can’t help but take a moment to look at her, to see past the dried blood and bruising. She looks so young and innocent from her silky, dark hair to her plush, round lips to her taut yet baby-soft skin. She doesn’t look like a woman who has lived through the Hell she has, and yet, as the skirt of her dress falls away from her body, revealing the skin of her upper thighs, I find scars that let me know I’ve gotten only a glimpse of the pain she’s endured.
“A fallen angel,” I whisper. “We’ve got to get you back up in the sky so you can fly far, far away from here and never come back.”
* * *
Ariana remainsunconscious while Dr. Ramirez performs his exam and tends to her wounds. I had a couple of my maids undress her and wipe away the dried blood and dirt before he entered. Now she wears nothing but her underwear and one of my T-shirts. It hangs loose on her, nearly reaching her knees, that is, until Dr. R is forced to lift it to continue his treatment. I stand at the foot of the bed in the third-floor bedroom as he does, revealing Ariana’s toned, slender figure. Though, that isn’t the only thing that’s revealed. The small scars, some narrow slits, and some round, begin on her upper thighs and continue onto her hips where they disappear, perhaps continuing onto her back. While most of them could be self-inflicted or perhaps even a consequence of working for the FBI, some of them are in places I know she couldn’t reach herself. It’s as if someone…
“She’s waking up,” Dr. R says, forcing me to redirect my attention from Ariana’s body to her face. I move to the opposite side of the bed from Dr. R and sit just as Ariana starts to stir.
“Ariana. It’s Alister. Can you hear me?” I say her name and mine, as if we’ve known each forever, and the words feel strange as they cross my lips.
“Cold,” she whispers.
“Oh, sorry. I was in the middle of—” The sound of Dr. Ramirez’s voice fully awakens Ariana, and her eyes flash open as he reaches for the hem of her shirt. At his touch, she forces herself up and out of his grasp, despite the pain I know she must feel. A fighter.
“Ariana, it’s okay,” I say, moving closer to her. “This is Dr. Ramirez. He’s here to help you.” Ariana’s fists ball as her eyes move between the two of us. It’s as if she’s asking herself which of us should she lunge at first. Realizing she probably trusts me even less than the good doctor, I stand and move back to the foot of the bed.
“Ariana, you with me?” Dr. R asks. “Like Mr. Amato said, I’m here to help.”
Ariana takes stock of her surroundings, including the stethoscope hanging around Dr. R’s neck, and she finally relaxes. I’m not sure if it’s the pain becoming too much for her to bear or if she actually trusts us not to hurt her. Either way, she unballs her fists and lies down once more instead of pressing herself against the bed frame. She pinches her eyes closed as her pain-stricken face reveals the discomfort I know she must feel.
Once she’s settled, Dr. R continues. “I’ve ruled out internal bleeding, but you do have a cracked rib. I can wrap your torso for you and give you some medicine to help with the pain. I’ll also take a look at the cuts on your chest and see if they need stitches. Is that alright with you?”
Ariana is quiet for a moment before shifting her attention from the doctor to me. “Why?” she asks. “Why are you doing this?”
“Dr. Ramirez, will you give us a minute?” I ask.
“Of course, sir.”
It’s not that I don’t trust him. I trust Dr. R with my life and Sophia’s, not only because of his skill but because of his discretion. But I have no idea where this conversation will go, and I can’t have Ariana revealing she’s FBI or any other sensitive details in front of him. No one can know the extent of the attack against Sophia, especially not until I figure out who’s behind it.
As Dr. R leaves, I take his place beside Ariana on the bed. To my surprise, she doesn’t move away from me. “Dr. Ramirez was tending to Sophia when you lost consciousness. I brought you here so you can be treated, because I’m pretty sure my deal with the FBI would be voided if you die on my property. And, for saving Sophia, it’s the least I can do.”
“The least,” Ariana scoffs. “Yes, in fact, it is the least. You never answered my question. Or should I accept your silence as all the answer I get?” At her comment, I can’t help but smile. She’s been conscious for only two minutes and she hasn’t missed a beat.
“Right now you need to let Dr. Ramirez tend to your injuries, and then you need to rest.”
“You’re avoiding answering me. And since when do doctors make house calls?”
“Well, there are certain perks to being rich. Not to mention he was a guest at the party tonight.” Ariana nods, though annoyance still consumes her as she moves her eyes to the ceiling. “I’ll, um, step out so that Dr. R can finish his treatment, unless you want me to stay.”
It’s then that Ariana returns her slanted gaze to me. Her cheeks blush with fury as she bites out her response. “I’d love nothing more.”
I laugh. Ariana’s sarcasm both stings and intrigues me. She’s got a spunkiness to her that reminds me of Cara, the more rebellious of my two sisters.
“Got it.” I stand, though as I make my way out of the room, something stops me and I turn back to her. “Thank you.”
