Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Five
Camilla POV

My head was pounding. It felt like someone was drumming on it relentlessly with a hammer. The whispered voices that I was suddenly aware of did not help matters. "Quiet," I hissed. The voices stopped and the drumming became more of a dull thump.

"Camilla, good you're awake," said a voice I vaguely recognized. "I'm Doctor Moreno, your neurologist."

I half opened my eyes to see an older, but handsome man standing next to my bed. He wore light blue surgical scrubs, and a surgical scrub cap adorned his head. He smiled brightly. If my head hadn’t been pounding so hard, I might have smiled back. Instead, I groaned. "Sorry for the noise," he said. "Now that you are awake, though, I need to conduct a quick exam, and then we can work on getting you on your way."

"On my way?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, Mr. Carmine is taking you out of the hospital tonight."

"Why?" I croaked.

I felt his presence beside me before I heard his voice. "It's for your safety, Camilla. Also, so you can recover in a peaceful environment, we both know that New York is not peaceful." Nicholas hovered nearby, his voice soft.

"No. It's not." What could I say to that? Where were they taking me? Montana? Back to Iowa? That couldn't be right. That horrible man had found me there. I began to panic.

"No," I said all too loudly. The sudden sound made my head throb, and I raised a hand to my forehead.

"NO?" Nicholas asked.

"I can't go back. He'll find me."

"Oh," he said softly. "No, not to Iowa. I'm taking you home."

"Home?" I was totally confused now, and my head continued to pound. Surely, he was wrong. Home was my apartment in Brooklyn. He can't be serious, the horns honk all night there and I was sure my head would explode with that racket.

"Yes, to my parents' home in Italy. It's safe and peaceful. You will be well cared for. Your Nonna is meeting us there," he offered.

"Nonna? She's okay?" I started to sit up and the doctor placed his hand on my shoulder, gently holding me back.

"Don't sit up yet," the doctor told me. "It's better for your pressure in your head to move slowly." Right. I nodded very slightly, and he removed his hand. I made no move to sit up, but I did open my eyes.

"How is that happening?" I asked through parched lips. The doctor raised a cup to my lips, touching them with the straw protruding from the lid. I gratefully took the straw into my mouth and took a deep drink of the cool water. It was heaven.

"I'm flying you on a private medical plane. It's what's best for you," Nicholas offered.

"And Michael?" I asked.

"I think that's my cue to leave," said Dr. Moreno. "I will have everything ready for you, and the medical team that is flying with you is packed and waiting."

"Thank you," Nicholas said, and the doctor left, the door gently shutting behind him.

"Nicholas?" I said his name like a question. "What's going on?"

"You had a serious head injury. You need to rest, you need time. We discussed it and everyone is in agreement that it's best to get you out of danger. The safest place is out of the country. It's not safe for you to fly on a commercial flight; you still need medical attention."

"Okay." I said, studying him between half-closed eyelids. "Michael then? Where is he?"

"He's here. Actually, he's sitting in the waiting room right now. He was staying at your apartment but he's here now." He pauses and looks towards the door. I see a dark-haired man peering in the window at us; he holds up one finger. Nicholas nods, and the man's face disappears from the door.

"What was that?" I ask.

"That was Marco. He's one of my guys. He needs to step away from the door for a minute. He was letting me know." Nicholas grabs my hand that lies on the blanket near the edge of the bed. "Now let's talk about what's going to happen."

He sits in the chair that I just noticed is pulled up next to the bed. Has he been sitting here the whole time? I recall various periods of waking and feeling like someone was there, but it's fuzzy, as if it was a dream. "Have you been here the whole time?" I finally ask.

"Well, most of the time. I left here and there. Let's get to the point. Things are about to happen fast. We need to move you to the airport, which will be done by a medical transport team and an ambulance. We will do everything we can to ensure we aren't followed and that you are safe. Once we get to the airport, the transport will take you straight to the tarmac and load you in the plane, along with your medical team. I'm flying with you. Michael is staying here in New York. Jimmy and Marco will help him with whatever is needed while he's here."

"Why?" I ask.

"He's your brother, and he's here for you, that's why. Why else?" he replies

"No. Why is Michael in New York? What aren't you telling me?"

Nicholas squeezes my hand and then takes a deep breath. He's about to answer me when there is a brief knock on the door, and then Michael strolls in.

"Cam," he says. It's a nickname he used when we were kids. I can't recall the last time he called me that. I stare at him, waiting for what's next. He walks to the opposite side of the bed from Nicholas and stares at me, studying me. "Damn," he finally says. "You look like shit."

I laugh a little but wince in pain. "Thanks," I mutter. Despite it, I can't help but give him a small smile. "Ever the charmer."

"I only mean to boost the perception that you need to get the hell out of New York, little sister. You definitely need to recover. Everything is set."

"Why are you guys rushing me out of here, and what are you doing here, Michael?" I ask. I'm starting to get frustrated because I think they are avoiding telling me things. The pounding in my head is getting worse, and I can hear the monitor on the wall start to beep erratically.

"What's going on here?" a woman asks as she walks in. I glance up at the petite brunette dressed in dark blue scrubs. "You're making her heart rate climb," she says, walking to the monitor and silencing the alarms. She turns, placing her hands on her hips. "Well?" she says again, clearly unbothered by the two mafia men before her. Fearless is all I can think of as I smile.

"Sorry Tanya," Nicholas mutters. "Your nurse," he says to me with a nod in her direction. "She's kind of bitchy," he whispers.

"I heard that," she says as she walks towards the door. "Camilla, how's your head?"

"It hurts," I say.

Tanya nods. "I will get you something for the headache. We may need to sedate her for the trip," she says as she looks at Nicholas. "I'm one of the nurses that Doctor Moreno recruited to tag along," she says, giving him a smile, and walks out of the room.

"Great," Nicholas says after the door shuts. "She will be good for Camilla, but she's going to bust everyone's balls until we return her home next week."

Michael chuckles. "Found a nurse you can't charm?"

"No. Found one Marco can't charm. It's probably why he walked away. He saw her coming. She hates him. Also, why I decided he's staying behind. Those two on the plane together would make us all miserable." Nicholas rakes his hands through his hair.

"Okay, I'm waiting still for you two to tell me why you're rushing me to Italy?" I finally say.

Michael and Nicholas exchange glances. "Nick," I prompt.

"Fine," he sighs. "Thomas Cain is here. We can't find him now. He could be anywhere in this city, and we don't know where."