NERTHUS
“Hey, babes,” I jerk up and see Jenna walking into Danny’s hospital room a little hunch-backed as if she was being extra careful. “How are you feeling, my love?”
I start crying on the spot without even having the chance to greet her properly. She inhales as she reaches me quickly, crouching down to get in my line of sight. “Oh, babes! I’m so sorry!”
She hugs me before leaning back to caress my arms with her thumbs as she continues to hold me. “They say that you aren’t eating and that you refuse any treatment but that won’t do you any good. And he would be the first to hate hearing that.”
Gesturing towards Danny, she makes me turn around for a moment, sniffing. “I just can’t leave him alone. What if he wakes up?”
“They will call you if he wakes up.” She argues, shaking me slightly. “He will be happy to see you, but only if he sees that you are doing fine. Imagine him finding out you were torturing yourself so much because of him.”
Tilting her head, she moves herself more into my line of sight. “Dario said that Arawn is absolutely crushed. You have to think of him too. He is desperate at seeing you this way.”
She pauses shortly before regaining her smile. “Would you do me the favor of returning to your room with me, so we can call a doctor and get you to eat?”
I look at Danny for a second before pushing myself up with a nod.
“Great,” Jenna balls her hands into fists, celebrating lightly before she helps me stand and sit in the wheelchair. “You need a night of sleep as well, I guess.”
***
As I finally get discharged, I am forced to get home right away.
Naturally, I wanted to get to Danny instead of going home, only to discover that Arawn had me put on a blacklist because he thought it wouldn’t do me any good and I should rest.
I feel my blood boil at this. Especially because it makes me feel like I have been played.
Defrauded.
He did this to me, even if I did everything he wanted, and finally gave in to the doctors and every other person who seemed to have an opinion on how I should treat myself better. So, I ate, slept, showered, stayed quiet during check-ups and rested.
As if any of that was necessary.
Packing my things, I get out of the hospital without looking for Arawn and hope I’ll just be able to get a taxi back to my apartment. I think about crashing at my old escort flat that I shared with Jenna to just prevent him from getting to me too easily.
Even if I doubt that I would keep him waiting in front of my door for long.
But the yearning my body feels for his touch subsides pretty soon as I step out of the hospital, finding three men, dressed in bloody black suits, waiting for me.
I sigh deeply, but I don’t have any strength left in my body to go against his stupid games, so I just pass them and get into the car.
Vito gets in after me, while the others settle in the front seats and I lean against the cold leather of the back seat, closing my eyes.
The motor grumbles gently as we drive through the bustling streets, and as I open my eyes to look outside, the thought of buying a house in the countryside passes my mind.
Maybe it would do me good to get away for a while.
Thankfully, Arawn’s men are as sparing of words as he is and I enjoy the silence as we reach my apartment.
“I don’t want any of you in my apartment,” I say as I get out. “You can scurry around where you want but I need this invasion of privacy to stop.”
Vito clicks his tongue, looking at me nearly panicky as he must be thinking about his boss’ orders. “But the boss gave me specific instructions not to leave you alone. We can’t risk another attack.”
“Listen,” I sigh exhaustedly, lifting my hands defensively. “I know that you are a good guy and that you are just trying to do your job, but I’m sick of all of you. Especially your boss.”
He looks at me wide-eyed as I shake my head, “I just need a little time to myself. Why don’t you put someone up on the fire escape, and I can leave a window open? That should be enough, right?”
Nodding slowly, I close my eyes, inhaling deeply. “Very well.”
I can spot even more gorillas standing on the street in front of my buildings as I walk to the entrance with my three personal ones. He is already discussing with Arawn over the phone agitatedly as we walk into my building as if I was a fucking royal on a state visit in the fucking Bronx.
“Hey, Paul,” I greet the concierge with a happy tone to cover my distress.
He studies the big broad man who halts to stand in the foyer confusedly as he greets me, “Good afternoon, Miss Rogers.”
I step into the elevator with a man in black while Vito remains standing in front of the elevator. “I’ll get into position on the fire escape. Please don’t forget about opening the window.”
Nodding, I flash him a tired smile. “Sure. You can tell your boss that I will be a good girl and open the window, so you can watch over me.”
He steps back, freeing the doors to get them to slide close. I push out a deep breath as I ride up to my floor with the last bodyguard standing.
“Well then,” I say while opening the door to my apartment. “Please feel free to ring the doorbell if you need something to drink or a chair to sit.”
The Hulk dressed in black smiles politely. “Thank you.”
I know exactly that they would never ring as they are strong, tough men on a deadly mission, but I couldn’t bring myself over not to offering him something to drink at least.
Taking a mental note to bring him some water before I go to sleep, I step into my apartment, closing the door behind me.
“Home sweet home,” I whisper to myself as I slip out of my shoes and tie my hair into a messy bun as I walk into my living room.
Picking up the small note from Maria who has been looking after my flowers and collected my mail, I’m about to smile in gratitude, thinking about how to repay her, as a movement I spot from the corner of my eyes catches my attention.
I sense a sour taste in my mouth as I turn around with a horrible feeling, staring right into the eyes of my personal nightmare.
“Hello, my love.”
Calculating that the fire escape is closer than my apartment door, I try to get to the window to open it as fast as I can but Francis charges towards me, tackling me to the ground within milliseconds.