Seeing Red: Book 1 Of The Moretti Series ✔

Bonus Material - Alternate section to Ch 17.

*This chapter should be at the end of the book. Wattpad likes to place it wherever they like, no matter how many times I move it*

Ok, a refresher for those who haven't read the chapter in a while. Remi was attacked by Ben in her apartment. I sent Micah down to Miami, leaving Remi alone. He had a business to attend to and needed to make sure there was no longer a hit on him or on his family. 

ORIGINALLY, I wrote this scene by itself. I had no clue how I wanted to connect it to the story, but I really liked the flow. 

(This drives my hubby crazy. Creating a scene without connectors.)

***

Micah's POV

It was Sunday and Remi still hadn't been at Del Sole.

I had called ahead on Saturday to see if I could reserve a table in her section but the girl who answered said Remi wasn't scheduled to work. I knew better. She wasn't on the schedule because she had called off, but why?

Her car was in its spot at her apartment complex but knowing she liked to walk to a lot, it didn't surprise me

Taking the stairs to her apartment on the fourth, I  had only been there once before and was hopeful that she wouldn't mind me stopping by.

It didn't help that Giovanni was breathing down my neck. Requesting to have an update on his favorite girl. Apparently, she wasn't returning his calls either and it worried him.

*knock..knock..*

I covered the peephole so she couldn't see it was me. I had hoped that it would force her to open the door enough that I could see she was safe.

She didn't answer and there was no sound within the apartment.

Leaning against the wall that bordered her apartment I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. On my end, it rang once and then he could hear her ringtone for him within her apartment. Smiling at the fact she had Can't Keep My Hands to Myself, Selena Gomez, as my ring tone.

There was a shift and some other sounds from the other side of the door and I waited. Her voicemail picked up mid-ring. She sent me to her voicemail. I could hear her toss her phone onto her glass coffee table, so I knocked again.

*knock..knock.. knock..*

"Remi, it's me."

There was no sound. No movement. No answer.

"Please Remi. We are worried about you and we just want to make sure you're alright."

I heard her move. It felt so strange standing at her door and pleading with her to open up. If she was sick, I could handle it. She hadn't seemed high maintenance so I doubted that she would care if he saw her when she was sick.

"I'm really not up for company right now, Micah." Her voice was rough and tired.

"I just need to put my eyes on you, baby girl. You know how Giovanni gets. He would kill me if I didn't at least see you."

"You can't come in. I'll open a little, but you can't come in. Okay, Micah?" She sounded sad.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say," I chuckled. Why was she being so shy now? 

"I'm serious, Micah," her tone was sobering.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you need baby girl."

A surge of victory moved through me as I heard her unlock her deadbolt.

"I'll even go get you some chicken noodle sou..." I stopped as her face came into view.

With the door cracked, I could only see a small amount of her bruised and battered face. When I pushed the door, it stopped short with the chain that was still locked.

"I told you, you can't come in, Micah." She was avoiding eye contact and I could tell she'd been crying.

"No, fuck that! Who the hell did this to you Remi?" I was pissed. My excitement to see her turned into rage at the mother fucker who put their hands on her.

"Micah.." my name choked from her throat.

"Please, baby girl." I leaned my forehead against the door, "please open your door and let me see you." Knowing the anger had to be pushed back. She needed someone safe right now.

Her bloodshot green eyes met mine and tears rolled down her cheek. She closed the door, breaking the stare.

Was she really so intent on shutting me out?

I needed her. I needed to hold her. I needed to make sure she was truly okay. Needed to make sure that if she needed to be taken to the doctors, that I... My thought was erased when I heard her pull the chain free. Taking a step back, I let her open the door.

As soon as the door was open, it took me two steps and I was to her. Pulling the door from her hand, I made her my priority. Gently cupping her swollen face and assessing the damage. Her bottom lip was split. Her left cheek was cut and so swollen that her eye was partially closed. Her right eye was puffy and purple.

Skimming my fingers along the collar of her robe, the bruises continued. It was a whimper of pain and embarrassment that brought my attention back to her eyes.

"Remi, who did this to you?" I tried to settle my nerves and come off as calm as possible.

She didn't answer. She didn't break eye contact as she untied her robe and bared her skin to me. It was no longer the beautiful creamy beige I had seen before. She had bruises the shape of fingers and hands all over her breasts, stomach, and thighs. Heat rose and I felt myself starting to slip. I wanted to kill the motherfucker who did this to her.

"Have you been to the ER?"

She nodded and covered herself again.

Taking a deep breath I asked, "What can I do for you, baby girl?"

She closed her eyes and a smile reached the corners of lips. "Hold me," she whispered.

As carefully as I could, I enveloped her in my arms. She was the one to press into me harder. She kept her arms tucked to her chest as the tears flowed and her body rocked with waves of pain.

When she lost her strength to stand with me, she asked to be carried to her room so she could rest. I picked her up with ease and she snuggled into my chest.

"I need to know one thing," I headed towards her bedroom. "I need to know where this happened."

She didn't respond right away, "Here."

"You're not staying here by yourself. I don't care if I have to stay or we go back to my place, you are not staying here alone." There was a command to my voice and I knew she wasn't going to fight me on this. "You choose where. Am I packing you a bag?"

She chewed on her bottom lip when she finally looked up at me. This was not up to discussion. She needed to choose and I would provide. This was unacceptable.

***

There you have it, what do you think?