Doukas by Demetra Georgiou
Chapter 27
People are talking, disturbing me. My sleep is fading away, and I finally open my eyes. Bright blue eyes stare back at me, and I smile at Doukas’s handsome face.
“You’re awake,” he whispers, and I nod.
I try to move my arm, but it hurts.
“Easy now, baby, you’ve got a broken wrist, and the other is fractured. Your ribs are in bad shape, but other than that, you’ll make a full recovery.”
It’ll take me years to recover.
Glancing around, I observe the room. It looks more like a luxury resort than a hospital, and it’s only the beeping machinery that gives away my true location. Only now do I see that we’re not alone, and the reason why I woke up makes sense.
“Hello,” I greet the men with a soft smile.
“Hi,” they all answer in unison.
The room is full of Lords and Royals who look expectantly at me. As they near my bed, they’re all smiling kindly.
“You’ll be all right, Ria,” Giorgos reassures me, touching my arm.
I smile as I take in the people around me, but there are two noticeable absences. “Where are Icarus and Harmonia?” I croak as an image of Harmonia falling on the ground flashes into my mind.
“Icarus is nursing a broken nose, but he’ll live,” Victoras offers.
“Harmonia?”
Yawning, I try to get comfortable.
Rigas clears his throat. “The bullet found her left shoulder, but she’s expected to make a full recovery without impairing the mobility of her limb.” This Royal is ever so formal.
“Ria, I want to thank you for saving our sister’s life,” Alcaeus starts in a low voice. “We’re indebted to you.”
“There’s no debt. I’d do it again.” Even saying these words is hard. Suddenly, I feel so drained, as if my life force has been sucked out of me. I killed my best friend. I played God and took a human life.
Somewhere among my muddled thoughts, sleep claims me again, but Doukas’s strong hand doesn’t leave my arm.
“I don’t remember Icarus getting hurt,” I admit to Doukas the following day.
He chuckles, and warmth spreads across my chest at the sound. “Harmonia broke his nose while the doctor was stitching her. The anesthetic had worn off, and he was within kicking distance.”
Only imagining that scene brings a smile to my face. “Icarus should have known better.”
Doukas chuckles. “We all agreed on that.”
I frown. “What was that Harmonia screeched about a bomb?” I ask as her words come to mind.
“An EMP jammer bomb,” Doukas offers. “Do you remember our Winter party when Fanaris was bragging about his recent weapon acquisition?” He pauses, and I nod. It’s not like I’m going to forget my encounters with Makis any time soon. “All the Ballers’ firearms were automatic, and Makis’s stupidity provided my sister with precious intel.”
I look at him perplexed. “Is this supposed to be an explanation?”
Doukas exhales sharply. He seems too tired. “Sorry. Those types of guns and rifles have electronic firing. What Harmonia activated was a radio signal bomb that rendered their weapons useless. Imagine it like a virus wiping a hard drive entirely.” Doukas leans to me and caresses my cheek.
“Is Makis…dead?” I ask, but I already know the answer.
Doukas studies me for a long while before he finally sighs. “Not yet. I’m a man of my word.”
“He’s not worth it,” I whisper, and something tightens in my chest. He’s still alive. He can still hurt me.
“He’s going to pay for every minute he held you in that place. He hit you, Ria. Abused the most precious person for me.”
Doukas’s vehemence is something alien to me, but in a way, it fits the picture I had of him in my head as a ruthless crime lord. His eyes are dark and troubled, hiding their own horror story, and I know that his mind is made up.
“He’s not worth it,” I repeat, but something inside me takes great pleasure in Makis’s suffering.
A knock comes from the door, and a woman dressed in a white button-down and black skirt enters, carrying my breakfast. Doukas springs into action and whirls a table towards me.
“Where are we?” I ask, accepting a spoonful of yogurt.
“In the Royals’ house. They have a fully-equipped surgery and everything you might need.”
Oh, that’s news. That explains why all three Royals were here earlier. I thought they were only visiting.
“Doukas? My tavern. I signed it over to him. He said he’d bought the two others next to mine. They’re going to build a mall.”
My Lord’s nostrils flare, and a darkness clouds his features. “There’s no contract, baby. Not anymore, anyway. Icarus found it and destroyed it. Thrasos was very forthcoming with his boss’ plans, so we know a great deal more.”
Relief envelopes me, and the usual sense of tranquility surrounds me as Doukas’s eyes soften. “I’m sorry, Ria. For as long as I live, I’ll regret that I didn’t come to you sooner. Alcaeus insisted I cool off, but when Harmonia called…I don’t want to lose you.”
“I love you, Doukas, but all our troubles began when I agreed to marry you.”
“I know I’ve given you reasons to doubt me, but I care about you, Ria. While you were unconscious, I informed the doctor that there was a possibility you might be pregnant.”
I know I’m not because I had an ultrasound the other day, but I wonder where he’s going with this.
“You’re not. But only the thought of sharing something so unique with you is potent. I’d like to experience it one day. A child. Our child.”
A month later, and I still haven’t got over my night at the junkyard. Sometimes when it’s raining, I shudder, thinking how it was in that place.
Doukas has been with me every step of the way, being the man I fell in love with. There hasn’t been any mention of marriage, but I see it’s something that troubles him.
I often think back to my dream or hallucination and see the little boy playing on the floor. Sometimes I swear that if I close my eyes, I can see him again. I don’t believe in dreams much, but the idea of that child—our son—gives me something to look forward to.
“Ria, do you know that you have spilled marinara sauce all over your sweater?” Electra asks as she comes to the other side of the counter.
“I know,” I admit with a sigh.
It’s been three days since the doctor removed the cast, and everything feels strange to the touch. The doctor says that it’s only natural and Icarus, who’s become something of an expert on broken limbs, agrees. Speaking of Icarus, his nose is healed but has a slight curve to it. On the other hand, Harmonia is annoyed that she got shot but won’t have a scar to show off.
“Do you want me to take over?” Electra asks.
I nod. “Please do. I’ll go to my office to change.”
Exiting the kitchen, I smile at some patrons sitting down at one of the tables, thinking how everything looks the same. It might be the case, but I certainly don’t feel like it.
I take off my sweater and open the small closet to reach for one of the shirts I keep for emergencies. I put it on, and before I get down to do it up, something catches my eye on the closet door mirror.
The bruises from my ribs have started to fade. Unfortunately, the memory of Makis kicking me over and over again won’t go away that easily, but I can now face myself in the mirror and feel the anger I’m due.
“You’re very beautiful,” Doukas’s voice startles me.
“You didn’t knock,” I observe the obvious.
“I know,” he admits with a clogged voice as he nears closer to me. “How do you feel?”
I shrug. “I’m not in pain.”
And that should be enough. I’m grateful that I’m not dead, but there are times when there’s this burden in my chest as if something is missing. Doukas wraps me in his arms, touching me for the first time in what seems years.
After a while, he carries me to the sofa. Once again, being so close to him is driving me crazy. We might be sleeping together every night, but he refused to touch me while I recuperated.
Something chimes, and Doukas reaches for his phone. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I peek at his screen.
“What is that, Doukas?” I ask, noticing my name on the email he received.
“It’s a reminder email from the architect about our appointment, but I’m telling him that we won’t make it after all.”
Right, the architect that’s going to build our new house.
“Why?” I ask in a small voice.
“I don’t want to stress you out, baby. The moment you agreed to marry me, I started pressuring you, and that doesn’t bode well with me. I’m sorry, of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that I hurt you—the love of my life. So, from now on, we only have one pace, and that’s your own. I want to marry you and live with you, but only when you’re ready.”
That’s incredibly sweet. Yes, Doukas did seem more possessive, but I should have done a better job protecting his feelings. And the club incident might have been his fault entirely, but Petros is mine. Since I wasn’t even remotely interested, I should’ve made it clear that I was with someone.
These past few weeks, I did nothing but swirl everything around in my mind. I might have had one headache too many, but if our situations were reversed, and it was him who’d received such email, I’d react the same—if not worse.
“I think you’d better call that architect back because I want to spend next Christmas at our new house. I don’t know what—”
My words are drowned by Doukas’s kisses as he slams his mouth on mine.
“I love you, Ria,” he says when he finally comes up for air. “You won’t regret it.”