Lodged (Kinsmen Billionaires #2)

23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Gio Bianchi

A fter Penny’s intervention at my house, I decided to ask Dr. Smith for a month off before starting to work as a postdoctoral researcher in his lab.

I need to try to find her. I know it won’t be easy but if I don’t do it, I’ll keep asking myself “what if” for the rest of my life.

“Dr. Smith, hi,” I say instead of knocking on his door as I walk inside and take a seat across from me.

“Gio, hi. Welcome back. Did you have a good time with your family?”

“I did, thank you,” I answer without meeting his gaze.

“Is there something wrong?”

“It’s Ruin,” I say. Dr. Smith releases a sigh and rearranges his position in his chair.

“Did you guys break up? I hope this isn’t going to cause any problems.” He raises an eyebrow.

“She vanished.” His expression turns confused.

He clicks something on his keyboard, and after a few minutes he says, “Interesting.” When he looks at me, his expression is unreadable. “She canceled this semester.”

“She did?” I ask, trying to get any morsel of information I can.

“Well, I’m not sure if she specifically did, but it says she’s no longer a student here. Her records are confidential now.” Fuck, I know money talks, but I’m not about to bribe the school. That’s beneath me.

“Dr. Smith, I truly hate to ask you this, but is there any chance I can take a month off before I start my work here?” He looks at me as the wheels of his brain turn. When I think he’s going to tell me to fuck off and find another lab to work in, he speaks.

“Gio, I understand these are extenuating circumstances, but please know I cannot give you more than a month. When you come back to this lab in four weeks, I need you to be able to pick up where you left off last year. There are deadlines to meet and papers to write.” I let out a big breath of relief. I understand what he’s not saying: he has made many exceptions for me, but I need to start producing results. All the money in the world means jack shit if you don’t have data to present.

“Thank you, Dr. Smith. I promise I’ll be back on time and ready to work.” He nods at me with a smile as I get up from the seat and make my way out of his office. I need to go home and come up with a plan to find Ruin.

“Hey, Gio. How’s it going?” Vicente asks on the other end of the video call.

“Hey, man, here trying to come up with a plan to find Ruin.” Vicente stops whatever he was doing and faces his phone fully, giving me his undivided attention.

“Oh, she ghosted you, then?”

“No,” I answer immediately. Vicente simply stares at me. “Ugh, I don’t know,” I say as I rub my face with my hand.

“Gio, I appreciate you. You know that. But man, you are a fucking billionaire, smart as all hell. What the fuck are you doing pining for a girl who left you on read?” Vicente says in his no-nonsense tone, and I internally groan.

“I don’t know if she ghosted me. I don’t know if something happened to her. I don’t know anything, and it’s killing me inside,” I tell him what’s been on my mind. He releases a deep breath and moves from his desk to a small bar in his office.

“And what’s the plan, what do you want to do?” Isn’t that the billion-dollar question.

“I want to go look for her.”

“Do you know her hometown?” I nod, and Vicente downs his drink.

“So, what—are you planning to knock on every single door in that town? Do you know the population?”

“I did my research—I have the address to her family’s orchard,” I answer.

“And you’re going to do this in the middle of winter?” I wince as I hear Vicente voicing my thoughts.

“It sounds crazy when you say it out loud.”

“Because it is fucking crazy, Gio,” he says and then turns his gaze to me. “Believe me, I say this with love: cut your losses and move on, or hire a fucking professional.” I close my eyes, trying to let his words sink in, but there’s no way. I have to do this myself. What if someone finds her and she doesn't want anything to do with me? I need to hear that directly from her.

“I don’t know, man. There’s definitely a lot to think about.”

Vicente nods in agreement.

“I’ll be here whenever you want to vent, but please be safe,” Vicente says, and after a brief goodbye, I disconnect the video call.

Heading to the kitchen to get a drink, I stumble upon the pumpkin-spiced cocoa mix Ruin made—it tastes so good, but if she’s not here, I don’t want it. I toss it in the trash and get a glass of whisky instead. If I ever taste the damn cocoa mix, it’ll be because I found her, and she’s here with me.

The trip to Azalea Creek hasn’t been easy. They get actual snow here in the mountains, and I’ve never driven in it—except for the rare time Raleigh gets snow, and not only the roads collapse but the grocery stores run out of toilet paper, bread, and milk.

Vicente asked if I wanted him to come for moral support, but the thought of having the posh Vicente Godoy driving a truck along the Blue Ridge Parkway makes me laugh.

“ Abuelo Bianchi, please give me a sign to not give up,” I say as I park my car in downtown Azalea Creek. There are a few stores open and a warm cup of coffee sounds amazing—it’s 15°F outside (-9°C), and even in the warmth of my car, my balls are freezing.

“Good evening, may I have a croissant and a coffee to go?” The lady smiles at me and after ringing my order, she takes off to prepare it.

When she comes back with my food, I take my phone and show her a picture of Ruin.

“I’m sorry to ask, but is there any chance you know this girl?” She looks at my phone, then at me and shakes her head. I squint my eyes at her. How can she not know Ruin? From what I recall, Ruin said her family is well-known in town.

“Are you sure?” I press, but the lady doesn’t budge. She ignores me and asks me to leave instead. I deflate at her hostility and head back out to the car to eat my snack before I head to another store to ask for Ruin.

While eating my snack in the car, I study the town. It’s a quaint little place surrounded by mountains. Its streets are still decorated for the holidays, and the piles of snow are neatly organized. Pretty impressive.

Once I’m done eating, I head back to the streets. There’s an apothecary, and my mind immediately goes to Ruin—she would love a place like this.

Rosebay Apothecary is charmingly decorated with what I assume are pictures of the town back in the day. Horse carriages, vintage trucks carrying a load of apples, people out and about at a festival bring its history to life.

“Can I help you?” A lady comes out of the back of the store, wearing a white lab coat, and her hair is up in a neat bun. I hadn’t really paid attention to everything they sell here, but it’s a mix of candles, ointments, creams, and soaps. I wonder if they’re handmade on site.

“Yes, hello. I hope I don’t sound strange, but I’m looking for someone, and I wonder if perhaps you know her.” The lady straightens her back and gives me a curt nod. I feel quite uncomfortable. I don’t want to sound like a stalker, but for people who don’t know me, I’m sure that’s how I look. “This is her. I met her back in Raleigh, but she mentioned she’s from a town in the mountains, and I’d like to reconnect with her.” The moment the words come out of my mouth, I know I sound like a psychopath. Fuck.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never seen her,” she says, her demeanor immediately changing.

“Are you sure?” I ask, because there’s no way Google has it wrong. I saw with my own eyes that her family’s orchard is in this town.

She releases a breath and motions for me to follow her. Even though I don’t know her, the fact that she’s willing to talk with me makes hope bloom in my chest.

We walk to the back of the store and into her office. A small desk, a chair, and file cabinets bursting with receipts and all sorts of papers fill the cramped space.

“I don’t know what your intentions are, coming and asking for her, but for some reason, I feel like you don’t want to harm her. If you wait here, I can find someone who can give you answers,” she tells me as she stands with her arms crossed over her chest.

My eyes immediately fill with unshed tears. Fuck. I’m finally getting closer to knowing what happened to Ruin. “Yes, I can assure you I have the best intentions for her.”

She nods as she motions for me to sit down. “Wait here. I won’t take long.” She closes the door, and I hear it lock.

Oh shit, why did she lock me in? I decide to text Penny and let her know where I am and what’s going on, in case she has to send the police to find me. After the most excruciating and slow ten minutes of my life, the door unlocks and in comes the woman who I spoke with. Behind her is a tall man, his hair is not as red as Ruin’s, but I can definitely see a resemblance. This must be River or Miles.

“Miss Dorothy says you’re looking for my sister,” the man says, not even introducing himself.

“Yes, I’m Gio Bianchi. Ruin’s boyfriend.” He stiffens at my words and turns to face the lady who’s looking at us with rapt attention.

“Miss Dorothy, I beg you please don’t say anything you heard to anyone. As you can imagine, we’re trying to protect Ruin as much as possible.” She simply nods at his request with a smile, and then he turns to look at me. “Please, follow me. There’s stuff to talk about.”

I nod at him, and follow him out of the store. The sun has completely set, and the chilly air hits my face.

“Do you need a lift?” he asks, and I shake my head. I can’t seem to form words at the moment. “Follow me, there’s a diner a couple of blocks away.” I nod and head to my car. I remember Ruin mentioning her family also had a diner. Why didn’t I go there to begin with?

Ugh, this brain fog has to go.

Once I park, I go inside the diner. The man turns the sign to “Closed” and locks the door. A woman, who can only be Ruin's sister, Rain, comes out of the kitchen and looks at me, stunned.

“Hi, I’m Rain,” she says as she extends her hand for me to shake, and I happily take it.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. I’m River, Ruin’s oldest brother.” He extends his hand to me, and I shake it as well.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” Rain asks, and I shake my head but give her a grateful smile.

“Let’s take a seat then,” River says, and we all go to the nearest table. River and Rain sit across from me, and I look at them expectantly.

“I’m going to get to the point,” River says and then clears his throat. “Ruin had a car accident.”

All the blood drains from my face as a shiver runs through my body.

“Is she…is she dead?” I say quietly, almost afraid hear the answer.

“No, oh God, no,” Rain rushes to assure me, and I release a deep breath.

“She’s currently in a coma. According to the authorities, it’s a miracle they were able to rescue her.” I clench my jaw at River’s words. I did almost lose her.

“Where is she? Can I see her?” I ask, needing to see her with my own eyes.

“That’s the issue and the reason we haven’t contacted you, Gio,” River starts to talk, and I already don’t like where this is going.

“We don’t know how long it will take for her to wake up from the coma, and once she’s awake, we don’t know what state she will be in. She sustained multiple fractures and a concussion.” I close my eyes as my left foot starts shaking uncontrollably. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think my Ruin would have gone through something like this.

“But I need to see her. I love her.” I open my eyes in time to see River closing his and Rain’s starting to fill with unshed tears.

“She loves you, too, Gio. All she did during break was to talk about you and how much she missed you. But right now, it isn’t wise to disturb her. We need her to heal,” Rain says in a calm tone. Deep inside me, I know that’s the best thing to do, but I’ll die without her. It’s that simple.

“But if she’s in a coma, how would I disturb her? I understand you are her family, but she’s my everything. Is she getting the best possible treatment? Or do we need to transfer her to Chapel Hill or Durham?” I say, feeling like I’m coming back from the fog and taking the reins of the situation.

“She has a good medical team here; they all graduated from Chapel Hill,” River says, and I nod.

“Does her insurance cover everything she needs?” River doesn’t say a word, but Rain shakes her head.

“Alright, I’ll stop by the hospital on my way out of town and make sure they give her the best treatment no matter the cost.” Rain gives me a wobbly smile, while River stares at me, studying me.

“Thank you, Gio. Truly,” he finally says, and I nod at him.

“And I’m also going to ask if it’s possible for me to see her. I’d rather hear it from the professionals,” I say. SeeingRiver’s face harden, I quickly add, “No offense, but I really need to be with her.”

Rain nods, and River stands up. “Then I’m going with you. I need to make sure Ruin is safe.”

I know he won’t back down, but I won’t either. I’m going to go see my girl, no matter who’s there.

I nod at him and Rain, then stand up, shake hands, and head out with River to see the love of my life. Finally.

“Yes, hello. I’m here on behalf of the MacAllister family,” I say once I get inside the hospital and point at River, who’s next to me. The nurse looks away from the computer and looks at me, so I continue talking. “I’m also here to take over Ruin MacAllister’s account.”

She frowns, and I roll my eyes. I hate that sometimes I don’t express myself correctly. “What I mean is, from now on, I’m going to cover absolutely all of her expenses. I want Ruin MacAllister to have the best possible care.” River stiffens next to me, but I don’t look at him. I’m taking care of Ruin now.

Understanding dawns on the nurse. “But do you understand we are talking of potentially a million dollars or more?”

I nod. “Yes, as I said, no matter the cost.” I pull my black Amex from my wallet, and the nurse gives me a few forms to fill out.

Once I’m done and everything is set, I ask, “Is there any chance I can see her?”

She stands up from her chair and comes to meet me on the other side of her desk. She looks at River, then at me. “This isn’t protocol, but since you’re paying for her stay here, I can give you two minutes to see her.”

River nods, and a big smile spreads across my face. “Thank you.”

River and I follow the nurse in silence. Once we make it to Ruin’s room, the nurse repeats, “Two minutes. I’ll be waiting right here.” I nod and step inside, not even looking at River, who stays outside with the nurse.

The moment I see her, pain stabs me in the chest. She’s connected to so many machines, with a tube in her mouth. Her beautiful face is covered in bruises.

“Oh, sweetheart. What the fuck happened?” I cry out as I place my hand on hers. She doesn’t move, but I know she’s alive because of all the sounds coming out of the machines.

“I thought I lost you, Ruin. Please come back to me. To us,” I say, silently crying.

Suddenly, the monitors start beeping frantically, and I feel Ruin’s hand move under mine. My eyes widen in shock as her face transforms with terror. She’s looking at me like she doesn’t recognize me—like I am a complete stranger, someone to fear.

The door bursts open, and the nurse and River come barreling inside.

“I knew this wasn’t a good idea!” River shouts as the nurse starts working on settling Ruin. Ruin moves her hand away from mine, and while she’s trying to say something, but only muffled grunts and screams come out of her mouth since the tube is obstructing her vocal cords. I put my hands on my head and start pacing the room, I can’t believe I caused this. Why is she having this reaction to me?

“You two, out of this room. Now!” a doctor comes in and yells at River and me. We leave the room in silence, not even glancing at each other.

“You need to leave, Gio. I appreciate you taking over the medical bills. I really do. But we can’t afford to have Ruin go through this again until she’s healed.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I speak with the doctor.” River grunts his disagreement but doesn’t push for me to leave.

When the doctor finally comes out of Ruin’s room, River and I stand in front of him, waiting for his report.

“What happened, doc? Is she okay?” River is the first to speak.

“She’s fine. We gave her a sedative, and we induced the coma again. I’m not sure what triggered it, but it’s best if it doesn’t happen again. She needs to rest and heal.” I feel River’s eyes burning into me, but I ignore him, fully focused on the doctor’s words.

“Is she going to remember this?” I ask, worried I hurt her without meaning to. Why was she terrified when she woke up? Was it because of me? Why did she didn’t recognize me? Fuck, this is harder than I thought.

“It’s hard to say at this point, but I can’t stress this enough—she needs to rest.”

“I understand. I’ll be on my way.” I leave the hospital in silence and leave my heart with her.