Embracing My Submission (21 page)

I nervously looked at George. “I...”

“I’m sure he probably said ‘give me your keys’ or something to that effect?” George volunteered.

I nodded, praying I wouldn’t be hauled away to rot in jail for giving false information. Nervous, I licked my lips, then cast my eyes to the floor. I wanted to slip into my submissive repose and escape the fear consuming me. Where was the calming center from my dream? I needed to find it and cling to it in order to get through these fearsome questions. It felt as if I were walking an imaginary tightrope stretched as tautly as my nerves. I knew one wrong word and I’d plummet into a terrifying and wholly uncertain abyss. Already having lied to one law enforcement official, I worried if a condemning amount of guilt was reflected on my face.

“Did you know Dennis McCollum?”

“No, sir.” I shook my head. It wasn’t a lie, not really. I’d never been formally introduced to him as Dennis McCollum. I knew the bastard as Jordon. Escaping the truth by semantics was still an escape, and one I could live with.

“Who fired the first shot?”

“It was...both shots were fired simultaneously. Mr. McCollum had his gun drawn and pointed at us. Mika pulled a gun from behind his back and both shots rang out. I saw the bullet hit Mr. McCollum in the head as he fell backward, and I crawled to Mika’s body. There was so much blood...” My voice cracked as a tear slid down my cheek. Inhaling a deep, quivering breath, I continued. “Blood was pouring out of Mika’s chest. I found his cell phone and called nine-one-one, then tried to slow the bleeding until help arrived.”

“Thank you, Ms. Garrett. I don’t have any further questions. It looks like an unfortunate case of self-defense. If you remember anything else you feel is important to the case, please give me a call.” He handed me a business card as he stood.

“Thank you.” I nodded, wiping the tears from my face.

“I’m sorry this happened to your friend. I hope he pulls through.”

“Thank you, Patrick.” George nodded, shaking the detective’s hand.

“The press has been handled.”

“You’re one in a million.” George patted Patrick’s back and walked him to the doorway.

Within moments of the detective’s departure, the nurse reappeared.

“He’s still in surgery and is still listed in critical condition. They’ve removed the bullet and are repairing the damage it caused. It’s probably going to be a few more hours. As soon as the surgery is over, they will move him upstairs to the intensive care unit. The surgeon, Dr. Williams, will come out and talk to you as soon as he can. I’ll arrange an escort to take you to the ICU waiting room and make sure you are introduced to the team that will be taking care of Mr. LaBrache. Is there anything you need while you’re waiting here?”

“No thank you.” Moses shook his head and reached for his phone.

The nurse issued a weak smile and then quickly left the room.

Moses spoke into his phone, leaving a message for Emile. He handed his car keys to Trevor and rattled off Emile’s flight information. Trevor kissed my cheek then walked out the door with George, who’d instructed Moses to phone him when Mika was out of surgery.

Moses finally stopped pacing and joined me on the long, somewhat lumpy couch.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked, drawing me into his arms and snuggling me against his broad chest. “I’ve been so wrapped up in my own worry I’ve not been taking very good care of you.”

“Don’t add me to your list, Moses. Please. I’m doing okay. I’m just scared, like you.”

“I know you are, baby. I’m sure it was frightening beyond words.”

I nodded as I hugged his barrel chest. “Where is Emile flying in from?”

“Washington, DC. He should land in about an hour. He sounded like he’s keeping it together, barely. He and Mika are tight. This is going to be extremely hard on him. Mika’s all he’s got left.”

“I know.” I nodded, praying that Mika made it through surgery. Engulfed in Moses’s strong arms and warm body, I began to relax and closed my eyes. I was so grateful he was there. He was my rock. He always had been, and I melted against his massive frame.

A deep thrumming vibration drew me from a dark, dreamless sleep. It took me a minute to realize the rumbling was Moses’s voice vibrating against my ear. There was another voice, much deeper, nearly the same timbre as Mika’s but laced with an enchanting accent. French. It had to be Emile. Suddenly, I felt intimidated and nervous about meeting the man. Remaining motionless, I kept my eyes closed. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on his and Drake’s conversation, but I didn’t want to intrude either, so I played possum.

“Mika told me how similar they are in appearance, but my God I never dreamed in a million years the resemblance would be so uncanny. No wonder the boy has been beside himself for all these years.”

“I know. For the first few months, I had to stop myself from blurting out, ‘Remember when we...or wasn’t it funny that time we went to...’ The déjà vu was unsettling to say the least. But it didn’t take long before I came to know the woman inside. She’s a spitfire. Strong willed. Hardheaded. She’ll make a Master earn her gifts when she finds the one strong enough to handle her. And when she does, she’ll no doubt earn those gifts right back.”

“How much longer do you think it will be?” The man’s deep voice was thick with worry. Still feeling the need to stay hidden, unsure of my place, I continued to feign slumber.

“I don’t know. It’s been over two hours. Hopefully the doctor will come out and talk to us soon.”

“Can I get you anything, Emile, Sir?” Trevor asked.

“No son. I’m fine. I had bourbon on the plane to help calm my nerves. I’ll switch to coffee once I know my Mika has made it through surgery.”

He sounded like a Master. His velvet voice was rich and commanding. The subtle accent lacing his words sent a shiver down my spine. The desire to remain invisible overshadowed the desire to peek at him from beneath my lashes. I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be face to face with the man, but I wasn’t ready, not yet. From his words, I knew Mika had spoken about me, but I didn’t know what details he’d shared with his father.

All too soon, my hopeful reprieve to stay hidden ended.

“Julianna. Come on baby, wake up. The doctor’s here.” Moses shook me then pulled me from his chest and helped me sit up.

Rubbing my eyes, I looked up and saw a stunningly handsome dark-skinned man. His eyes were deep brown, but the erotic lips and defined facial features were identical to Mika’s. A shy, embarrassed smile curled on my lips as the man stared into my eyes, a look of disbelief etched upon his face.

“Emile, Julianna. Julianna, Emile.” Moses made a hasty introduction as a weary-looking doctor walked in.

“I’m Doctor Williams.”

“Emile LaBrache. I’m Mika’s father.”

“Pleased to meet you.” The doctor nodded, taking a seat facing us. “Mika is out of surgery and so far doing well. If he continues to remain stable, we will upgrade his condition in the morning. He sustained a lot of internal injuries that we’ve repaired. The gunshot badly bruised one lung, so we’ve put him on a ventilator. He’ll be on the vent and unable to talk for a few days. He did suffer a cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, but was revived in the ambulance.”

Tears swam in my eyes as my heart thundered in my chest. Having already heard that he’d died didn’t make the chasm opening beneath my feet any less terrifying. The pain reflected in Emile’s eyes was gut wrenching, and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I continued to listen.

“There is always the possibility of brain damage when the heart stops, but the paramedics revived him quickly, and we’re hopeful there’ll be no long-term effects. We’ll be moving him up to ICU shortly. He’ll be hooked up to a lot of machines. I want to prepare you for that. It’s a bit overwhelming when you first see him. He won’t be conscious for the rest of the night and probably the better part of tomorrow. We’ll be keeping him sedated to let him rest and allow his internal injuries a bit of time to heal. We’ll monitor him closely for the next forty-eight hours.” The doctor was quiet for a few moments as if waiting for all the information he’d just explained to sink in. “Do you have questions?”

“How long will he be in ICU?” Emile asked.

“For the next forty-eight hours at least. When he’s strong enough, we’ll move him to a lower level of intensive care, then eventually to either a private or semiprivate room.”

“When can I see my son?”

“As soon as we get him moved up to ICU and the team gets him set up. We’ll let you know when you can go in and see him.”

“When will we know about any brain damage?” Emile asked with a grim expression.

“We should know relatively quickly. We’ve already done some neurological tests and it all looks good, but we’ll know for sure once he’s conscious. Like I said, I doubt he’s suffered any brain damage, but I wanted to let you know there is that chance.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Emile solemnly nodded, extending his hand.

“If you think of any other questions, I’ll be here all night checking in on him. Just have one of the nurses grab me, and I’ll come talk to you. Someone will be out shortly to take you up to the other waiting room.”

“Thank you, again.” Emile smiled then exploded a heavy exhale.

After the doctor left, Emile rose and walked toward me. The urge to slide to my knees and assume a proper submissive posture was almost overwhelming. I lowered my head, casting my eyes downward as my heart thundered in my chest.

“Such a beauty,” Emile softly whispered. “Julianna, my dear, there is no need to honor me with your gifts. I simply wanted to greet you properly.”

He extended his hand and I timidly placed my fingers into his palm as he gently coaxed me from the couch and to my feet. Wrapping me in his long arms, he held me tight.

“Thank you,” he whispered against my ear. “Calling for help so quickly saved my son’s life. I am forever in your debt, sweet girl.”

“You’re welcome, Sir.” A wave of guilt slammed me. There was no way I could confess I’d told Mika to die and leave this earth to be with Vanessa. Even if Emile understood the meaning behind my action, it would make me appear to be a cold, heartless bitch, uncaring whether Mika lived or died. I nodded as an awkward silence filled the room.

“Would anyone like a cup of coffee?” I asked, filling the silence I thought might swallow me whole.

“Yes, please.” Moses nodded.

“I’ll get it for you, Daddy,” Trevor volunteered as he shot from the couch. “Emile?”

“No, sweet boy. I’m fine for now, but thank you.”

I sat back down on the edge of the couch, leaving a spot for Trevor to sit next to Moses. I’d monopolized enough of his warm, sheltering body. He needed his lover’s comfort now.

It wasn’t long before a nurse motioned for us, and we followed her to a much larger waiting room. A handful of people were sprawled out sleeping in decidedly awkward positions. A few talked quietly on cell phones. Others read books, and some stared off vacantly into space. A soft-spoken nurse introduced herself and assured us she would return after Mika was settled. We found seats in a tight corner of the room where once again we prepared to wait.

I was barely able to control my anxious restlessness. I
needed
to see Mika, to gaze upon him with my own eyes and confirm he was still on this earth, still breathing my same air.

So many questions filled my mind. Why had Mika come back to life in the ambulance? Vanessa had undoubtedly appeared to him in the parking lot. Why hadn’t he gone with her? What was keeping him here? Was it because he didn’t want to leave his father with yet another loss to endure? Perhaps it wasn’t his time yet. Perhaps he was destined for something more in the grand scheme of things. Maybe something awaited him later in life, some task he’d not yet completed. Too many unanswered questions fluttered through my aching brain, yet I couldn’t shut them off.

Trevor leaned against Moses’s shoulder and in an instant was wrapped within his strong, burly arms. Moments later, both men had drifted off to sleep. I was relieved that Moses had finally relaxed, but it left Emile and me to fill the uncomfortable silence enveloping our little group.

“Mika talks of you often.”

“He does? I didn’t know that, Sir.”

“Yes, I know.” A soft chuckle escaped his throat, smooth and deep, just like Mika’s.

“Evidently I’m the only one that didn’t know about that.” A smile of embarrassment curled on my lips, and I shook my head at the irony of it.

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid there’s a lot you don’t know which isn’t fair to you. My son is an extremely private person. I think he gets that from me.”

“We had a long discussion earlier tonight, Sir. Well, rather Mika talked and I listened.” I swallowed the anxiety clogging my throat. “I understand why he guards his privacy, and I know the reason he’s closed himself off, especially toward me.”

“Ahh. So he has told you about Vanessa.” Emile nodded in understanding. “Do you also know the internal war he battles in regard to you?”

“I know that I remind him of her.”

“You’re far beyond a reminder, dear girl.” He smiled and gave me a knowing wink. “You’re like a constant open wound to his heart.”