Waking up in a hospital bed, I feel groggy and confused.
What the hell happened?
Panicking when memories flood my brain, I try to sit up but I feel two strong hands push on my shoulders.
Lorenzo’s face comes into view and I instantly relax. “It’s alright Maddison, they had to sedate you but it should nearly be out of your system.”
He sits on the side of my bed and I’m grateful for the fact that he stayed with me. “Thank you for sitting with me.”
Staring straight into my eyes, he utters, “I promised I wouldn’t leave you and I meant it.”
“Still, thank you.” I’m sure he has a million other things he needs to do rather than sitting here and babysitting me but I’m thankful that I didn’t have to wake up alone.
I’m still struggling to come to terms over what took place tonight but it helps having a familiar face around.
Other than Lorenzo, I don’t know anyone else in Italy and I don’t want to be alone right now.
I don’t think I ever want to be left alone again.
Lorenzo shakes his head in disbelief, “I can’t believe you trust me after that act I had to put on. Normally I can handle my job quite well but tonight, I felt sick over the things I said and did to you.”
“It’s fine Lorenzo,” and it is, I would go through worse pain than that to have the outcome that I did.
I’m so lucky that Lorenzo was putting on an act, if he wasn’t and he had truly brought me…I’m not sure where I would be right now.
The fact that he shielded my body with his to protect me from that gunfire is enough to make up for lying to me.
Because of him, I’m safe.
Because of him, I’ll be able to see my family again.
“Um, about that,” he hesitates slightly, “Lorenzo isn’t my real name.”
“Oh,” I guess after everything that’s happened, that’s not too surprising.
“My real name is Blake Morelli. The part about having an Italian father and an American mother, that part is true.”
I guess now I know why he steered conversation away from himself why we were having lunch. If he talked about himself, it would have all been a lie. “Did you actually live in the States as a child?”
He nods, “I did, my dad met my mom on holiday one year in Los Angeles and he fell in love with her. He stayed and they had me a few years later. We lived there until I was ten and then we moved to Italy.”
“Everyone calls me Maddy.” Edward was the only person to ever call me Maddison and I didn’t mind up until tonight.
Now, I never want to hear that name again.
“Maddy,” he smiles at me softly, “That suits you.” He picks up my hand in his and strokes it gently, “When I saw you that day in the city, I nearly called the whole thing off but my captain yelled at me until I changed my mind.”
“If you called it off then he could have sold me to someone else, someone who actually-” my voice breaks off, unable to voice what I want to say.
Ne nods sadly, “That’s what finally changed my mind. Enzo, that’s Mateo’s real name, he reminded me about all of the other girls that haven’t been so lucky. He told me that it was better to go through with our operation so I could protect you and countless other women in the long run. Edward deserves to spend the rest of his life rotting in prison after what he has done over the years. The girl’s he’s-”
“He was right, everything worked out.” Thinking about that man from Edward’s security team, I ask, “Your unit, are they all, um, are they okay?”
He nods and I breathe a sigh of relief. “Two were injured but are going to be fine. Edwards’ security team that he had with him were casualties and his driver also ended up being a problem, he’s in the same hospital as Edward with life threatening injuries.”
“So tonight was a success then?” I guess in Lorenzo’s mind it will be, Edward is off the streets for good and can no longer hurt anyone else.
He said that he’s had business in Europe for the last ten years, does that mean he’s been doing this for that long?
Or even longer?
I shudder to think about the damage he’s managed to inflict during that time.
Tonight was awful but I’m glad that I could help in some small way to make him pay, even if I wasn’t aware of it at the time.
“Yes, apart from the injuries you sustained, everything went as well as it could of. Enzo is combing through Edward’s hotel suite for more evidence as we speak.”
“My injuries?” I don’t remember sustaining any injuries.
“You have light bruising around your upper arms and waist from where I grabbed you and a cut on your forearm from where you broke that window.” He hangs his head in shame, “I’m sorry that I hurt you Maddy, it was never my intention.”
“I’m fine, honestly.” The only thing that matters is that I’m alive and I get to see my family again.
Everything else pales in comparison.
He chuckles slightly, “That’s because they gave you pain medication.”
“Oh,” feeling silly, I ask, “When do you think I can leave?”
“They should discharge you in a few hours and then I can take you back to your hotel.”
“I would like that.” There is nothing more that I want other than to hop into that big, comfy bed and sleep for days.
He squeezes my hand, “I can arrange for someone to sit outside your room tonight if it makes you feel safer?”
“Um.” That seems like an awful lot of trouble since the danger should be over now that Edward is in custody. Unless he was working with someone else. “Does that mean someone could still be after me?”
His eyes widen in panic, “What? Oh shit, no, no, of course not. I just thought you might have trouble sleeping and feel better knowing someone is there to protect you.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble-”
“You aren’t, consider it done.”
“Thank you Blake.” It feels weird calling him Blake after thinking his name was Lorenzo but somehow Blake suits him better.
“I guess I should probably contact my family. Oh god, what am I supposed to tell them?” They are going to be so mad at me.
Not only did I run off to another country without telling anyone but I ended up putting myself in life threatening danger.
They are never going to trust me to be alone again.
My dad will probably turn into Uncle Mason and never let me out of his sight.
I’ll be lucky if he lets me go back to college for my senior year.
Blake hesitates, “I hope you don’t mind but I’ve already contacted your family and as it turns out, your dad is already on his way here.”
“What? But I never told them, how did he know?” I was telling Edward the truth when I said I hadn’t told anyone where I was.
Edward had been buying everything and giving me cash so I haven’t even used my credit card yet.
How would he know to fly all the way to Italy?
“Somehow they knew you were with Edward and they must be very resourceful people as they figured out you were staying in Rome. They didn’t know where in Rome you were but your dad and someone else are on their way here.” He looks down at his watch, “Actually, they shouldn’t be far off landing.”
Wow, how the hell did they figure that out?
I’m nervous to see the look of disappointment on Dad’s face but I would be lying if I said it didn’t bring me comfort that he is coming.
I may still be mad at him over lying to me about Mom but after the events of tonight, that no longer seems as important as it once did.
I wonder who else is coming with him, maybe Uncle Mason? Hopefully it’s Olivia but she’s probably in Arizona with Aunty Eva already.
There are so many people I need to apologize to for my reckless behavior but Olivia is in the forefront of my mind.
I’ve never ignored her like that before and she must be devastated.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it up to her.
Feeling vulnerable, I ask, “Will you stay with me until they get here?”
“Of course,” he squeezes my hand that he is still holding and I squeeze back.
I can’t handle being on my own right now, I feel too vulnerable.
I’m worried that if I’m left on my own, my mind will wander over the events that transpired earlier and I won’t be able to cope.
Blake said I was sedated which means I must have been completely out of it.
I barely even remember the paramedics coming into the room.
All I remember is Blake and making him promise that he wouldn’t leave me.
Blake changes the subject to lighter conversation, asking me simple things about what I’m studying and what Boston is like.
The time flies by and I’m enjoying his company.
He’s back to being the same man that I met by the Trevi fountain and I’m glad that version of him wasn’t the lie.
I’d like to get to know the real Blake while I’m here, I have a feeling that he’s a pretty exceptional guy.
But I’m embarrassed over having to be sedated to be brought to the hospital, I hope he doesn’t view me as weak. “I still can’t believe they had to sedate me to get me here, was I really that bad?”
“Are you kidding? I would have been surprised if you didn’t need to be sedated. Maddy, you went through a traumatic event tonight and the repercussions of that will stay with you for some time. Believe me, nights like tonight don’t just go away and I would like to set you up with someone to talk to while you are here.”
“So you don’t think I acted like a big baby?” I ask quietly.
He reaches up with his free hand and tucks my hair behind my ear, “No Maddy, if anything I think you were incredibly brave.”
I scoff, “Brave? I’d hardly say I was brave.”
“I would, you fought tooth and nail to get away from me and breaking that window?” he chuckles slightly, “That was badass Maddy, I really thought you were about to jump.”
“I was.”
He smiles brightly, “See, that’s brave Maddy, incredibly so. You should be proud of how you handled yourself tonight, I know I’m proud of you.”
Having Blake tell me that he’s proud of me sends a warm feeling through my body.
I place my free hand on his arm and open my mouth to reply when two large bodies burst through the door.
My eyes land on Dad first and when his eyes connect with mine, they seem wild and panicked.
Blake steps back from the bed and Dad practically falls on top of it in his bid to get to me.
He wraps his arms around me with so much force that I can barely breathe.
His head folds into the side of my neck and his body shudders uncontrollably. “Maddy, oh Maddy, I thought I lost you. You have no idea how grateful I am to see you.”
Looking past Dad, my eyes land on Tyler who is still standing in the doorway.
He has a few tears rolling down his cheeks but otherwise he seems to be frozen in place.
I’ve never seen Tyler show this much emotion before, he is normally very in control of himself. Especially around me. Like he is always afraid that he will slip up and someone will notice the truth.
Seeing him like this absolutely guts me. I can tell he wants nothing more than to collapse on top of me just like Dad did but he won’t do that with an audience.
Just this once I wish he would give up the act and comfort me, even if it is in front of my dad. After all, this is an exceptional circumstance, I’m sure Dad wouldn’t think anything of it.
His eyes are haunted and they never leave mine until Blake introduces himself.
“I’m Detective Blake Morelli,” he holds out his hand and Tyler glances at him before returning the gesture and shaking his hand.
“I’m Tyler, Maddy’s friend.” The handshake is brief and I can tell that Blake is trying to figure him out.
As soon as their handshake is over, Tyler’s eyes find mine once more.
At the word detective, Dad pulls back and I can finally breathe again.
He stands from the bed and shakes Blakes out stretched hand. “You’re the one who saved her?”
Blake hesitates, “I guess you could say that but I’m also the one who put her in danger. I’m sorry for my part in the deception that brought Maddy to be here.”
Surprisingly, Dad wraps his arms around Blake in a fierce hug. “Thank you. Thank you for protecting my baby girl.”
Blake seems uncomfortable with the attention but pats my dad awkwardly on the back.
While Dad is busy talking to Blake, Tyler walks over to my bed and sits on the edge.
He wraps his arms around me in a much gentler hug than Dad did a few minutes ago but he is just as fierce.
He presses a small kiss to my cheek then brings his mouth over to whisper in my ear, “Don’t ever run off like that again Maddy. When I found out you were missing,” his voice breaks slightly, “Fuck Maddy, I’ve never been so scared in my life. I thought I lost you. I thought I would never see you again.”
“I’m sorry.” Those are two words that I’m going to have to say to a lot of people but at least I’m still here to say them.
He pulls back and places two more kisses on my cheek. He opens his mouth to say something when Dad pushes him out of the way and starts checking me over.
“What happened? Are you alright? What did that son of a bitch do to you?” He starts firing off question after question so rapidly that I don’t have a chance to answer any of them.
Blake steps forward and places a hand on Dad’s shoulder. “Mr. Bradley, the doctor is here to examine Maddy. Why don’t we step outside and I can answer any questions you have? Once Maddy is discharged, I can take you all back to her hotel.”
Dad seems reluctant to leave but eventually stands from the bed and follows Blake.
Tyler looks at me longingly before following them out the door and shutting it behind him. I can tell that he is dying to be alone with me.
It means a lot to me that he came all the way here just because he was worried about me.
Dad must have known that I couldn’t trust Edward and that’s why they came here so quickly but I still can’t figure out how they knew I was with him.
All I told Tyler was that I had met a man, I guess everyone put two and two together. I’m grateful that they did but I still wish I had confided in Tyler that day.
If I had, then I might not have been in this mess in the first place.
After the doctor gives me the all clear, he tells me I can get dressed and he will organize my discharge papers.
He points to a pile of belongings in the corner and I see my dress neatly folded with my handbag sitting on top.
I feel silly putting such a nice dress back on but I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. It’s either wear the dress or drive back to the hotel in a hospital gown.
Wearing the hospital gown is tempting seeing as this dress brings nothing but bad memories but after a moment, I give in and slip it back on. Trying to ignore the memories that come with it.
When it’s time for me to leave, Dad holds onto me so tightly that I have trouble walking. I’m securely tucked underneath his arm and since I have already put him through so much, I don’t complain.
Tyler and Blake follow along behind us and when we get outside, there is a car waiting for us that Blake had someone drop off earlier for us to use. It seems that he’s thought of everything.
Dad bundles me into the front so I will be more comfortable and then he jumps into the back with Tyler.
When Blake hops into the driver’s seat, he places his hand on my knee and squeezes gently, “Are you comfortable?”
“Yes, thank you.” Closing my eyes, I rest my head back and don’t say anything during the journey. Even though I was sedated and got plenty of rest in the hospital, I still feel wiped out.
When we pull up outside my hotel, Dad starts muttering under his breath and angrily slams his door shut.
He seems to have himself a bit more under control when he helps me from the car but it’s clear that he’s still rattled.
I wonder how much of the story he got from Blake.
I can’t imagine Blake lying to Dad to soften the blow but no matter how the events of tonight are said, they won’t be easy for him to hear.
They were hard enough for me to live through.
Blake escorts us up to my room and walks inside with us.
Once Dad has me settled on the couch, Tyler looks at Blake and says, “We’ve got it covered from here, thanks.”
Blake eyes Tyler before glancing at me, “I told Maddy that I would arrange for someone to sit outside her room. I’ll leave once he gets here.”
Not looking overly happy about the situation, Tyler moves to sit next to me but Dad beats him to it.
Moving to a nearby chair, Tyler sits down but his knee starts bouncing almost instantly, a clear sign that he is agitated.
Blake stays standing, observing the room but his eyes never stray far from me.
Even though I feel safe with Dad and Tyler here, it’s a comfort knowing that Blake hasn’t left my side.
He’s been a reassuring presence for me and to be honest, I don’t want him to leave at all but it’s not fair of me to ask him to stay.
He’s already spent so much time with me and I’m sure he has work that needs to be done involving Edwards’s case. I’m not even entirely sure that he has slept yet.
My nightmare might be over but Blake will have a long road ahead of him still to bring Edward to justice.
Hopefully he gets what’s coming to him.
When it’s time for Blake to leave, he walks over to me and places his hand on my shoulder. “I will come by and check on you in the morning.”
Placing my hand over his, I stare straight into his eyes, “Thank you Blake, for everything.”
As he leaves, I catch a glimpse of Tyler out of the corner of my eye and his hands are clenched into fists.
When I look over, he is quick to relax and give me a reassuring smile.
He’s been unusually quiet tonight but I have no doubt that will be a different story when we are finally alone.