Broken Free (The Broken Series) Read online

  Seth pulled Daniel to the ground till they were both on their knees but the fury and pain continued to rip him to pieces inside. “Why didn’t you love me! You broke me,” Daniel screamed till he was hoarse. “You fucking broke me! Why did you break me!

  “Stop! Stop please!” Sofia screamed while crying. “Leave!” She pointed out the yard. “You leave my husband! You bastard! You don’t fucking deserve him! He’s beautiful! You leave us alone!”

  “Go back inside baby,” Daniel gasped. “Call the cops!”

  “I did!” She hurried to his side.

  “Let me go Seth.” Daniel’s voice broke at seeing Sofia crying and frantic.

  She suddenly gasped and froze next to him her eyes wide. “I think my water just broke.”

  Daniel’s heart stopped and he jerked his gaze to her feet. “Oh God!”

  Not water. A ton of blood.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sofia didn’t understand the look of horror on Daniel’s face. She looked down and saw the blood, and fear shot through her as Daniel scooped her up into his arms. “Call 911 Seth! No, I’ll take her, it’ll be faster. Take care of the house. I need my phone.”

  “Getting it.”

  Daniel hurried with her to the car and put her in. “Okay baby, it’s okay, don’t panic, it’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he said.

  “I’m scared,” she whispered letting him buckle her seat belt. That was an understatement.

  “How do you feel, do you have any pain?” Daniel shut her door and ran to the driver side and got in.

  “No, no pain.”

  “None? At all?”

  She shook her head.

  “Okay, okay, we’ll get you to the hospital, the doctor will look at you, everything will be fine, okay, I love you.”

  “Okay baby.” She hated to hear the panic in his voice, hated to see him scared.

  Daniel drove as fast as he could, apologizing repeatedly for every bump in the road while asking if she was hurting. When they drove in at the hospital, she was sure she was feeling some kind of pain now.

  “I think I’m having contractions.”

  “How do you know? What’s happening?”

  “Every time… I have one, there’s a gush of liquid.” Maybe it wasn’t blood, she couldn’t’ tell or be sure.

  “Okay, I’m coming around to get you, don’t move.”

  Daniel carried her into the emergency room and a nurse hurried to get a wheel chair. “She’s nine months pregnant and she’s bleeding heavily.”

  Daniel rattled off all the pertinent information and Sofia tried to remain calm.

  “Are you having any pain?” the nurse asked.

  “Not really, mild contractions.” Daniel carefully helped her into the wheel chair.

  “Oh, that’s a lot of blood,” the nurse said. “Let’s get her up and prepped for the doctor. Just to be on the safe side.”

  Sofia’s heart raced as they wheeled her upstairs to the third floor while Daniel walked alongside her. She looked at him, and he winked at her. He was being brave for her. She smiled at him, wanting to do the same for him, fighting not to show the terror she felt.

  They got her to the room and helped her onto the bed. Another contraction came with another gush of liquid. “I’m…I’m having one.”

  “A contraction?” the nurse asked.

  Sofia nodded, breathing through the surprisingly stronger pain.

  Daniel took her hand. “Are you hurting?”

  Sofia gripped it tight and nodded, breathing the way Daniel had practiced with her in the shower. The nurse checked between her legs. “Yeah, that’s waaaaay too much blood.” She looked at the other nurse. “You called the doctor?”

  “She’s on the way.”

  The nurse looked at Daniel. “I’m going to get her hooked up to check on the baby, make sure he’s not in any distress. Then I’ll check to see if she’s dilating.”

  He nodded and leveled a gaze on Sofia, stroking her head.

  The woman got a belt around Sofia’s waist and hooked it up to a machine while another nurse came in and asked Daniel personal questions, and still a third nurse prepared an IV.

  The air filled with the sound of a vigorous heartbeat.

  “Baby seems fine,” the nurse said.

  Daniel’s entire body seemed to sag in relief and he put his forehead on hers. “I love you baby.”

  “I’m going to check you now sweetie.”

  Sofia brought her legs up and opened them and the woman dug around in her vagina until Sofia winced.

  “You’re having a contraction?” she asked.

  “No, your hand is hurting me.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie.” She pressed harder, reaching with her apparently too short fingers. “You feel like three centimeters.”

  Another contraction began to come on and Sofia gripped Daniel’s hand.”

  “You’re having one?” he asked.

  She nodded, breathing.

  “That’s it, you’re doing great. When will she get the epidural?”

  “He’s on his way now,” the nurse said.

  Ten seconds later, Sofia un-clenched her eyes, finally breathing slower.

  “You’re doing beautifully baby,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “The anesthesiologist is coming to make it all go away.”

  She nodded and smiled a little. “Okay.” She looked at him and whispered, “Do they…know why I’m bleeding?”

  “Not yet, but the doctor will be here any minute, she’ll know.”

  The door opened and a man rolled a cart into the room. “Your epidural,” Daniel whispered to her.

  Fear gripped Sofia and she squeezed his hand.

  “Another one?”

  She shook her head and watched the man approach the bed.

  “It’s okay, he’s done hundreds of these, right doc?”

  He was a foreigner, middle-eastern. “I’ve been doing this for four years, dear.”

  “She’s scared. It’s her first.”

  “Very understandable dear. I will tell you what I am doing before I ever do it, okay? That way there will be no surprises.”

  Sofia nodded, too scared to talk. A contraction began and she gripped Daniel’s hand, breathing. The pain began in her lower stomach and felt like a giant rubber band slowly tightening around her spine until the pain forced moans from her every breath. Shit. It was getting worse, fast. “More liquid came out,” Sofia said.

  The doctor came in. “My darling,” she sang, “you’re going to gift me with delivering your first son on Christmas? How sweet!”

  Sofia immediately felt better at seeing her and smiled. She sounded so sure.

  “Okay, so are you having contractions?”

  “Yes.”

  “And they’re getting strong?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “She was three centimeters like fifteen minutes ago,” the nurse said.

  The doctor checked between her legs. “Hmmm. That is definitely too much blood.” She turned to the anesthesiologist. “I’m going to do an emergency C-section,” she said quietly before turning a bright smile to Sofia. “Honey, since I’m not sure what’s going on, I’m going to get this baby out as fast as I can. You’re losing a lot of blood.” She looked up at Daniel. “We don’t want her to bleed to death, so I need to hurry.” She gave Sofia a smile, but the concern in the doctor’s face didn’t go missed. “Once I open you, I’ll be able to see what’s going on better.”

  Sofia nodded, feeling terrified again as she let the epidural guy direct her and Daniel to accommodate him.

  The epidural procedure lasted an entire ten minutes, and by some miracle, Sofia didn’t have a single contraction as she’d feared she would. When it was all done, he asked her a lot of questions about how she felt while Sofia felt the medicine take effect on the right side but not the left. She told him and he helped lay her on her side. Five minutes later, her heart began to race.

  “I…I feel weird, like I can’t breath
e.”

  “Sit her up more,” he instructed.

  But five more minutes and still no better. A contraction came and the pain felt as though it had doubled from the last. Numb on the right and searing on the left. Sofia breathed through the first half but the second half was nearly unbearable, filled with sharp moans and straining.

  “Breathe through it, don’t push, I know you want to,” Daniel said, holding her hand tight.

  “I’m trying,” she gasped.

  “I know baby.”

  “I’ll give her another dose just before the procedure,” the man said.

  Two nurses came in, prepped for surgery. “Okay, let’s get her going, the doctor’s waiting.”

  Sofia kept her gaze locked on Daniel as they wheeled her to the operating room.

  “You’re fine sweet heart, don’t be scared, I’m here. I’m praying, you’re fine, okay?”

  Sofia wanted to cry at seeing the panic at the edges of his eyes. She was scared. She didn’t want to die. That was the unspoken fear she’d had all those months. This foreboding feeling.

  They parked her in the operating room and began working, a group of strangers in masks all around, hurrying. The hurrying scared her.

  They talked about her epidural, the foreigner explained to the other guy in hushed words what he’d done so far. “Let’s give her another dose.”

  Sofia looked left and locked her gaze on Daniel who had her hand locked in his. “I’m here,” he whispered.

  She didn’t want to be lying on her back with the epidural. The medicine would go up, not down. She felt a cold sensation on her right and looked.

  “He’s giving you more medicine,” Daniel said.

  Sofia waited, trying to hold down her terror. She began to feel weird again. “I…I…I can’t…” She struggled to speak but the medicine was affecting her mouth. “Can’t breathe.”

  “She can’t breathe.” Daniel’s voice carried loud.

  Sofia lolled her head right toward the man. “Can you feel this?” He poked her arm with a needle and she nodded.

  “You’re fine sweet heart, if you can feel that, it’s okay, try to relax. Can you feel this?” He poked the needle along her stomach and she stopped feeling when he got halfway down. “That’s not numb enough.” He looked right. “Give her half a dose more.”

  The epidural guy did as instructed and Sofia turned and locked her eyes on Daniel again. She was terrified now. So terrified. Too terrified to even speak. She looked around and was hit with the vivid memory of her dream. There had been a group of strangers just like this. Just like this.

  I gave you that dream.

  The words came to her just like that. And then she heard what they meant. I gave you the dream. I let you see and feel what was coming. It’s okay.

  Sofia felt herself slowly disconnecting from her body in a strange way. She was still in her body but it was like her mind disconnected from everything. She felt her heart racing, the panic pumping through her, but her mind wasn’t affected by it. Except that she was so happy and grateful.

  She cried silent tears.

  “Looks like she had a partial placental abruption,” the doctor mumbled. “If you have anything to confess daddy, now’s the time, she’ll likely not remember.” Sofia realized at that point that the doctor had already cut her open.

  Sofia kept her gaze locked on her husband, feeling an amazing peace. His harsh gaze was riveted to what the doctor was doing. A few seconds later, Sofia felt a huge pressure leave her body, and Daniel stood.

  The sound of a tiny cry creaked through the air and Sofia closed her eyes with a smile.

  “Daddy, you want to cut the cord?”

  Sofia stared at their pink baby, clawing at the air, struggling to cry. Daniel stood next to him. “Hey there sweet heart, it’s daddy.” Sofia’s heart constricted at hearing him say those words, his voice thick with emotion.

  “Let’s let mommy have a look,” the doctor said, all smiles as she held the baby over Sofia’s chest.

  Sofia smiled and stared at the scrunched up angry looking face, his eyes rapidly blinking like the light was hurting them. “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  The doctor handed him off to the nurse. “You can sleep now sweet heart, I’m going to stich you back up good as new while they get him all clean and weigh him and make sure he’s ready for the world.”

  Sofia watched as they took him to a little table at the far end of the room and did things to him that made him all screechy mad and adorable.

  “He’s beautiful baby,” Daniel said next to her ear.

  She turned and kissed him, then closed her eyes.

  Thank you God.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Sofia woke up to the sound of Daniel’s cooing voice. At seeing her husband rocking their baby next to the bed, she smiled.

  “You are so beautiful, yes you are.” He leaned and smothered the baby’s face with endless butterfly kisses. “Daddy loves you so much, yes.”

  “Baby,” Sofia whispered.

  He jerked to her and gave a heart stopping smile. “Look at him baby!” He carefully brought him to the bed and laid him in her arms. Sofia’s eyes swam with tears.

  “He’s beautiful. Just like his daddy.”

  “And his mother, look he has your nose and lips.”

  She grinned at his tiny expression. “He’s got your perfect brows. And he’s already contemplating the secrets to the universe.”

  Daniel laughed, seeming to love that description. “I think he’s formulating cookie batter.”

  One chuckle and Sofia gasped at the pain in her lower abdomen. “How long have I been sleeping?”

  “Like four hours, how do you feel beautiful?”

  “That’s it? Wow, felt like thirty minutes.” She suddenly smiled at him. “I’m fine, just tired. And I didn’t really do anything.”

  He laid his head next to hers. “You lost a lot of blood. You’ll be here for a few days so they can monitor you. I was so scared baby, I’m sorry.”

  “What? No, you were wonderful, you were very brave. God, I’m thirsty.”

  Daniel hurried to get her some water from the mauve plastic pitcher. “I can’t believe all that happened,” he said. “Baby, I nearly lost it when I saw the blood, I’m not kidding you.”

  “Oh honey, meeeeee too, I just knew that was the reason for all my fears.”

  He gave her the cup and she downed it, never loving water more. He kissed her over and over. “You think you had those fears because of that?”

  She heard the concern in his voice and knew he felt bad. “I have no doubt now. When I was in the operating room, the most amazing thing happened right in the middle of me being terrified out of my mind.”

  “Baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”

  “It’s not your fault obviously, how would you know?”

  “What happened?”

  Sofia closed her eyes a few seconds fighting back her emotions. She lost, and her face crimped as she covered her mouth with her hand. It trembled and ached with the needle and tube taped to the top. “I just got this…this peace you know?” The words barely squeaked by. “I was looking all around at everything and I was so scared, and I suddenly remembered the dream in vivid detail, the strange people, the terror it was exactly the same. And then…” her words squealed again. “Then I like…heard or felt this voice, it was more of a feeling kind of hearing, a knowing. It said I gave you this dream and that fear so that when it came, you would know I told you. And that…” she sobbed and put her face in Daniel’s neck. “That it would be okay. And at that moment, I could still feel the panic inside me, could feel my body freaking out, but my mind was not touched. It was just at peace.”

  “Oh wow, baby. You think God did that?”

  She nodded a lot, positive. “I’m so glad I didn’t die,” she said.

  He gasped and kissed her face all over. “Me too, Sofia. I prayed so hard. So hard,” he gasped in her neck. “I made all kinds of pro
mises to God. I’m in serious debt.”

  A tiny squeak came from the bundle in Sofia’s arms and Daniel looked. “Heyyy Daniel, don’t cry, daddy and mommy are here.” He stroked his brow and Sofia let out a sob at hearing him call their son Daniel. It was the first time.

  A knock sounded on the door and Daniel hurried to see who it was. Sofia strained to hear who he whispered to.

  “Congratulations man.” Seth. He hugged Daniel and Sarah followed them into the room. Sofia smiled at seeing how cute Sarah looked. She was quickly getting the hang of dressing herself. Sofia realized Dara didn’t enter. Where was she?

  Daniel carefully took the baby from her and showed him off to Seth and Sarah.

  “Ohhhh wow,” Seth said, fascinated. “Man, he’s so little.” He moved right, so Sarah could see. “Look what you’ll have soon.”

  She sucked in a breath and spoke several Spanish words, her brow crimped in utter awe. “Except ours will be a girl?” She smiled prettily at Seth and he kissed her.

  Anna Sofia. Sarah’s idea.

  “Where’s Dara?” Sofia asked.

  Daniel turned to her with a weird look on his face.

  “What? What happened?”

  He went to the little closet in the room and returned with an envelope. “Seth brought this earlier. I didn’t open it.”

  Sofia took it and saw her name on it. Ugh, shit. Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them. She tore open the envelope and read. After the first paragraph, she quit. Sofia couldn’t believe it. She’d lied about the pregnancy. Hadn’t meant it to go so far. Only wanted to win Seth.

  She ripped the whole thing up and tossed it to the right of the bed, unable to stop the angry hurt sobs. Mostly that she’d lost her friend. Over bullshit. Just pure bullshit.

  Daniel leaned and put his face next to hers. “I’m sorry baby.”

  He was but he wasn’t, she knew. And that was all fine, she got it. She’d deal with Dara another day.

  The baby started crying all pitiful and her tears stopped. “Bring him to me, I want to try and nurse him.”

  Daniel brought him. “Wait for me, I want to watch,” he whispered.

  “Okay, daddy, but hurry, he sounds so hungry.”