“Wyatt?” I called out, only to find him standing in front of Dona. She hid behind him, her brown hair covering her face as Wyatt glared at the maid in front of him.
“She hurt Dona!” he yelled, never looking away from the woman frozen in sheer terror. She glanced up at me wide-eyed.
I felt Liam rush past me, moving to Dona and softly brushing her hair back. Her face was puffy and her green eyes were fighting back tears, but the worst of it was the painful red burn at the top of her ear. I stared in shock as she winced in pain. My shock turned to rage.
“You hurt my daughter?” I glanced back to the woman, who looked no older than myself, her brown hair pulled into a bun on the top of her head.
“Ma’am, it was a mistake, I was trying to curl her hair and the miss wouldn’t stop—”
“Liar!” Wyatt snapped angrily. “She keeps getting mad at us and we didn’t do anything. She hurt Dona on purpose!”
She shook her head repeatedly as I walked over to her. “Ma’am, I swear—”
Grabbing her by her skinny neck, I threw her up against the wall, her hands clawing at my wrist. I slammed her body into the wall repeatedly with so much force the picture frames fell shattering to the ground. Her head connected each time, leaving a stain of blood on the wallpaper as her eyes rolled back into her skull. “My daughter is crying. Her ear is burned and my son is upset, and you have the nerve to tell me it is a mistake? That it’s their fault?”
“Ma’am…please…”
“No one harms my children. NO. FUCKING. ONE! You must have lost your goddamn mind, but don’t worry, I’m about to help you find it…”
Liam, who now held Dona in his arms, his face void of any emotion, opened the door for me as I threw her ass out.
“FEDEL!” I yelled, knowing he’d only be around the corner somewhere. Instantly, he appeared, dressed in black, with two other guards behind him. His eyes glanced at the woman sobbing at my feet, then to me.
“Should I remove her boss?” he asked, already moving to grab her.
“Ma’am, please! It was an accident. I swear! Ma’am!”
“Don’t remove her, but make her the example for anyone who harms my children.” My hands shook with rage; I wanted to strangle the life out of her. “NOW! Get her away from me!”
He nodded to one of the men behind him, and they seized her arms before dragging her kicking and screaming down the hall.
Breathe.
Breathe.
“Fedel get me the first aid kit,” Liam said, his voice still stern and unwavering. He shifted Dona in his arms, moving back into the bedroom with her.
Wyatt grabbed on to my skirt. Bending down, I picked him up as well, and he wrapped his arms around me.
“She lied. She was mean.” He frowned and it broke my heart.
“I know. I believe you, sweetheart. I’m proud of you. Always protect your siblings, okay?” I whispered, brushing his hair down. It was darker than Ethan’s, more black, but in the sun, you could still see shades of brown in it.
“Yes, Mommy,” he muttered, trying to wiggle out of my arms when he saw Ethan come into the room. Evelyn was beside him dressed in a dark green cocktail dress. She glanced at me and then back to Dona, wide-eyed and confused.
“What in the heavens happened?”
“Melina hurt Dona,” Wyatt told her, and if I hadn’t been so upset, I would have laughed. He sounded like the town crier; he would make sure the whole house knew and not stop until everyone was just as angry as he was.
“Il mio preziosa agnello,” I said to her, moving to sit beside her on the bed, taking her hands and kissing them.
“Mommy.” She pouted and I lifted her onto my lap, resting her head on my chest. “I miss old lady Hildy.”
“So do I,” I whispered as Liam took the first aid kit from Fedel. Old Lady Hildy had been the maid in charge of taking care of Ethan, Wyatt, and Dona ever since they were born. Evelyn was always there to help but neither Liam or I wanted her to stress over them. I rarely—well, never—cared for anyone outside the family, but I truly did miss her after she’d passed away a few months before, though Dona and Wyatt had taken it the hardest.
“Ouch!” Dona cried, squeezing on to me.
“Sorry princess, but I have to.” Liam frowned, rubbing the cream on her ear as I held her hair back. Afterward, he took a small piece of gauze and wrapped it around her ear the best he could. “There, done.”