Page 49 of They Found Us

Zander is peaceful with not a scratch on him. I say a little prayer in gratitude for my children and kiss his head.

“I need to see Sergio to thank him for saving Zander and to…. Well, tell him about Alga.” Emotion overtakes my words.

Van clears his throat to speak, but Leo interrupts.

“Van, you stay in here. Guard my children with your life. One foot wrong, and you will be the next body in a body bag downstairs, do you hear me?!” Leo abruptly growls under his breath to not wake the children.

He puts his hand lightly on my back leads me out of the room. “I’m afraid Sergio was also caught in the firing line. He got Zander to safety, but unfortunately was shot and killed by Vine.

“No.” My heart rips. Tears uncontrollably stream from my eyes. My legs buckle. There’s a ringing in my ears.

Leo supports my weight as he leads me down the stairs and into the kitchen, which is bustling with people.

Mia is the first to greet me. “Katie.” She pulls me into a hug. My body doesn’t respond back. I’m in shock. “I’m so glad you are all right. The boys—are they okay? Did they see anything?”

“Both are sleeping, Mark woke up. But I hid him in the wardrobe.” My reply is robotic. I’m now numb. I cannot believe they are gone. They saved my babies and gave their own lives.

“Here, come this way.” Leo guides me away from Mia, who had continued to talk with no response from me. “I want you checked out by the medics.”

It’s like I’m outside of my body, looking down on myself as I get my blood pressure taken and monitors stuck to my chest. The kitchen is full of people. Marco and Mia and Alex and Vanna are here as well as guards and cleaners and other people whom I have no clue about, but they rush around, and the sound is just a constant hum. The whole situation, although vivid in my mind,just doesn’t seem real. Part of me thinks this is just a horrendous nightmare and I will wake up from a nap on the beach with Leo and Mark paddling happily in the sea.

“Mrs Guerra? Mrs Guerra?” The medic pulls me back into my conscious mind.

“Sorry?”

“I said your heart rate is over one hundred, and your blood pressure is extremely high. I need to put you on some medication to bring it down, and then you need to rest.”

I hadn’t realised Leo was standing beside me. “I’m on it,” he says as he picks me up.

“Leo, your foot?” I remind him feeling the slight limp as he walks me out of the kitchen.

“It’s just a flesh wound. I’m fine.” We walk past Marco on the way to the stairs, and Leo tells him, “Take care of this shit show. I’m taking my wife to bed.”

When we get to the bedroom where our boys lie sleeping, we find Van pacing up and down the room between them like some sort of King’s Guard. He stops when we enter.

“We are going to bed. Sit outside the room until morning.”

Van nods at Leo’s request and hurries out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Why are you being so off with Van?”

“Because he is the most mindless imbecile I have ever met. If there was an award for stupidity, he wouldn’t even win it because he would be too dumb to enter.”

His reply would normally amuse me, but tonight I feel numb. Leo and I shower together to wash off the night. Hecleans me gently while I stand with my head bowed, deep in thought. He brushes my hair and helps me get dressed before putting me to bed. Once he’s redressed the wound on his foot, he cuddles up behind me.

“Ti amo,” he whispers into my neck.I love you.

The next morning, Mark wakes up excited to find we are all sleeping in the same bed. “I didn’t know we were having a sleepover!”

His innocence makes my heart swell but break at the same time. Zander also starts to stir, ready for a feed, so Leo and I get up and chat to our boys as if everything is perfectly normally.

I’m apprehensive to leave the bedroom, but I need not have been. Other than Van, who is stood outside our bedroom door, the house is like nothing has happened. We walk past our bedroom, and there is a new carpet in there, and all the furniture has been put back. Downstairs is as immaculate as always, but there’s no smell of freshly baked pastries or coffee, and it feels very empty.

“Where’s Alga?” asks Mark, having taken to her so fondly in such a short space of time.

I look to Leo to respond, as I’m not sure I can talk without getting emotional.

“They’ve gone on holiday. Now, what would you like for breakfast? I think we have some cereal around here somewhere.” Leo checks the cupboards.

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