Tears filled her blue eyes. “If it weren’t for Nova…”
I gave her a grim smile. “You would have found a way out of this mess.”
“No,” she whispered. “This is the second time you’ve saved me. No one but you has ever done that for me.”
“You’re my friend. I would do anything for you.”
“And I will do anything for you,” she vowed. “Tell me what you want or need, and it’s yours.”
“Just a phone so I can call Ryan and let him know I’m okay.” I nodded toward the house. The one that was now shot all to hell with blood splattered along the floors and walls in several rooms. “This place have a landline or internet access?”
“We have both,” the housekeeper assured me, still speaking Spanish, letting me know she could understand my English. I wasn’t sure if she didn’t speak it well or she just refused to. “Come, dear, I’ll show you to the library.”
“That can wait,” I said when I saw Cali start to sway. After the wreck and then Manuel beating her over the past two days, I was worried for her and the baby. She was still wearing the black shorts from our night out, and I had no way of knowing if she was bleeding vaginally or not. “Let’s get Cali to a doctor.”
“No!” she refused, stumbling when she took a step. “I’m never leaving this place again. Send for a doctor, but I’m not stepping foot outside of this property ever again.”
I wrapped an arm around her as she began to sway a little more. “Okay, whatever you want, but can we at least get you inside and to a bed before you pass out?”
One of the guards rushed over to help me. He lifted her while the housekeeper—Maria—led the way inside and up the stairs to what had once been Cali’s bedroom. I followed behind, not wanting to leave her for even a minute. She’d been through so much the last few days, not only for her physical health, but also her mental well-being.
“I will fetch the doctor myself,” the guard promised after placing Cali in the middle of her queen-sized bed.
“Thanks, Guzman,” she murmured softly in Spanish as her eyes drifted closed and she curled into a ball. “You were always good to me in the past.”
“Matias had love and respect for you,” he told her, his voice full of sincerity. “And now you are the boss. You have my full allegiance.”
“Make sure Nova has it as well.” Her eyes popped open as she commanded him. “Every man and woman inside the walls of this property are to give her their full respect and loyalty.”
Guzman bowed his head. “They already do.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I started helping Maria undress Cali. The bruises I’d seen on her arms earlier were also on her ribs, back, and abdomen. I drew in a sharp breath when I saw how badly she’d been beaten, and I wanted to kill Manuel all over again. Then we got to her panties, and they were saturated with blood.
“Do you think he hurt the baby?” Cali asked softly, touching her hand to her flat stomach. Her chin trembled as she looked at the blood on her underwear, and she curled in on herself once again.
Maria’s eyes widened. “You are pregnant? I thought this was from your cycle.”
“No, I’m pregnant.” A tear spilled down her cheek. “Or at least, I was.”
“Let’s let the doctor check you over before we start worrying,” I suggested, even though I was already scared for the safety of my niece or nephew. “We shouldn’t borrow trouble until we know something for sure.”
“Yes,” Maria agreed. “Babies are very strong and stubborn. I’m sure everything is fine.”
We had Cali cleaned up by the time Guzman returned with a doctor. The town nearest to the Ramirez estate was small, with only one doctor who handled every aspect of life, including delivering babies—or so he explained when he first arrived. He and his two nurses were the only medical help within a hundred miles, so we didn’t have any other choice. The older man had two medical bags with him, and he gave Cali a full exam, even drawing blood. But she didn’t relax until we were able to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.
“Very strong,” the doctor said with a kind smile. “I will have my staff make you an appointment, and we will get some pictures of your baby. The bleeding is worrisome, but it’s not heavy. With all that you have told me has happened over the past few days, I think it may be a burst blood vessel. Let’s give it a few days and see. Until then, complete bed rest. The rest of your body needs it to heal anyway.”
“No,” she stubbornly refused. “You can either come here to do the ultrasound, or I will find someone else who will.”
His lips pursed together, but he nodded. “Next week, then.” As he finished with her, he turned to me. “Let’s get you bandaged up, yes?”
I glanced down at myself. I’d been cradling my bad arm against my stomach so as not to jar my shoulder more than necessary, and the bandage I’d wrapped around the bite wound on the inside of my thigh was soaked with blood.
“Do you think I need a rabies shot?” I joked with Cali as I sat on the edge of her bed so the doctor could examine me.
She snickered. “Probably wouldn’t hurt to cover all the bases.”
The bite had to be stitched, and the doctor seemed full of regret when he told me it would scar. If a scar was all I had to deal with after everything I’d just been through, I wasn’t going to shed any tears. He put my arm in a sling and told me to keep it immobile for a few weeks, then packed up his bags.
With the promise of returning the following week for Cali’s ultrasound, but advising us to call him should either of us start running a fever or Cali’s bleeding grew worse, he went back to his clinic with Guzman. It was only then that I finally felt as if I could leave my friend long enough to call Ryan.
In the library downstairs, I picked up the landline and dialed his cell number. I didn’t know many of my contacts off the top of my head, but Ryan’s and my mom’s numbers were the two I would never forget.
The phone rang and rang until it went to voice mail, but I knew it would. He never answered a number he didn’t recognize. As soon as I heard the beep, I started talking. “Ryan, hey. I know you are probably losing your mind right now, but you can relax. I’m fine. I swear. Just a little banged up. I don’t want to talk about all this over the phone, so just call me back at this number and I’ll tell you where I am.” I closed my eyes. “I love you.”
I hung up and then quickly dialed my mom’s phone. It rang three times before someone picked up. “H-hello?”
The sob in her voice cut me to the quick. “Mom?”
“N-Nova?” she whispered with something close to horror in her voice. “Oh God, I’m losing my mind. Nova? Nova? Is it really you?”
“Of course it is, Mom.” I rushed to assure her. “Who else would it be?”
“Th-they told me you were dead,” she whispered. “Honey, am I dreaming?”
“Who told you I was dead?” I demanded, angry that they would do that to my mom. What a terrible thing to say to any mother, but especially my sweet mom, who had been through so much, including losing one baby.