Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 79: Chapter 79

TERZO
The security was tight when we arrived at the hospital. Dani was admitted to the last floor, watched by two hired bodyguards outside the door. I ignored pretty much everyone and went directly to see my wife.
I just walked into the private room, and Celestina ran to me and hugged me tightly. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad you’re here, too, Cee.” My voice was barely audible as I looked at Dani in bed. So many leads attached to her, but the steady rhythm of her heartbeat on the monitor provided me comfort that she was okay, even if the damage had been done.
“The doctor asked so many questions that I couldn’t answer, but maybe you can.”
I met Celestina’s sad and guilty gaze and nodded. I let her go and walked to Dani’s bed. My pace seemed to take all my strength away the moment I saw the bruises around her neck.
I sucked in a sharp breath. I had to grip the railing tightly to hold on to it before I fell on the floor. Celestina came to my side and showed me what was inside the hospital gown Dani was wearing. Her chest had bruises, too.
At that moment, I lost my balance. I found myself kneeling on the floor. The last time I was in this moment was when my father brought us the news that my mother was dying of cancer. I promised myself that day that I would not cry anymore, that my mother would take all my tears to her grave.
“T.” Celestina squeezed my shoulder. “The doctor said she’s strong, and she didn’t have cracked bones. Her voice might be hoarse for days, but she will recover.”
I nodded. “Can you leave us for a moment?”
“Of course.” She gave me a quick hug before she left the room.
The moment I heard the door shut behind me, I took all my strength and courage to get up and hold her hand.
“Mia bella.” Her hand was warm and soft. I expected her to react and squeeze my hand back, but it didn’t happen.
For the second time, I felt what a broken heart was. I pressed her hand against my lips and kissed it. “Dani, can you hear me, amor mio? Please, just grasp back, Dani.” Nothing. “I need to see a doctor.” I just said it out loud, and the door swung open.
I turned to see who walked in. The moment I saw the white coat and accompanied by a nurse in a scrub suit, I knew he was the one handling Dani. “Why has she not woken up?”
“We have to sedate her. You must be her husband?” Sedate?
I inhaled a sharp breath. “Yes. Why did she need sedation?” My brows furrowed.
“She just went through a very traumatic experience. I'm a neurologist. Your sister said that you might be able to answer some questions.”
“I’ll do my best if it helps my wife’s fast recovery.”
“Has she experienced traumatic events before today?”
“Yes, I think so. When she was a child, around four years old, her parents were killed.”
“Did she tell you that experience?”
I shook my head. “Dani doesn’t remember anything from twenty years ago.”
The nurse looked shocked while the doctor was calmer.
“How do you know all of this?” he asked and didn’t seem surprised by my answer.
“I just figured out today before it happened.”
“So she’d never been treated or had seen an expert? A therapy like cognitive-behavioral therapy to facilitate her memory recovery.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. That I can’t confirm, but she doesn’t remember her parents. She believes her parent, the woman who raised her, is her mother.”
“I don’t get it.”
“That information is classified, but I will answer as truthfully as I can if you need the whole details.”
The doctor shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”
“I don’t think she’s taking any medicine either. Doctor, may I ask why you ask those questions?”
“I think the trauma earlier triggered her memory.”
“What? Her memory is back?” I stared at him in disbelief.
“We’re not sure. She cried, calling daddy and mommy in a child’s voice.”
“What the hell?” I muttered.
“In some cases, especially younger patients, can’t distinguish between real and false memories. Now that she’s starting to remember something, it can be challenging. She needs a lot of support from her family, you, her husband, and she also needs therapy. It’s very important.”
“She fainted twice last month.”
“Did something trigger?”
“She was frightened of something.” I didn’t provide any more details.
“Did she say something about flashbacks?”
“No. Not to me. What can I expect when she wakes up?”
“She can be confused or disoriented. It can be stressful, overwhelming, and upsetting for her, especially when that traumatic experience happened a long time ago. She’s like reliving that moment. Her case is very rare. I wonder why her adoptive parent did not get her help?”
“I was asking the same thing, doctor. When is she gonna wake up?”
“Soon. Let her rest. Don’t rush her, okay? If you have any questions, I’m at my office.”
“Thank you, doctor, nurse.”
When they left, I took a chair and sat beside her. “I failed you again, Dani. I’m so sorry, mia bella. I wish I had just taken you with me. We would have been playing golf together.”
Celestina came back. “What did the doctor say?”
“Dani just experienced the most traumatic and horrific experience. She needs therapy.”
“T, there’s more.” When she said those words, I squeezed my eyes briefly.
“What is it?”
“She was calling daddy and mommy. She just curled into a ball like a baby. It was painful to watch while—” Celestina stopped.
“What?” I looked at her.
“While she was covered in that monster’s blood. I don’t understand. Why was she calling mommy and daddy?”
“There are a lot of things I haven’t told you, but Francesco wasn’t her father. It became clear to me while I was meeting Mr. Braddson.” I looked at the door. “Will you watch Dani for a while? I need to see Papa.”
“Of course.”
Moses and I went to the compound with three SUVs tailing us. Papa was waiting for us at the entrance. After their short pleasantries, I asked my father, “Where’s his body?”
“Don’t go there, son. He’s dead. You don’t have to see it.”
“And my cousin?”
“I am here, boss.” Marco’s voice had lost its confidence.
I turned around. Rage simmered in my blood the moment I saw him. I pulled my gun out and pointed it at him, causing everyone around to hold their breath, except my father and Moses.
“Do what you must. If I can go back to that moment, I don’t care if she hates me, I won’t allow her to go down even if she insists on going alone. I take full responsibility for what happened to Dani.”
“You don’t get the right to say her name. I trusted you with her life and you fucking failed me, Marco!”
“I know, sir, and I apologize—” A single shot fired. He didn’t get to finish his word. Marco flinched, held his breath, yet he didn’t fall to the floor.
“That’s a warning. The next time you fail me, whether you’re a Siciliano or son of a motherfucker prime minister, I will blow your head off. Do you hear me?”
His body shook, and he cried. “Forgive me, cugino.”
“Get out of here before I change my mind.” I shut my eyes and let go of a shaky breath before I stuffed my gun back into the holster. “So much for redemption.”
“You did the right thing. That’s being a good leader, a strategist, that you chose to do what’s right rather than allowing your emotions to rule you,” Moses said.
“If there’s anyone to blame here, it’s Francesco, son. Sometimes you can’t save someone’s soul, especially when there’s no soul to save. Not everyone deserves a second chance, but your cousin deserves a second, a third, or more.”
“It’s my fault, too, Papa. I kept him down instead of finishing the job, and my mistake almost took my wife’s life.”
“So what now?”
I looked at Papa and Moses. “I want access to your computer.” What I meant was his computer; it was the Hover Defense and Security. “I need to know the calls he made and received for the last six months. Ruslan told me something that keeps bugging me.”