Month 6
Dante woke up feeling alone and empty. He rolled over and thrust out his arm, hoping Lulu would magically appear on the bed. No such luck.
He picked up his cell phone and read the clock. 5:35. Who knew the mob business started so early? He glanced back at his phone and read the date. May 16.
"Oh, shit!" he said to himself. "Lulu's birthday," he moaned, falling back against the bed. Just one card, just one bouquet of flowers, just one phone call would have satisfied him, but no, his job was taking over his life.
He pulled himself off the bed and pulled on a gray t-shirt and a pair of jeans, resolving to get her something extra-special when he got back... And maybe not something that can be wrapped, he thought with a mischievous smile.
Dante dragged himself out of his apartment and made his way to his car. Pulling into the parking lot, he got out of the car and entered the mob headquarters disguised as a restaurant.
"Morning, Foreman," Travis, one of Garrot's many bodyguards, greeted. Dante nodded in reply. "Boss wants to see you in his office. It's urgent, he says."
"Thanks," he said, trying to disguise his nervousness. He still hadn't forgotten the man he had shot and let go two months ago, and hoped to God that his identity hadn't been revealed. Walking into the office, he sat down in the uncomfortable wooden chair.
"I have a job for you," Benjamin said as soon as Dante sat down. "Apparently there's a mole in the agency. I need you go to this location," he said pointing to a spot on the map of London, "and stay there until he comes in. My source tells me he meets men from another organization there. Do not let him see you, understand? I'm counting on you, Christopher," he said.
"Yes, sir," Dante replied in his perfected British accent. He was beyond confused.
Lulu walked downstairs, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she walked into the empty kitchen. As she went over to make herself a cup of coffee, she noticed a flash of red in the corner of her eye and she turned to face the table. On it was a red-wrapped box with a huge silver bow tied around it.
'Dear Lulu, Sorry I wasn't there to say this in person, had to go to community service. I know you didn't want a present, but I really don't care. Thanks for being there for me when things got ugly. Happy birthday. Your Cousin/Brother-in-law, Michael,' she read.
"Ugh!" she moaned. Lulu had told everyone not to get her anything, and not to throw her a party. But, of course, Maxie and Krstina had insisted, and they were all going out for drinks later. Unwrapping the gift, Lulu looked inside and saw silky green fabric. Pulling it out, she saw it was a stunning green evening gown. At the bottom of the box there was a note that said, 'Kristina picked it out. Doesn't mean she's not getting you anything."
Lulu smiled, she would have to thank them both for this later. Even though she hadn't wanted anything, she loved it.
Lulu was opening the door when she noticed the huge stack of mail on the floor. Picking it up, she noticed most of them were cards from friends and relatives, and a few were for Dante. She placed those in the pile full of hundreds of envelopes for him and sat down on the couch to read the cards. Olivia and Steve, Jax Morgan and Josslyn, Bobbie, Maxie and Lucky, Elizabeth and Nikolas, Kristina and Ethan, Sonny, Antonella (Dante's grandmother), her mom, her dad, a few old friends, some people from work. Even though some of them would be seeing her later, they had apparently felt the need to mail her a card, as well. Lulu couldn't help but feel loved, but there was still a huge, gaping hole in her heart. Looking back down, she noticed there was even one from Carly in Shadybrook.
Opening it, she read, 'Dear Lulu, I'm sorry. I was such a horrible person. I mean, I thought Dante was a lying, cheating, evil, plotting, cold, terrible, backstabbing person! And I thought you were a betraying bitch! Hahaha! And now- well, now I'm in Shadybrook because of you! I don't belong here! And to top it all off, you have my son. And I bet Jax is letting you put your slimy hands all over Josslyn and Morgan, too. What a mistake it was to make you her godmother. Revenge will follow, my dear, indeed it will. See you once I'm outta here! Happy birthday, bitch. You loving cousin, Carly.'
Lulu shook her head sadly. She hadn't known her cousin was this crazy, but this time she had crossed the line from paranoid to disturbed and psychotic.
A white spot on the floor caught Lulu's eyes. She picked up another letter, with no return address. She tore open the envelope and pulled out a store-made card covered in butterflies and flowers. Inside it said Happy birthday! in fancy printed letters, but next to it more words had been added on. It said, 'Happy birthday! to the sexy slut from Jake's.'
"Oh, my God..." she mumbled, fumbling with the keys on the table and racing out to her car. She drove to the police station, planning to tell Lucky, but when she had gotten out of her car a piece of duct tape was placed over her mouth and she was thrown roughly into another car. Lulu screamed all the way there, but no one could help her. The car stopped in front of a brick building which she recognized as Olivia and Steve's apartment building.
She was dragged into the dark alley and spun around to face the revolting man.
"Miss me, princess?" he asked in his low, raspy voice. He brought her left hand up to his face and held it against the oily skin of his cheek. Startled, he pulled it back to examine it. "Married? You're married? Wow... well, that just makes it all the more fun to fuck you!" he said, yanking the ring off her finger and shoving it into his pocket. Lulu's face was devastated.
She punched him hard in the face.
"Oh, so we're gonna play rough, huh? I think I can deal with that," he said, slamming her against the brick wall. He grabbed her shirt and ripped it open, roughly grabbing her breasts through her red bra and shoved a hand painfully between her legs. Lulu let out a shriek and tore herself away from him, attempting to run, but he grabbed her leg and she fell to the floor, hitting her forehead on the concrete floor. She moaned in pain and he dragged her back to him.
"Playing hard to get? Sexy," he said, moving his mouth to her breast, and soaking her bra in his spit. Lulu brought a foot up and kicked him between the legs before slamming his head into the wall and then punching him in the nose.
"Ohhh, that's it! I've let you get away with all this, but now I've had it," he said menacingly. He threw her to the ground and punched her in the nose and face several times, causing blood to gush. At that point Lulu was in so much pain she barely made any noise of protest. A small clanging noise came from a can falling onto the floor from a garbage can and he turned to look. Lulu tried to take the opportunity to make a break for it, but he pulled her down and took her ankle in his hands and bending it. Lulu could tell it wasn't broken, but it was definitely sprained, enough to prevent her from getting away.
He punched her several more times in her stomach and kicked her multiple more before slamming her face-forward into the pavement.
"Hey!" they heard someone call. Lulu barely recognized the voice and turned her head to face it. She could vaguely make out the faces of Olivia and Steve.
"See you later, babe," he said, pulling out a knife and slashing her leg with it before running away. Lulu let out a low cry, not having any energy to put up a fight. Olivia and Steve had run over and bent down to examine her.
"Oh, my God! Lulu, is that you?" Olivia asked in astonishment. Lulu made an indistinct sound of agreement.
"Call 911," Steve instructed while he tried to assess Lulu. He pulled his belt out of its loops and tied it above the gash in her thigh. He silently thanked her for wearing a skirt, and saving him from having to see his step-daughter-in-law in her underwear.
"Lulu? Can you hear me?" he asked, and Lulu stirred slightly. He knew she was on the verge of unconsciousness. "Lulu, come on, you have to stay awake," he said, but Lulu had already blacked out.
The ambulance and police car pulled up a few minutes later. "What happened?" the short, Asian paramedic asked.
"She was beaten and suffered a knife wound in the leg. Didn't seem to do too much damage, but it's pretty deep. She's unconscious," he told her. Olivia, who had been sitting quietly near Lulu's head, looked up and noticed the cop who was standing above Lulu with his pen frozen above the pad of paper. It was Lucky.
"Oh, my God, Lucky," she said, standing up and walking over to him.
"Is that..." he trailed off with a horrified expression.
"Lulu," he answered.
"Fuck," he answered, and Olivia wrapped her arms around him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he shouted, ripping himself away from her and punching the wall. "How could this happen? It's her freaking birthday!" he screamed, placing his forehead on the brick and next to it his clenched fists.
"Lucky, I-I know this is one of the worst things that could happen, but you getting mad isn't going to help her. We need to get her to a hospital, okay?" she said.
"She's ready for transport. Would anyone like to ride with her?" one of the paramedics asked.
"Go, Lucky. We'll meet you there," Steve said, wiping the blood on his hands on his jeans.
At the hospital, the waiting room was full with people- Maxie, Lucky, Nikolas, Elizabeth, Ethan, Kristina, Olivia, Bobbie, Michael, Morgan, Jax, and Josslyn.
Steve walked out of Lulu's room and said, "She's pretty badly beaten up. Bruises everywhere, three broken ribs, knife wound in her leg. But she's gonna be okay."
A sigh of relief swept throughout the room.
Lulu awoke to a huge amount of pain. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the light. She tried to sit up, but her body was rocked with intense pain and she fell back, clutching her head.
She reached out and pushed the button on her bed, paging a nurse or doctor.
Steve walked in and saw Lulu awake. Her face was swollen grotesquely, and she had cuts all over. He was reminded of the brutal beating that Kristina had taken two years earlier.
"Lulu, how are you feeling," he asked.
"Like shit," she replied bluntly, trying not to move her mouth too much.
He grinned at his daughter-in-law's attitude, never hiding the truth about herself. "I'll issue you some more pain meds. Do you think you're up for a visitor?"
"Sure. Just tell them not to pass out when they see my face," she said, having felt how misshapen it had become.
"Okay. I'll send someone in. There's about fifteen people out there waiting for you, you know," he said.
The corner of Lulu's mouth pulled up slightly. "Wonderful. I see a tiring day in my future."
Lucky entered his sister's room a few seconds after Steve had left. Without a word he gently wrapped her in a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Lulu. You have no idea what it's like to get a call for a beating and find out it's your sister."
"Yeah, well..." she trailed off, staring down at her hands. She suddenly noticed that her ring was gone, and burning pain ripped throughout her face as tears began to flow.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked concerned.
Lulu shut her eyes. "Lucky, he took my wedding ring."
