Page 40 of Saved By A God
“Rosie is dead, Enzo.”
My breathing turns ragged, and my eyes burn as the words destroy my will to live.
Suddenly I hear a woman wailing, and only after a few seconds do I realize it’s Aunt Eden, Rosie’s mom.
“Enzo?” Dad pats my jaw. “Look at me, son.”
My eyes swing back to his. “Am I going to sedate you again, or are you going to find a way through this hell?”
“My baby! I want her back.” Aunt Eden lets out another agonizing cry, the sound moving through me like an icy blizzard, killing all the warmth in me. “No! Rosie isn’t dead!”
“Enzo!” Dad snaps. “Am I ordering the doctor to sedate you again, or are you going to power through this?”
My head jerks, and I look at him again. “No sedating.”
I can’t find Rosie if I’m out cold.
I instantly latch onto the thought. “Did you find her body?”
Dad shakes his head and repeats, “Everything was incinerated. There are only bone fragments. It will take the investigators time to identify them.” Dad’s eyebrows draw together. “Nothing and no one survived the blast, Enzo.”
Uncle Dario steps into the hallway, and the moment his tormented gaze lands on me, he rushes forward. “Jesus, you’re up. Are you okay? The call log showed you were on a call with Rosie when it happened. What did she say?”
The desperation in his voice claws at my heart.
“We were focused on getting her out of there.” There’s no emotion in my tone. “Then…” I swallow hard as the nightmare replays in my mind. “She said she loved me.”
Air bursts over my lips, and when I see the excruciating pain on Uncle Dario’s face, I pull away from Dad and grab hold of Rosie’s father. Pain ripples through my arms, and once again the bandages register on some level in my fucked up mind.
Uncle Dario’s body shudders as he grips me tightly, whispering, “She’s not dead.”
I nod.
His hands claw at my back as he breaks apart, then he groans, “My Rosellina isn’t dead.” I hold him tighter, a lump pushing into my throat while the sting in my eyes becomes too much and tears escape. “Tell me she’s alive.”
It sounds like my voice has been dragged over miles of molten lava as I say, “She’s alive.”
She has to be.
I refuse to believe I’ve lost the love of my life, that I won’t hear her give me shit and won’t see her playful grin again.
The blow hits me so fucking hard that my body rips from Uncle Dario’s hold as I stagger backward.
Instantly, there’s a hand on my back. “Breathe through the pain,” Dad orders while he grabs hold of Uncle Dario’s arm, pulling him to his side. “Both of you, just breathe through it.”
Uncle Dario turns into Dad, and when a heartbroken cry is ripped from him, it ripples through me.
I need to find her so I can ease everyone’s pain.
While Dad is busy with Uncle Dario, I take my chance and walk away.
“Enzo!” Dad roars.
“I’m fine,” I snap. “But I’m not mourning the woman I love until I’ve seen her dead body with my own two fucking eyes.”
“Where are you going?”
“To work.”
