Untangle Me

Chapter 19

Giada

My throat is dry, my muscles stiff and that obnoxious beep won't stop bothering me. It always appears to haunt me in the same rhythm.

Beep beep, beep beep

And so on. God, it feels like the sound is digging its way through my ears and straight into my brain.

I pry open my heavy eyelids with a soft groan, silently cursing the bright light in this room. I blink my surroundings into focus, my eyes slowly adjusting.

The first thing I see is a plain white ceiling. Great, now I know where I am... Note the sarcasm. When I try to turn my head to see more of the room, my neck protests. The whole side of it burns up and I wince.

Then I remember.

I remember escaping Vincenzo's building with Luciano, his betrayal, then everything he did to me. The images get blurrier and blurrier, feeling more than dreams the further I get.

Silent tears start rolling down my cheeks before I even realize it. I can't believe that happened. Can't believe I was so wrong about Luciano.

What still doesn't make sense is how I ended up here. I know I lost consciousness multiple times when I was taped to that chair but I was sure that would be it. I thought I'd die in that warehouse.

Then why am I awake? My body feels like it's been to hell and back but my heart seems to be beating just fine, judging by that continuous beep.

It doesn't prevent my hands from shaking beneath the blanket as I rack my brain for an explanation, trying not to panic about my whereabouts. Someone obviously took care of me and my wounds so there's no need to be afraid.

I don't think I'm at a hospital though. The smell of sanitizers isn't strong enough for that. Where else could I be?

More blurry memories tear through me but this time it feels different. More specific, as if my mind was trying to piece something together.

I'm tied to the chair again, still mostly conscious and Luciano is talking to me. He says something about my father and the accident. He says he's sorry and that it was never about us. That we weren't supposed to be there. That Vincenzo was the target.

I knew Enzo? Before the accident?

The accident Luciano was responsible for.

My head is reeling, a story with still so many blank spots coming together but somehow making sense all the same.

Luciano blames Enzo for the loss of his family. He wanted revenge and tried to kill him in a car accident? It failed but he somehow got away. I'm sure if Enzo had known one of his men made an attempt on his life he would have taken care of him.

This is where things threaten to split my head. Where I come into the equation.

My father and I end up in the car that gets attacked, with Enzo, apparently. Why we would be in the same car? I can't fantom an answer. My dad dies, Enzo and I don't.

Now, Luciano said something about telling his boss I was dead. No idea why he'd do that.

Eight months pass and somehow, Enzo kidnaps me. Clearly, he hates me so our relationship before the accident must've already sucked. Then why were we in the same car? With my dad, of all people.

This is making my head hurt even more so I groan again. God, I would kill for some water right now.

Not sure how long I lie there, simply staring at the ceiling and counting my heartbeats but eventually, someone enters my room. I don't even try to see who it is, I've accepted that I can't move my head or much of anything else in my body.