MAMI ✔️

Chapter Thirty Four

"Cesar, are you okay?" I repeat holding his arm to stabilize him but I must have done something wrong because he groans out in obvious pain and falls to his knees taking me with him.

I drop the flowers to catch his head before he splits it open on the floor.

"Cesar!"

"No hospitals." He whispers in pain before he passes out in my arms.

"Cesar ... Cesar ... Baby ... Cesar ... Baby, it's me Hannah. Wake up." I demand softly caressing his cheek but he's unconscious, dead to the world.

What the fuck?

What is happening and what does he mean by no hospitals? And why did he wince in pain when I touched his arm?

All these questions run through my mind demanding an answer.

I am a trauma nurse so I have been trained on how to properly react during emergencies but nothing about this situation is ideal. This is my boyfriend we're talking about, who just fainted at my door with no visible injuries. His face is as perfect as it was when he left in the morning but I've worked long enough with patients to know that the unseen injuries usually hurt more.

Did he get into an accident on the way here?

I look out the front door to his car and its unscathed. Then what is it?

I realize that I won't find answers with him lying by the door so I close it, take off my heels and drag him further into the house. I set him down on the carpet in the living room and grab a pillow to hold his head up.

First things first, waking him up. I can't work with an unconscious patient especially when I don't know what's wrong with him.

I find the first aid kit and grab some smelling salts breaking them under his nose. Santiago wakes up with a jolt wincing in pain when he tries to sit up.

"Cesar? What's wrong with you?" I ask him trying not to panic.

"What happened?" He whispers looking around.

Once he sees that he's on the floor in my living room, he relaxes and lays his head back on the pillow.

"You passed out." I answer.

"How long ago?"

"A couple of minutes, I used smelling salts to wake you up. Now will you please tell me what is wrong with you?" I demand.

Instead of answering he struggles to untuck his shirt, wincing at every movement but he eventually manages while I sit there on my hunches watching him carefully. He lifts his shirt up to reveal his torso marked black and blue with traumatic injuries.

"Jesus! What happened to you? Who did this to you?" I cry looking at the obvious evidence of a beat down.

"Arturo and his lackeys." He answers coughing, his face contorting in pain.

I know Arturo is his former boss meaning he had a run in with the members of La lobo.

"Why would they do this to you?" I insist even though I already know the answer.

Santiago smiles and lifts his hand up to caress my face. "I told them I was leaving the gang."

This happened to him because of me.

That thought fuels my anger.

"And a beat down was the answer. What if they hit you too hard and damaged an organ? Cesar you could have died, you might still be in danger, we need to report this and get you to the hospital." I request him.