Undying Vengeance (2 page)

F
ive hours later
, Armani awoke, his face burning and throbbing with pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw two detectives standing at the foot of the bed. “Who are you people?” He asked, confused.

The short bald man with a no-nonsense look on his face spoke first, “Armani Belvedere, I’m Detective Mitchell.” Armani nodded, switching his gaze to the other detective. He was a dark haired man in his thirties with a kind smile.

“Hello Armani. I’m Detective Phil Cooper. You can call me Coop, if you wish. I’m a huge fan of yours. Your music kicks ass.” He said and shook Armani’s hand.

“Pay no attention to ‘Coop’. He’s a rookie,” Detective Mitchell said crossing his arms. “Professionalism, Cooper. This is business.” He spat and shot a warning glare at Detective Cooper.

“Damn it.” Armani said frustrated. “Will one of you tell me what the hell happened? Who did this? Where’s my Simone?” Armani asked. His temper was going to flare if they didn’t get right to the point.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Belvedere to bring you this news. You and Simone were both drugged, attacked and beat. There is no easy way to say what needs to be said next. I’m sorry but Simone is dead. She was dead when the medics arrived. This is the worst part and I don’t leave details out.” He paused a moment and continued, “Simone was raped before she was shot in the chest twice. I’m so sorry.”

Armani cried out pulling his hair. “MY GOD! NO!” Tears streamed down his face. He felt like his heart had been torn from his chest. His face turned ashen, the blood flowing through his veins felt cold as ice. “Can I see my Simone? I don’t believe what you’re telling me. Who would do this to her? You’re lying.” He spat.

Detective Mitchell clasped Armani’s hand trying to calm him down and ease the pain. “No, it’s not possible to see her. She was buried three months ago. I’m sorry.”

Armani picked up a glass of water and threw it across the room. “I want to see Simone NOW! Where is she?” He yelled.

Detective Mitchell squeezed his hand harder. “Please try to calm down. I know the news we delivered is horrible but we need your cooperation in order to begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out who did this to you and Simone. Believe me we want to catch whoever is responsible for this horrific crime.”

Louise and another nurse ran into the room, concerned looks on their faces. “Is everything OK? We heard yelling in here.” Louise asked. She realized the detectives had delivered the news to Armani about Simone. Her heart went out to him. “Oh, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to interrupt, but it’s protocol to check on these types of situations.” Louise made eye contact with Armani and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“We are the detectives working on this case and would appreciate privacy. Close the door on your way out.” Detective Mitchell ordered, not even bothering to look at the nurses.

Armani felt like an empty vessel. Life now was meaningless and he wished the detectives would leave. He already had his fill of both of them with their ‘acting’. They didn’t know him, only that he was in a successful rock band. How could they possibly empathize with him and his situation? They couldn’t. Acting must come with the job and you either learn to numb yourself or go find another career. “I need the nurse to come back. I want more pain meds,” Armani said. The burnt side of his face intensified with every tick of the clock.

“We will send her in a few moments.” Detective Cooper said. “I’m not going to ask you the typical ‘Do you have any enemies or know anyone who would do this to you?’ Because of course you do. You are the lead singer of a famous rock band and no doubt you have a lot of fans. Some with disturbing mental issues, fans jealous of your success. I’ve seen many fans obsessed to the point of craziness. Then, there are other people or fans who just want to hurt someone, knowing when they get caught they will get publicity for it.” Coop paused. “Unfortunately, we live in a world where many people are crazy, to the point of madness.” He finished and shook his head in disgust.

“Excuse me, let me interject,” Detective Mitchell said. “Do you know of anyone you recently pissed off that would destroy your life like this as a result?”

Armani rolled his eyes. “Of course, I’ve pissed off a lot of people. Several I know, and more than likely a few I don’t know. You’re the experts. Do your job and let me know. Believe me, if I knew who did this, they wouldn’t be breathing right now.” Anger erupted like a volcano inside him. He didn’t particularly care for Detective Mitchell with his stony expression and emotionless eyes. “I want to go home now.”

“You are going to be here for a few more days, Mr. Belvedere. The medical staff has informed me that you will undergo a few more treatments on your face.” Detective Mitchell handed Armani his business card. “If you think of anything I should know, give me a call. We will do our best to solve this case as quickly as possible.”

‘Yeah, sure.’ Armani thought. ‘Just like they have the past few months. Assholes.’ “Believe me, when I’m out of here, I’ll be doing some detective work myself.” Armani sneered at Detective Mitchell.

“Use your last few days here to get some rest,” Detective Cooper said with a half smile. “I want to see you on stage soon.” He handed him his business card, patted Armani’s shoulder and both detectives walked out of the hospital room.

Armani wanted the bandages off his face and wished he could leave this place of gloom. He used the remote, put the bed in the upright position and stared out the window. The emptiness of life without Simone hit him with an awful blow. “Simone, Simone, my love. I will find who did this to you.” His heart ached and the damn holding back his tears broke. He hung his head and wept for what seemed like hours, his whole body wracking with emotion and pain. “Why!” He screamed. “Why!” The emotional pain was too much to bear. He picked up the vase of flowers placed on the tray table and threw them against the wall. The glass shattered sending pieces flying across the room. His heart, soul and body ached with pain. A pain he knew would never go away.

The next three days in the hospital were the longest days of Armani’s life. Louise came into his room often on her shift and tried her hardest to cheer him up. He appreciated her support but nothing could make him happy. His attorney made regular visits discussing things with him. Armani had no family. Simone was his family and his life and now she was gone forever. Emptiness and sadness overwhelmed him. He wept more the past few days than he had his entire life. There was a large gaping hole in his heart that only Simone could fill and losing her was a burden he didn’t know he could live with. Thoughts of suicide entertained him, but he wanted revenge and was going to kill the people responsible for taking his reason for living. When he found them, he would turn his sorrow into anger and avenge his Simone’s death. “God have mercy on their souls,” Armani said. “May they burn in hell for what they did.”

A knock on the door startled him. “Armani, it’s Louise and Dr. Weaver.” Louise said. They entered the room and walked up to the hospital bed. Dr. Weaver took off his glasses and stuck them in the pocket of his bleach white lab coat. “It’s time to remove the bandages from the left side of your face. You get to go home today, Armani. Do you feel you’re ready?”

“Yes, I am more than ready to go home. I’m a bit worried about seeing my face,” Armani said and gazed at Louise, grateful she was there. “My attorney made arrangements for my friend, Rex to pick me up. He should be here by now.” He peered past Louise and Dr. Weaver, hoping to see Rex waiting for him. No sign of him yet.

“He called and is running a bit late. He’s stuck in rush hour traffic. We all know how that is.” Dr. Weaver stated. “I am going to write you some scripts for pain medicine as well as a script for 60mg of Prozac. It’s the highest dose, but I believe you need it at this time.” Dr. Weaver said. “Not permanently, but for awhile and I would advise you to take it daily. It’s in your best interest.”

Louise nodded in agreement, took Armani’s hand in hers and smiled at him. “We are going to remove the bandages now. So, lie down and try to relax.”

Armani did as told. Anxiety lines etched his face. His palms were sweaty. He knew it wouldn’t be pretty. The right side of his face was still gorgeous. God had blessed him with good looks with his jet-black hair, piercing green eyes, high cheekbones, large perfect lips, and a physique toned to perfection. If Simone were alive, she would love him no matter how mangled the left side of his face was. Thinking about Simone stung his eyes with fresh tears.

Louise saw this and comforted him. “It will be Ok, Armani. You will still be gorgeous.”

He turned his head. “It’s not about that. I hurt for Simone. I miss her. She was and will always be the love of my life. My tears are for her, not me. I don’t care what my face looks like. I wish I would’ve died
instead of her.” He regained composure, swallowed back tears and turned to face Dr. Weaver and Louise so they could do what had to be done.

Dr. Weaver removed the bandages with ease and threw them in the wastebasket. “I’m going to send a couple months worth of bandages and antibiotic ointment home with you. You will need to apply the cream and bandages every night and leave them on while you sleep. It will prevent infection and continue the healing process. Your face looks much better than when you first arrived, but I must warn you that the left side of your face will have permanent visible scarring.” The doctor stated and rubbed ointment on Armani’s burnt face.

Armani flinched. “Is it supposed to be this sensitive?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. Your face will be tender for quite awhile,” Dr. Weaver said. He reached into his white lab coat and pulled out a business card. “Here’s my home number, cell number, and office number. Please call if you have any questions.” Dr. Weaver smiled, handing it to Armani.

“Thank you Dr. Weaver. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I appreciate your concern and graciousness.” Armani set the card on the nightstand.

Louise exited the bathroom with a black hand held mirror in her pudgy hand. She bit down on her lip. Armani noticed her hand shaking. “Are you ready for this, Armani?” She asked sympathy in her eyes.

“Probably more than you are. I just want to get out of here and go to my home.” Armani said. He held out his hand and took the mirror.

Armani held the mirror to his face and gasped. The left side of his face was a patchwork of red, pink, black, and brown, the skin shiny and taut. The tip of his left ear was singed off. The eyebrow and eyelash were swept away. “Oh my God, this is horrible. Louise, I thought my face would look more human than this.” He said, pointing at his face. A tear threatened to escape but anger held it back. “This side of my face is hideous!” Armani gripped the mirror so hard his hand turned red. “Dr. Weaver, is there some sort of mask I can wear that will conceal the left side of my face? How long will it look this way?”

Louise loosened the mirror from Armani’s grip, and placed her hand in Armani’s.

Dr. Weaver studied Armani’s face. “We have prosthetic masks, but in my opinion, they make the face look worse and draw more attention to oneself. You’re free to check them out, but your face must heal first before you can wear one.”

“And just how long do I get to walk around looking like a circus freak?” Armani asked. He liked Dr. Weaver, but the man had a tendency to answer questions vaguely instead of getting straight to the point. Armani was doing his best to keep his temper under control. ‘If only Rex would appear in the room and get me the hell out of here.’ Armani thought.

“Four to six months,” Dr. Weaver responded. A shrill beep came from the doctor’s waist. He glanced at his pager. “I’ve got to go and make a call, Armani. I wish you the best of luck. I have your discharge papers ready for you to sign.” He smiled. “Louise will take care of everything from here and get you packed up and ready to go home.” He shook Armani’s hand before exiting the room.

“I’m sorry about everything that has happened to you the past few months,” Louise said. “I wish things were easier. If it makes you feel any better, you are still gorgeous.” Her cheeks tinged red.

Armani saw her eyes twinkle and forced a smile for her. “I want to thank you for being so kind to me while I was here. You’re a wonderful, caring nurse. I’ll learn to accept my appearance. Justice will be served to the ones who are responsible for this. I promise that.”

Louise packed Armani’s things into a hospital bag. “Do you want this?” She asked.

Armani nodded. It was the hand held mirror. “I may as well take it home. Spare someone else using it, only to see how ugly they have become.” His looks were a small matter compared to the heartbreak he felt when he imagined what these monsters did to Simone. He wondered if they mutilated any part of her face while torturing her. Was she alert? Did she feel pain? Was she dead before they raped her? These thoughts filled him with rage.

“I’m almost finished packing.” Louise said and looked at Armani. She gasped and shuddered. Goose bumps spread over her body like a disease. “Armani, your eyes are black as soil. Are you alright?” Louise swore she saw the devil in his eyes.

“I’m fine, Louise,” He assured her. “Rex should be here any minute.”

Two minutes later, Rex walked into the hospital room. He was tall and lean with long wavy blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Today he wore a black leather jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans, and snakeskin cowboy boots. “Armani, I have missed you, man,” he said and walked to the bed and hugged his best friend hard.

“Thanks for coming,” Armani said. “Rex, this is Louise, the nicest nurse here. She kept me going.”

Louise blushed when Rex shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Louise.” Rex said.

“Same to you,” she smiled. “Well, Armani is ready to go home. I know that for sure. Here’s his bag. I’ll get a wheelchair so you can get him out of here easily. We just have to make one stop at the nurse’s station to get his signature on the discharge papers.”

Armani waved his hand. “No need for a wheelchair, Louise. I’ll walk. Thanks for thinking of it, though.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked at his legs. “Guess I better put some pants on, huh?”

“I brought you these,” Rex said. He threw a pair of black sweats on the bed. “I’m looking out for you, brother.”

Armani slipped his feet into the sweats, stood, and pulled them up. “Let’s go.” He nodded at Rex.

They left the room and twenty minutes later the paperwork was signed and Rex, Armani and Louise stood waiting for the elevator. Louise hugged Armani and wished him well. “Feel free to visit me anytime.” She said and forced a smile.

Armani noticed how sad Louise seemed that he was leaving. He assumed she probably got more attention from him the last couple of weeks than she had ever gotten from any man in her lifetime. His heart went out to her. How he wished that were his only problem. His heart was torn to shreds. Simone, how would he ever live without his beautiful angel?

“Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Louise.” Armani kissed her cheek. “You aren’t just a nurse, you’re an angel.” He meant that, too. The elevator doors opened and Rex and Armani stepped inside. As the doors closed Armani glanced at Louise one last time and saw a tear roll down her cheek.