The Mafia Contract Series

ALESSANDRO

Angelo looks as if Winter just stabbed him in the heart and I’m feeling the same.

“That fucking bastard! What has he done to my sister?”

The anger sizzles around him like a lit trail of dynamite. “She’s lost her memory. It’s obvious the blow to her head caused it.”

“Are you certain of that?”

Angelo growls. “What if that bastard did this? We don’t know, we haven’t spoken for over a year, if not longer. How do we know what hell he put her through?”

I fall silent because he has a point. None of us can possibly comprehend what Winter has been through and this could be Massimo’s work. I wouldn’t put it past him.

“We must pray she gets her memory back.” I say with a sigh. “She’s in the right place for that.”

The doctor heads outside and shakes his head as we crowd around him.

“She’s lost her memory; it’s quite common in head trauma cases and may take a few days or weeks to return. We’ll keep her in for a few days and run some tests, but she’ll need your help.”

“Name it.”

I interrupt because I will do anything to bring her back to us.

“Talk about happy times. Her past, memories you share. Remind her who she is, and it may spark a memory. When she leaves, take her to familiar places. They may trigger them. It could be a long road and parts of it may never return, but she needs help.”

“She’ll have the best help there is.”

Angelo grinds out in a firm voice and the doctor sighs again. “Just take it easy on her. Which brings me to a question I must ask.”

“What question?”

I look at him hard and he shrinks a little. “She thinks she’s in trouble and will be punished. Is there anything you can tell me about that?”

It’s possible Angelo is about to tear this hospital apart with his bare hands as he growls, “The fucking bastard.”

The doctor looks worried, and I say angrily, “It’s her husband. You’ll find the term is domestic abuse.”

The doctor nods. “I see. Where is her husband now?”

We both nod and say in unison, “In hell doctor, her husband is in hell.”

To his credit, he just smiles and nods toward Winter’s room. “Then I’ll leave her in your capable hands. I’m guessing it explains the bruising to her face and throat. Maybe I should report this to the cops.”

His voice trails off as we fix him with our darkest looks and Angelo growls, “No cops. It’s been dealt with.”

The doctor edges away and clears his throat. “Of course, well, as I said, we’ll monitor the situation, but I expect she’ll be discharged in a few days with, or without her memory.”

As he heads off, Angelo turns to face me with Satan’s fury blazing from his eyes and spits, “Massimo had better still be alive because I want to murder the fucking bastard ten times over.”

“I’ll get an update from my grandfather. I’ll tell him to keep him warm until we get there.”

Angelo nods. “The most important thing right now is my sister. We’ll take it in shifts watching her. I’m trusting no one else.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“And you think I want to?”

He stares at me with a hard expression that I throw right back at him, causing us both to grin at the same time.

“Fine.” He throws up his hands. “I’ll head back to Jasmine and fill her in. Get her to pack a few things for Winter and then you can head off and grab some sleep.”

“I’m staying.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

He rolls his eyes. “Then I’ll get her to pack a bag for you, too.”

He heads back into Winter’s room, and I give them a moment because I understand his claim on her is far greater than mine.

As I wander to the vending machine, I select a coffee and wait, pulling out my phone to check my texts. The first one is from my grandfather.

Call me when you have news. The visitor is settling into his new home. Brief me on your expectations.

Picturing the treatment my grandfather probably inflicted on our guest gives me a moment’s satisfaction and I dash off a quick reply.

What state is he in?

I hope he’s conscious at least, only to prolong his suffering.

I’m not sure what was in that injection, but he’s paralyzed. The doctor checked him over and believes he had a stroke. His vital signs are good, and he responds with his eyes, so his brain is functioning. Relax in the knowledge, he’s going nowhere. How is your woman?

A simple question that there is no answer for. Firstly, I don’t know how she is and secondly, she may never agree to be my woman, so I type,

Alive.

The next text is from Flynn.

Fucking update me, you bastard. What’s happening? I’m out of my freaking mind here.

I tap back.

You’re always out of your freaking mind, you nutjob. Winter’s alive but lost her memory. She suffered a nasty blow to her head on the way down. The only good thing about that is she can’t remember what an asshole you are.

The third is from Malik.

There is currently a specialist on standby and can arrange transport to the best hospital in the world for Winter. Tell me when I can proceed.

Thanks man, but it’s ok for now. She may need some help when we leave the hospital. I’ll keep you updated. She’s lost her memory, but otherwise all seems fine. She injected Massimo with something. Find out who picked that up because we need to discover what it contained.

As I shut off my phone, I grab the coffee and head back, hating the fact she was out of my sight for five minutes already.

As soon as I return, Angelo heads out and I offer him a swig of the disgusting hospital coffee.

“Is this the best you can do? I need a fucking bottle of whiskey right now.”

He takes a sip and shivers and I grin. “Not your preferred blend I take it.”

“It’s not even coffee.” He growls and says wearily, “I’m heading off. I asked Winter what she needs, and I’ll bring it back. I told her you would stay here to keep her company. Poor girl, as if she hasn’t been through enough already, but it can’t be helped.”

His teasing tone lightens the mood a little because we were standing on a thin line back there, not knowing if she would wake up. The loss of memory in this case may be a blessing in disguise because the horrors she lived through are best forgotten if she wants to lead a happy life.

As he heads off, I take a moment before heading back to her side. I must think this through as I need Winter to remember what happened between us, because if she walks away from me again, I’m not sure I would survive.