Found in Darkness

Chapter 28

FEDERICO

This wasn't supposed to happen.

I was unsure before, mostly because I don't have an understanding of what these feelings are; I also didn't think it was possible for me. But there's no doubt now.

I'm in love with Elenora.

I shake my head at how I could let this happen. She doesn't seem to like me most of the time and I doubt love is even on the radar for her when she thinks of me. If she even thinks about me, that is. She's been more than vocal on how much she despises me but there's no denying there's an attraction. Sparks even, but usually that results from us trying to tear each other down.

I can't overlook the blaring fact that I haven't even slept with her, but then again, I slept with several women and never felt this way around them.

I pace the hospital hallway while she's getting an X-ray and MRI; she didn't want to go in alone. She had stopped trembling in my arms, but when they told her she needed to go in without me, she couldn't keep her body from shaking.

I vaguely hear Domani talking on the phone with Duko, the detective we have on the inside at the precinct.

"Duko, is on his way. He has some questions for Elenora," Domani informs me right before the sound of several voices, heels and shoes clicking on the hospital hallway floor come from around the corner; her family rushes towards me.

"Rico! Where is she? Where is my baby?" Teresa grabs my arms, her eyes are red and tears stain her face. And then her sisters start throwing out questions all at once too.

"Is Elenora okay?

"Did he hurt her?"

"Did they catch him?"

"Are we sure it's Leo? How could he do this?"

I hold my hands up to stop them. "Please. Elenora is okay considering what happened. They are doing an X-ray and an MRI on her hand. Leo slammed it repeatedly to get her to drop the knife she was holding."

"What happened, Rico?" Tiziano steps closer to me. "Why did he attack her like this?"

I briefly glance at Domani before I face them again. "Leo was the one who attacked her...last year."

"What?!"

"Are...are you sure?"

"Why?"

I hold my hands up again to silence them, struggling to maintain my patience and temper.

"For some time now, she has been receiving anonymous, threatening notes and gifts." Tiziano and Teresa share a worried look. "She didn't want to tell you because she was afraid you'd force to move back home. She didn't go to the police because she didn't trust them after what happened with the attack."

"So I started digging into it and my people found out it was Leo. That's the call I took in your home today." I meet Tiziano's dark eyes.

"Dear God. But why did he do this?" Teresa asks, confused and sorrow written on her face. "She loved him."

"He resented the fact that she wanted to wait to be intimate with him. He said he thought it would happen after he moved in but when it didn't he got angrier and then he thought if he could make it happen without him 'being the one to force it to happen' she'd want to afterward, but obviously the opposite happened."

"That is so disgusting. He was hugging each of us, telling us she would be okay," Luna says, wrapping her arms around herself.

"He acted so distraught, like he was feeling the pain she was in, comforting us but it was him this whole time." Jackie wipes tears from her eyes. "How is Elenora going to trust anyone after this?"