Chapter 84: Six Feet Under

▪ J A D E▪

The silent beeping of a machine was the first thing I heard as I eased out of

the fogginess of sleep.

As I slowly opened my eyes, a severely dishevelled and distraught-looking

Dominic was the first thing I saw, and my heart clenched at the sight of

him.

I wanted nothing more than to immediately jump on him, but then I

remembered that I was still having difficulty moving about freely as I

sluggishly sat up in the hospital bed.

Being back in this building so soon was entirely my fault. I had tried to do

too much during my physical therapy session the previous day and had

suffered a bad fall.

The feel of Dominic's pale hand holding mine brought tears to my eyes.

The image brought back memories of when I had first regained

consciousness some three and a half months ago.

When I had first opened my eyes, I had found it hard to speak.

The doctors had informed me that I had been in a coma for over two weeks.

I had then proceeded to slip in and out of consciousness, and it would be

another few weeks before I gradually started to become aware of my

surroundings.

Since then, I had been spending the last month or so recovering at a condo

that Dominic had set up for me. Not wanting strangers at the Calvetti

residence, he thought that this would be a better option. Plus, he knew that I

would not want to taint the manor with any memories of my recovery and I

was beyond grateful for his insight.

Of course, he had employed the best medical home care, and it was there I

had spent time learning to use my limbs all over again.

Regrettably, I had become frustrated with how slow my progress had been.

In my haste to regain full mobility, I had tried walking without the support

canes. Because why not? Anyway, after successfully taking a few steps on

my own, my feet unfortunately gave out, and I had tumbled to the ground,

hitting my head on the tiled floor before anyone could catch me.

Having been rushed back to the hospital, I hated the thought that I might

have set myself back with my impatience.

Dominic had not left my side since I had been found back in Miami.

Proper communication had taken a while to be re-established. So, we had

not been able to talk much about what had happened during my captivity

with José, especially as my memories were blurry in some places. Over the

past few days, however, since I had been feeling much better, I was ready to

finally talk about everything.

Inhaling deeply, I shook my thoughts away to focus on Dominic as he

stared longingly at me, his blue eyes full of concern. Although there was a

hint of darkness lurking about, no doubt upset about my recklessness.

My tone was teasing as I said, "You look like shit. I think you need this

hospital bed more than me."

The Calvetti mafia boss had been staring at the empty wall opposite my bed

while gently holding my hand. I had been told that it was something he had

done almost daily when he had first brought me back to the Aelbank City

Private Hospital all those months ago.

Dominic had left Vincent to run things as he remained with me at the condo

while I recovered.

Upon feeling me move, he snapped his head down to look at me. I could tell

that it was taking every ounce of willpower he possessed not to scoop me

up into his arms and hug me tightly to him.

His eyes were glassy as he softly spoke, "Jade..."

Those beautiful blue eyes of his were filled with so much guilt. No doubt

seeing me back in the hospital bed so soon was not something he had

anticipated.

Dominic had taken his eyes off of me for just a few seconds. But that was

all it took for me to go behind his back and try to walk on my own, which

had landed me back in the hospital.

He should have known better; it was me after all.

I felt bad for having worried him so much, but at the time, I could think

about nothing else than getting back on my feet, wanting to be strong again.

I knew it was selfish of me.

"Can I have some more water...?" I asked, noticing the empty cup at the side

of the bed.

Nodding, he quickly moved to the door and alerted one of the bodyguards

to fetch a nurse. A few moments later, a familiar face entered. It was Gladis;

she was a pleasant-looking brown-skinned woman in her mid-forties who

had been taking great care of me.

Upon entry, she handed Dominic a cup with fresh water. He brought the

straw to my lips and watched happily as I slowly drank.

The nurse exclaimed her delight at seeing my bright smile and reminded

Dominic not to overwhelm me. Gladis ignored the glare Dominic gave her,

which caused me to giggle. The nurse had grown used to dealing with his

temper since the initial time I had been admitted into the hospital and it

always amused me every time I saw them interact.

The Trinidadian woman was definitely not afraid of the Calvetti mafia boss.

Her only concern was ensuring that her patients were well taken care off.

"It's good to see you up and smiling, Jade! I didn't expect to see you back so

soon though. You gave us quite a scare, young lady! You must try your best

to take things easy, ok? Don't want to jeopardise all the hard work we've

been doing over the past few months, no?" Gladis probed with a slight

frown.

"I'm sorry, I just thought that I could walk on my own," I said, while

looking down at my gold charm bracelet.

One could imagine how ecstatic I had been to be reunited with the piece of

jewellery. My fingers would often idly fiddle with the charm Blaire had

given me.

The nurse nodded as she replied, "We all understand that you're eager to get

back on your feet, literally, but you could have easily slipped back into

another coma with how hard you hit your head!"

She was right, I had been too irresponsible.

"Gave your man over there quite a scare. I didn't think he could get any

paler than he already was!" Gladis chuckled lightly before adding, "Should

have heard him yelling about the place like a lunatic."

I peeked over at Dominic and suppressed a snicker at the glower he was

giving us both.

From the way his eyes narrowed at me, there was no doubt about it, he

would be giving me a lecture over what I had done later, but it would be

deserved.

Without a doubt, I should have known not to push myself so hard, but that

was just who I was. Everyone knew I had never been one to do things

slowly. However, in this situation, I knew that I needed to follow the

doctor's orders. I silently vowed to do everything in my power to make sure

that I was up and about as soon as possible without further endangering

myself.

Gladis hummed as she quickly finished checking my vitals, then left the

room, giving Dominic and myself some privacy. Before leaving, she

informed us that she would be returning with the doctor later on.

"I'm ready to finish talk about what happened," I said after I finished

drinking my water.

Putting the cup down, he then brought his chair even closer to the side of

the bed, "We don't have to, we can wait until you're fully healed."

"It's been months, my mind is clear now. We need to finish talk about it..." I

implored before continuing, "I think that's also why I tried pushing myself

to walk, I have all these thoughts bottled up inside of me."

Dominic ran a hand through his silvery white hair as he nodded, "Go on

then..."

Clearing my throat, I began, "Well, I remember getting grazed by a bullet

on the right side of my torso just before diving into the canal..." I paused, as

my eyebrows furrowed, "Then I swam as fast as I could, although I'm not

sure how long I took. But when I finally made it out into the ocean, my leg

got tangled on something and I just remember going under the water. Tell

me again what happened..."

Dominic took my left hand within his once more, his voice thick with

emotion as he spoke, "I got the call from Commissioner Edgehill to meet

him at the Miami hospital. Apparently a kiteboarder saw when you went

under and immediately came to your aid when he didn't see you resurface.

You almost drowned and the lack of oxygen caused you to slip into a coma

for seventeen days. You were then in and out of consciousness for another

few days and once you were stable enough to travel, we brought you to the

Aelbank Private Hospital. The rest you already know..."

"And you're sure that you didn't change my diapers, right?" I asked, my

nose crinkling.

A loud laugh erupted from him at my ridiculous question. Here we were,

recounting the events that had almost claimed my life, and I was more

concerned about him cleaning up my shit.

"I'm glad that your sense of humour is still intact, but as I've told you

before, no, you've had nurses tending to your every need round the clock.

The bullet graze unfortunately got infected from the canal water, but the

scar won't be too obvious. I'm just thankful that the blood in the water didn't

attract any alligators to you," he said, as he brought the back of my hand to

his lips and kissed the skin.

The way he cradled my hand, and seeing how worried he had been about

me, caused my insides to melt. This made me feel even more guilty for

trying to walk on my own, my recklessness clearly stressing him.

"I'm just glad that your little stunt didn't set us back. You should be able to

leave in a few days. Just promise me you'll take things slow alright?"

Dominic requested softly.

"I promise," I whispered.

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I thought about how to phrase my next

question. The topic had been on my mind for a few days now, but I was

unsure of how to proceed.

Sighing softly, I hesitantly asked, "Erm, what about José? Any news

concerning him?"

From the way his brow creased, I knew that there was so much Dominic

wanted to say and ask me, and I could visibly feel his wrath flaring at the

mention of the Cartel boss' name. However, for my sake, he held back,

knowing that I did not need his infuriated outbursts right now.

Taking a deep breath, he calmly answered.

"Unfortunately, José left the country before you even reached the hospital. I

guess he wanted to flee before you could tie him to your disappearance..."

Dominic said with a scowl.

Clearing my throat, I cautiously proceeded, "What about Cristiano? Are you

ready to listen to what I have to say about him?"

With a hint of anger in his voice, he snarled, "Why do you insist on wanting

to talk about that runt? He's a traitor and the reason that Blaire is dead!"

I countered with a slight frown, "No! It's like I've been trying to tell you,

Blaire is dead because of my arrogance and recklessness. You have it all

wrong, Cristiano saved my life!"

Dominic's left eyebrow rose, at my outburst.

It was clear that he had assumed that my previous ramblings about

Cristiano's innocence were a result of my brain mixing up my memories.

Not that I could blame him, but now all my thoughts were clear, especially

as I was back on my medication.

With a slight huff, he said, "Is that so? Please explain..."

I slowly recapped everything I remembered from the time I had woken up

with José looking at me as I slept, to when I disappeared under the Miami

waters.

Keeping his hand held with mine, his grip tightened intermittently as some

parts unnerved him. When I told him about seducing José and allowing the

man to touch me, Dominic was livid, his eyes darkening as he paid attention

to each and every detail. Of course, he had suspected that something

intimate had happened since I had hinted as such. Even though he had

prepared himself, from the tenseness of his body, I knew that hearing the

truth did not lessen the blow.

I belonged to Dominic so I understood why he was furious about José

getting to taste and touch my skin. However, from the way his shoulders

relaxed after filling him in on every single detail, he was clearly relieved

that I had not been forced to have sex with anyone.

It would be stupid of me to think that these last few months had been easy

for him.

I knew that Dominic felt intense emotions of distress and he had restrained

himself from asking me questions; questions his burdened mind needed

answers to.

From the way he looked at me, I could see the pride he felt as he listened to

how I had handled everything.

"I was right when I said that you would do well in the mafia..." Dominic

started to say, "The way you managed to manipulate the situation to your

advantage even though you were being held prisoner is impressive. Not to

mention the fearlessness and ruthlessness that I know resides in you. I

shudder to think about how you will be within the next few years."

Blushing at his compliment, it was my turn to squeeze his hand.

"I suppose I'll have to spare young Cristiano's life then?" Dominic grumbled

as he looked down at our entwined fingers.

Pouting up at him, I nodded, "I'd like it if you could. After all, if everything

goes as planned, he'd be a good ally to have in the future. Especially if we

intend to extend the Calvetti mafia's hold beyond the state lines of Aelbank

City."

Cursing under his breath, he muttered, hating to admit that I was right,

"Perhaps."

"I miss holding you..." I whispered.

"And I you, my little hellfire..." Dominic whispered in reply.

Hearing his term of endearment caused my heart to race. This in turn

triggered an accelerated beeping of the machine, causing us both to laugh.

"I'm doing my best to keep myself in check here. It's taking every ounce of

self-control not to get on that bed with you right now. I want to hold you so

tight, kiss you and then spank the shit out of you for being so reckless in the

first damn place!" Dominic's nostrils flared.

Biting my bottom lip, I briefly closed my eyes and moaned softly at the

thought. He growled at the sound I made, his body growing taunt as he

willed himself to remain seated.

The sudden ringing of his mobile phone was a much-needed distraction.

"Yes..." Dominic spoke to the other person before shortly ending the call.

After pocketing the device, he stated, "Vincent says he and the others will

be passing in soon."

"How is everyone? How is James?" I asked with a slight frown.

Unfortunately, with everything that had been going on, since I had woken

up from the coma, I had not really dealt with Blaire's death. Even though

Dominic had allowed the mafia heads to visit me, James had never been

present.

As a result, I had no idea how he was handling things and I desperately

wanted to apologise to him in person. I knew that seeing my face would

remind him of Blaire, so I was not offended that he did not come to visit.

The sound of Dominic's voice pulled me from my thoughts as he replied,

"James is as one would expect him to be."

I licked my trembling lips, "A-and Blaire? How was the funeral?"

He sighed, his eyes softening, "I know that you'd have liked to be there, but

her parents did not know when you would return, so they buried her a few

days after her passing."

"No," I shook my head, "I understand. Was it a nice ceremony at least?"

"It was, and once you can walk on your own again, I'll take you to pay your

respects..." Dominic said tenderly, before adding, "Try and get some rest,

the doctor will come see you soon."

"Kiss me?" I pleaded, my eyes begging, wishing I had more strength in my

body.

Smiling, Dominic leaned forward and gently touched his lips to mine.

These last few weeks, we had to make do with brief kisses, not being able

to do anything more.

The feel of his lips against mine had me thinking of other plans, as the

minute his mouth touched me, I immediately attacked his lips. My arousal

was evident in the way my tongue invaded his mouth while my free hand

came to grab his shoulder, trying to pull him down on to the bed.

Sucking in a sharp breath, he pulled away, "You know we can't..."

"Is it because of what I just told you about José?" I asked, looking away

with shame.

Taking his free hand, Dominic gently held my chin between his fingers and

turned my head back to face him. I gasped at the passionate way in which

he looked at me. His blue eyes were full of desire as he locked his gaze with

mine and I involuntarily shuddered at the intensity of it.

"No, it's because you need to rest. If we keep kissing, I won't be able to

stop, and trust me, your body isn't ready for what I have planned," Dominic

replied huskily.

He then leaned down and pressed his lips tenderly to my forehead. I

snuggled comfortably into his strong embrace while I thought back to all

those months ago when I almost died under the Miami water.

As the darkness slowly crept over me, I had found myself remembering an

old African proverb that Raeni had told me as a teen.

The proverb stated that 'what you learn, is what you die with' and I had

found myself thinking about the aphorism lately, especially every time I

was alone.

Looking back, I felt that it was a bit odd that I would think about the saying

as I sunk beneath the water's surface. Or maybe not, after all, the mind does

tend to stray when on the brink of death and I was seconds away from being

six feet under.

In that brief moment when I thought that I was dying, I finally realised what

the saying meant.

Well, at least what it meant to me.

To my understanding, I felt that the proverb was trying to tell us that once

we learned to die, it was only then that we would learn how to live.

Which is what I planned to do going forward.

I did not intend to waste the second chance at life I had been given.