“Look.” Antonio stopped at the landing that lead upstairs and glanced up. “I know you do, but Catarina wants to brief you first. Trust me, you need to hear what she has to say.”
Madison came down the stairs and stopped next to Antonio, facing Matias and Massimo.
“Madison?” Massimo blinked at his fiancée, who was now wearing his brother’s sweats. Her hair was wet and hung loosely on her back.
“I had to get in the shower with Katya. She was too weak to stand on her own.”
Matias blinked, unsure of how to process this news. “Too weak?”
“You must be Matias.” A beautiful woman said, appearing from one of the rooms. She met him with an extended hand. “I’m Catarina, Massimo’s sister. Can we talk for a moment?”
Matias nodded. “Can I see her?”
“Yes, but I need to warn you. She’s been through an unimaginable amount of… well… torture.”
“Torture,” Matias repeated the word back, his heart pumping with anxiety.
“She was bound to the bed when Carlos found her in the warehouse. I suspect they starved her for a few days, but that’s not the worst of it.” Catarina swallowed and looked toward her brother. “She has endured many beatings.”
“Motherfucker,” Matias blurted.
“Her body has been through hell and back. She’s been burned in places and repeatedly hit with something heavy. I examined her and even though she hasn’t been able to confirm it verbally, it appears she may have been sexually assaulted. Matias, Katya is not the same woman from four months ago. What you're going to see is a woman who is the shell of herself. Her face is swollen and bruised. She still cannot talk; I suspect from all the cryingshe probably did and the frequent beatings. This man, Jorge, is truly sadistic.”
“Take me to her. I don’t care about all that, it doesn’t change how I feel.”
“It might not change how you feel, but you need to be prepared that she may not feel the same. This experience will have definitely changed who she is.”
Matias nodded as they ascended the stairs. Catarina paused outside the door, her hand holding the knob, “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Bastian gripped his brother’s shoulder in support as Catarina opened the door and walked in ahead of them.
“She is still unconscious. I’ve given her something for pain, which keeps her pretty well knocked out.”
Matias stepped over the threshold and faltered. The woman lying on the bed couldn’t be his Katya. If it was, he failed her.
“Katya.”
Matias stepped to the edge of the bed and wrapped his hand around hers. Her skin was so cold against his. Her nails were broken and torn against the bruised tips of her fingers. Her face was a deep shade of purple and yellow. Her lip was split and puffy, but the worst partwas her eyes. They were swollen shut, hiding the shade of her eyes from everyone.
“How could anyone do this to her? I want Jorge’s head. Do youhearme, Bastian?Find him.”
“She will probably stay asleep,” Catarina spoke, adjusting her IV and checking her vitals. “When she wakes up, we will see if she can hold down some soup.”
Donny stepped into the room, smiling at Catarina, “You ready to go, Cat?”
“Yep, Madison has my number. She can call me if something changes before I come back. I have my shift at the hospital.
Matias stood and pulled the woman into his arms. “Thank you. I can never repay you for the kindness you’ve shown my family.”
Donny growled behind him, “Let’s go. You're going to be late.”
Matias released her and glanced at Donny. “Thank you both.”
“Matty.” Bastian walked toward the door. “We should go and see if there has been any movement on Jorge’s location.”
“You go. I’m not leaving her side right now. If you find him, come get me.”
