Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 80: Chapter 80

DANI
I felt an intense, vivid, irrevocable loss— it was earth-shattering and heartbreaking. It was a nightmare, yet the pain I felt was so real. I could feel it. Somewhere and a long time ago— I knew it was real— it happened.
Why couldn’t I remember any of those memories? It still came and went, piece by piece. Why now? Where had they been all this time? Were those real, or were they just a part of the trauma, a part of a false memory that protected me from going insane?
Why did I call a stranger brunette mommy and blonde man daddy? Who were they?
I cried in my sleep. I wish I could just stay there in my subconsciousness. It was peaceful there, and it was addictive. But the drug was addictive, which put me to sleep.
Those weren’t real, right?
I sucked in a sharp breath as I snapped my eyes open. The first thing I saw was the white ceiling, then a steady beeping of a monitor, the strong smell of antiseptic, and the ache in my body, especially around my neck, as I tried to look around. My chest felt like I was in an accident, though I never got into an accident.
The horrifying memory flashed in my head, the same memory in the club, so extreme it hurt my head. I groaned, holding my head.
“Dani?” That familiar, gravelly voice, as if he just woke up, called me.
“Yes, my name is Danielle.” My voice was so hoarse and dry. I couldn’t even hear if those words didn’t come from me. It sounded foreign to me, like I hadn’t heard my voice in years. I swallowed hard. My throat hurt like hell. “Ter—”
“Hey. Hey.” He smiled, even though it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked tired, too. His hair was messy, his eyes were red as if he was drunk or hadn’t slept in days. He leaned forward to kiss me on my forehead, held my hand, and kissed it, too. “Are you in pain?”
I pointed at my throat and mouthed, “It hurt.”
Guilt flashed across his face, even if it was gone instantly. He stood up. “I’ll call the doctor.”
I shook my head and gripped his hand tightly. My chest hurt every time I moved and breathed, but nothing could compare to the inexplicable pain I felt inside. “Stay.”
“The doctor said, you should rest your voice. Don’t talk right now.” He grabbed a bottle of water, put a straw in it, and placed it to my lips. “Take a sip.”
I did it and slowly swallowed it down. Even swallowing hurt. I mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. His eyes were sad, so sad, it broke my heart. I knew why, and I was the one who put it there. “No. Don’t ever apologize. I am the reason—”
I pressed a finger to his lips and quickly pulled it away after noticing a stain of dry blood on my nail. I tried to wipe it away, but it wouldn’t go.
“Wait.” He opened some drawers and found antiseptic swabs. He silently sat on the side of the bed and helped me clean off the blood on my fingers.
“Why are you not angry?”
He stopped and sighed. “If you wanna hear your voice again, will you please, listen?”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“You’re still talking.”
I gestured for a phone. He took his phone, unlocked it, and offered it to me.
I began typing in bold letters.
I’M SORRY I DIDN’T LISTEN
And then I showed it to him.
He read it with his eyes and smiled. “It wouldn’t be you if you followed what I said without arguments.”
MARCO IS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF ME, IS HE?”
He looked right into my eyes as if allowing me to see what he truly felt. “No. I was mad. Fuck, I’m still mad, but it’s all my fault that you got hurt. I thought keeping him alive could redeem something I lost. I’m fucking furious he almost killed you. I should have been there for you. If there’s one thing I regret, it's not catching him alive. I wouldn’t give him a quick death.”
WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO DO? PULL OUT HIS RIBS ONE BY ONE?
“Probably.”
TELL MARCO I’M SORRY THAT I PUT HIM IN A TOUGH POSITION.
“You can tell that to him once you get out of the hospital.”
WHEN?
“The doctor is still evaluating the extent of your injury?”
PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY? OR NEUROLOGICALLY?
He stared at me for a moment, like he was weighing his options. “All is better.”
WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR TRIP?
“It’s not important right now.” He leaned close and looked right into my eyes. “You fucking scared me, Dani. I watched you get hurt, and I couldn’t do anything to be with you. That was another terrifying moment of my life. I felt helpless and hopeless to help you.”
I wanted to type something, but he took the phone and kissed me on the lips. It was a simple kiss, yet I felt it everywhere— in my heart, in my bones, and in my soul.
After the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine. “I can’t lose you. I can’t be in that position again. If you decide to walk free and go on with your life—”
“No!” I winched in pain and began to cough.
He quickly grabbed the water to let me take a sip. “For fuck’s sake. No more talking, okay?”
I took more than a sip and glared at him before I opened my hand for his phone.
Irritated, he slapped it on my palm. “I’m calling the doctor now.”
I nodded and typed.
I’M NOT WALKING AWAY FROM THIS MARRIAGE. SUCK IT UP.
For a moment, I thought he was going to cry, but forced it back, trying hard not to show how emotional he was, yet I could see it on his face, in his body language, that he was losing his mind with the things going on in his life that happened all at once.
I opened my arms, and he gave in the right way. If there was one thing I wanted to tell him, using my voice was how much I fell madly in love with him— the most dangerous man I ever faced, yet the most generous, fearless, honest, and selfless.
Later on, the doctor walked in and asked me so many questions that made me more confused and gave me a terrible headache.
Terzo’s calmness made me question myself. He didn’t seem surprised, as if he knew what happened to me more than he should.
“Have you gone to therapy before?”
I slowly shook my head and watched Terzo’s reaction.
“Have you ever felt being a stranger to yourself?”
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
“Did you lose before in a place you’ve been many times?”
“No.” I waved my finger.
“Did you experience a severe to intense headache?” the doctor asked more questions than I lost count. “What about medicines?”
VIT WHEN I WAS A KID. PILLS FOR ADULTS. PAINKILLERS.
Then I raised my hands to surrender.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Terzo started to shift uncomfortably. “Dani, I don’t wanna drop a bomb on you while you’re still recovering, but you experienced a very traumatic event while you were still a little girl.”
I inhaled a sharp breath as I stared at him. “You will be a good doctor, Danielle.”
“What is it?” he asked.
IT WASN’T A DREAM
But that’s impossible.