Under His Protection

Chapter 65: Unsettling News

The day had already been long, and it wasn't over. Travis sat by Taylor's side in the quiet villa, her hand still resting in his. His fingers absentmindedly traced circles on her palm, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He had never seen her so fragile, so distant, and it terrified him. Despite his every effort to be strong for her, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The doctor had returned after a few hours, the results of Taylor's blood tests in hand. He had a somber look on his face as he approached Travis, his expression grave.

"Travis, can we talk for a moment?" the doctor asked, his voice low but steady.

Travis nodded, feeling his stomach drop. "Of course. How is she?"

The doctor didn't respond immediately, instead leading Travis into the hallway where they could speak privately. He knew what was coming, but hearing it from someone else made it feel more real, more permanent.

"I have the results," the doctor began, his voice measured. "Taylor has a hormonal imbalance-likely due to the stress of her postpartum recovery. But that's not the worst of it." He paused for a moment, as if to gather his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Travis asked, his voice tight with concern. He had never felt more helpless in his life.

"Along with the hormonal imbalance, Taylor also seems to have an autoimmune disorder," the doctor continued, his gaze never leaving Travis's face. "It's something we'll need to monitor closely, but it could explain some of her fatigue and emotional instability. There's one more thing, though."

Travis's stomach twisted, and his breath hitched. "What else?"

The doctor hesitated, then looked at Travis with a deep, empathetic gaze. "There's an issue with her emotional attachment patterns. She's developed an unhealthy dependence on you and Bronze for emotional stability. The way she clings to you both may be due to an attachment disorder. It's not uncommon after a traumatic experience, but if left unchecked, it could cause complications, especially if you decide to have more children."

Travis's heart sank, and he struggled to process the weight of the doctor's words. "Are you saying she can't handle it on her own? That she can't handle...us?"

"No," the doctor clarified, his tone firm yet sympathetic. "I'm not saying that. But she'll need help, Travis. And more support than you or Bronze can provide alone. It will become a bigger issue if she can't learn to open up to others, especially if you have more children. She may find herself emotionally overwhelmed, and it could impact her ability to bond with others."

Travis ran a hand through his hair, feeling the enormity of the situation bearing down on him. He had been so focused on keeping Taylor safe, on being the rock she needed, that he hadn't realized how deep her struggles were. "What do I do?" he asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "I recommend therapy, Travis. She'll need professional help to navigate this. She can't rely solely on you or Bronze for emotional stability. This isn't something you can fix by yourself, no matter how much you want to. You need to get her the support she deserves."

Back in Kansas City, the tension was palpable. Patrick, Isiah, and the rest of the crew had been working relentlessly on their plan to take down Santino. They had gathered intel from their sources, but they were still missing a key piece of information: where Santino was hiding.

Isiah was the one to speak first as they sat around a table, reviewing their plans. "We need to find out where he's hiding. If we can't do that, we're flying blind."

Patrick nodded, his face a mask of determination. "We've been working on this for months, Isiah. We just have to be patient. Santino can't keep his head down forever."

The phone buzzed on the table, interrupting their conversation. Travis's name appeared on the screen, and Patrick quickly answered. "Travis, what's going on?"

"Everything's a mess," Travis's voice was strained on the other end. "I'm sending for a therapist to help Taylor. It's not just postpartum depression. It's worse. She's struggling with a hormonal imbalance, and on top of that, there's an autoimmune disorder. I...I don't know how much more she can handle."

Patrick's eyes narrowed with concern. "Is she okay?"

"She's not, Pat," Travis said, his voice cracking slightly. "She's not okay at all. I can't help her the way she needs. I don't know what to do anymore."

Isiah, overhearing the conversation, gave Patrick a concerned look. Patrick motioned for him to stay quiet as he spoke to Travis again. "We're doing everything we can here, but you need to focus on her right now, Trav. She's your priority. We'll take care of Santino. Don't worry about that."

"I can't leave her like this," Travis said, his voice filled with frustration and worry. "I need to be with her, but I also need to stop Santino. What do I do?"

Patrick's voice softened. "We'll finish the plan here, but you need to take care of her, man. If she's asking for you, go. We'll handle things. We've got your back."

"Thanks, Pat," Travis said, sighing heavily. "I'll keep you posted. I'll talk to you soon."

After ending the call, Patrick looked at Isiah, a look of determination on his face. "We need to move quickly. Santino doesn't know where Taylor is, but we can't let him get close. Once we get the intel we need, we'll make our move."

Travis returned to Taylor's side after the call. His heart was heavy with the weight of the decision ahead. He knew he had to go back to Italy, to be there for Taylor and help her through this, but he couldn't help but feel the pull of responsibility. The plan to take down Santino wasn't finished, and the stakes had never been higher.

Taylor was still resting on the couch, her body exhausted but restless. Bronze had crawled up beside her, trying his best to comfort her, calling her "Mama" in his innocent way. It didn't fix everything, but it was a small comfort in the middle of all the chaos.

"Hey, Sunshine," Travis whispered, kneeling beside her. He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, trying to offer her some reassurance.

"I'm not okay," Taylor whispered back, her voice breaking.

"I know," Travis said softly. "But we're going to get through this together. You're not alone in this, okay?"

"I don't want to be a burden," she replied, her voice small. "I feel like I'm breaking, and I don't know how to stop it."

"You're not a burden, Taylor," Travis said firmly. "You're everything to me. And we'll fix this. We'll get you the help you need. I'm not going anywhere."