Chapter 9

Nine

Elena

I blink, pain throbbing in my leg and shoulder. I look around the room, noticing I’m in an ER cubicle. The beeping echoes through my head, annoying me.

I groan, a headache throbbing as I blink again, my gaze going to my ring…and the memories of everything that happened return.

My husband saved my sister, and then proceeded to make out with her, not once looking to see if I was okay, which clearly, I’m not if I’m in a hospital bed.

God, why did I let him touch me when he slept with her?

Why did I let my heart become his?

What is wrong with me?

I swallow hard and look at my leg to see it’s wrapped up, and I lean back, hating that I got hurt. I wince at the pain and look at my right shoulder, seeing a bandage on it, too.

My heart rate picks up with panic, realizing I wasn’t hurt by the glass, when a voice says, “You’re a sight for sore eyes, sweetheart.”

I look to my left and see Antonio sitting in a chair, slouched down.

Antonio, my brother-in-law.

I blink, and instead of the extremely sad feeling I’m used to feeling when Romeo lets me down for my sister, anger builds.

I’m in the hospital, and his brother is here, not him, his brother ….

“You had me pretty worried, El…” he says as he stands. “Doc says a bullet skimmed your shoulder, but you do have one in your leg. He’s just waiting for your test results before removing it.”

His brother, not him….

I nod numbly, my eyes going to my wedding rings.

He protected her , not me, after he spent the whole evening with her, leaving me alone.

“Elena…” Antonio starts, but loud voices echo.

One is Romeo’s. “Where the fuck is my wife!” just hits my ears before the curtain is moved and his disheveled figure comes into view, my father right behind him.

His body deflates seeing me, and he runs his hand through his black hair, but my anger erupts.

I don’t want him here; I don’t want my father here….

“Get out!” I command coldly, making Romeo and my father freeze in shock as Antonio winces. Romeo steps forward, and I snap, “I mean it; get out, both of you!” He stops in shock before the doctor walks in.

He looks around the cubicle and says, “Unless you're family, I need you all to leave.”

Romeo glares at the man and growls, “I’m her husband, Romeo Russo.” The man’s body stills at hearing my husband’s name. “Mikhail Mikhailov is her father, and the man sitting near her is her brother-in-law. Now, doctor, why don’t you tell me what the hell is wrong with my wife!”

The doctor swallows hard, face pale, and he stutters, “Your, uh, wife, uh, she still has a bullet in her upper thigh. It just missed any major arteries, but we couldn’t remove it until I had her test results. We, uh, had to stitch up her right shoulder, she’ll have a six-centimeter scar from where a bullet skimmed her.” He looks between my father and husband, then stutters, “Her, uh, test results are, uh, now in?—”

I cut the doctor off, angry he’s talking to them and not me, and snap, “Unless you want me to hobble out of this hospital with a bullet in my leg, then I suggest you stop sharing my private medical information, and get those two men out of here right now.”

The doctor looks my way in shock, as does Romeo and my father.

I raise a brow and sneer, “Get the hell out right now, the pair of you.”

“El…” my father tries but Romeo steps forward and rasps, “You’re hurt, farfalla . We’re not leaving.”

I chuckle at the irony. He won’t leave because I’m hurt, yet he jumps on my sister to save her while I was shot at.

Fuck him!

“Then it looks like I’m leaving with a bullet in my leg!” I state and try to get up, causing the doctor to rush over, but Antonio beats him to me, and grabs me.

“ Fratello , leave now, I’ll stay with her,” he snaps. Romeo’s jaw ticks with anger before my father relents, and he drags him out, shutting the curtain. Antonio looks at the doctor, “Can you take the bullet out now?”

The doctor clears his throat, his gray eyes looking apprehensive as he asks, “Can I speak freely?”

I furrow my brows but say, “Yes, you can.”

He clears his throat again and asks, “Are you aware that you are eight weeks pregnant?”

My mouth drops open in shock, and I stutter, “I, uh, I, I can’t be pregnant, I’m on the shot, I, I got one two months ago….” I look at Antonio, who refuses to make eye contact, and narrow my eyes at him suspiciously.

“It’s possible it could have failed,” the doctor tries.

I don’t take my eyes off Antonio, and I question, “Even after getting it every other year, and having the pills in between for four years?”

The doctor doesn’t reply, knowing the likely hood of my methods failing as Antonio looks my way with guilt. I scoff, “Leonardo’s little nurse buddy…. She’s the one who gave me my shot. Let me guess, she replaced it with water?” Antonio winces and opens his mouth, but I shake my head and rasp, “No matter. I’ve fulfilled the rest of the contract. As soon as the baby is born, I’m leaving.” His eyes widen. Still, I ignore him and look toward the doctor, and ask, “Can you remove the bullet, please? My leg is throbbing.”

He swallows, his throat bobbing, but he nods and calls for a nurse to bring anesthesia, causing my father and Romeo to barge in.

I glare at them, but Romeo glares back and snaps, “If you think I’m not going to be in here while they remove that bullet, then you have another think fucking coming.”

The doctor looks between us before gloving up, deciding not to go up against Romeo, before coming my way, making Antonio move out of the way.

I can feel my brother-in-law’s eyes still on me at my confession, but I ignore him and snap, “You touch me, and I’ll cut your fucking fingers off,” when Romeo tries to grab my hand for support. He goes for my hand again, and without thinking, I shove him back and growl, “I fucking mean it, Romeo. Touch me, you’ll lose your hand. Why don’t you go back to your precious Liliya.”

The men in the room freeze at my words while the doctor inserts the needle into my thigh to numb it, causing me to gasp and grip the bed rail while squeezing my eyes tight.

I feel a warm hand go on top of mine and my eyes shoot open only to make contact with Antonio’s. He smiles, and I let go of the rail and grip his hand. I hear Romeo growl, but I ignore him and look at my leg to see the doctor digging through it for the bullet.

Damn you, Liliya, and your stupid one-month early birthday party….

It takes him forty-five minutes to retrieve the bullet and stitch my leg up, before he leaves, stating I’d be taken to a room, needing a few days' observation, not explaining why to Romeo, thankfully.

As soon as the curtain closes my father starts, “Elena?—”

I cut him off with a hard glare, and I state, “Your stupid contract is officially completed,” he furrows his brows, and I look at Romeo and state, “It turns out I’m pregnant.”

His eyes light up, and he starts, “That’s amaze?—”

I cut him off, and I say coldly, “You failed our unborn child, protecting your lover while I got shot.” He stills before his eyes harden as he goes to speak, but I put my hand up and state firmly, “As soon as this baby is born, I want a divorce.”

Antonio flinches as my father’s mouth drops open. Romeo, however, his face pales before he steps forward and sneers, “If you think I’d allow you to leave me, Elena, then you have another think coming.”

I tilt my head. “You read the contract, Romeo, my parents ensured I could leave after I have your heir, and your brother’s nurse buddy ensured to mess up my contraception, which means I’ll be giving birth before the five-year stipulation runs out.” His face reddens, and I continue. “As soon as this baby is born, I will be divorcing you, which means you’ll be free to marry the sister you originally should have had.”

A nurse comes in, stopping whatever he wanted to say, and she says, “Hey there, I’m here to take you to your room.”

She looks around the room, noticing the tension, but soon bites her overly large bottom lip when her eyes land on Romeo, and then Antonio, making me roll my eyes.

Sighing, I say, “As soon as I’m in the room can I please have STI tests done, please? Turns out my husband here, who you’re busy eyeing up, has been sleeping with my sister, who happens to be the biggest whore in the city.” Romeo growls but I ignore him. “Also, I don’t want him or the man standing next to him in my room. They go in my room, and I’ll discharge myself.”

The woman’s dark green eyes widen in shock before she clears her throat and nods. Then she turns to my father and husband, “I’m going to have to ask you two to please leave immediately, or I’ll have to contact security.”

Romeo glares my way, and I smirk.

I think it’s about time he realized I’m not some pushover. I tried for years to get his affection, to show him the love I stupidly felt for him after fighting it for so long, but no more.

The contract will be complete when I give birth, and I’ll be rid of this life; rid of my sister wanting everything I ever have; rid of my mother who wished I was a boy; rid of my father who sold me, and rid of my husband, wishing I was someone else.

I have seven months to get a plan in place, a plan to leave and never come back….