Red Hot Obsessions (104 page)

CHAPTER 18

He dragged me by my hair. I felt some of my extensions give out. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a fist full of black strands between Martinez’s fingers. The jab in my arm ached. Whatever he had given me contained a muscle relaxant. I could hardly stand. With the added effect of the powdered substance I’d swallowed earlier, I was semi-conscious. Everything around me blurred.

By the time the barman could have called the police, we had left the hotel. His confusion was masked when Martinez had said his new bride had one shot too many. He lifted me in his arms and carried me out the lobby as if I was already his. The thought pained me, but I had not the time to ponder. It took seconds to reach an abandoned alley.

“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” he grunted.

The iron tang of blood in my mouth couldn’t be my own. A faint memory of biting the son of a bitch put somewhat of a smile on my face. I remembered spitting out a chunk of his flesh I had bitten off.

The drugs he’d given me suppressed my ability to defend myself. Julian was right. I didn’t even get a chance to fight, but I promised myself that the first moment my body would cooperate, I’d wring his neck. That was, if he didn’t chop me to pieces first. I hoped Kendra was far away from this place.

We turned the corner, and the streetlights lost their glow to the shadows. A rat skidded away from a garbage container a few feet deep in the alley. The smell of rotten chicken and decomposing trash filled the air. Maggots feasted around the perimeter of the overflowing waste, their round puffed bodies rolling rather than crawling in their king’s buffet.

Blood trickled down my arm and fingers, my hand immobile more so than the rest of my limbs. A loud bang bounced off against the alley walls, like the whack of an iron skillet on someone’s head. This made me laugh because I’d never actually heard the sound before, other than in a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and because where would someone get a pan in an alley?

The grip on my hair loosened and Martinez crashed to the ground.

“You bitch!” he moaned.

I crawled up to my knees and scooted as far away as I could. Someone’s arms helped me up. My vision fogged, but I could feel that the frail arms holding me up wouldn’t get me far.

“You got to run. His men will be looking for us.” Kendra pulled me backward, my feet dragging along the littered pavement.

“I can’t even stand up. Did you call?” I pushed as hard as I could against the pavement, but my feet preferred to be dragged. It didn’t matter how much I wanted to stand up, my legs felt like rubber.

“Yes, but he’s not picking up, and there’s more of them by the hotel now.”

“Don’t fucking move.” A growl and the sound of a gun click awakened the goose bumps on my arms.

“I should have done this a long time ago.”

The hair on the nape of my neck stood like a forest of toothpicks. We had seconds before Martinez pulled the trigger. This time what he gripped in his hand was not a dart gun. He paced toward us, the gun in one hand pointing at Kendra while his other hand reached back to his head, massaging the spot where she’d hit him. I leaned my body against the garbage container, feeling something crawling on my hand.

“You’re a waste anyway. I think I’ve done a nice trade tonight. An old used bag for a fresh one. Don’t worry. I’ve tamed feistier creatures than you.” He looked toward me.

She backed away. Martinez passed where I was sitting. Kendra pressed her back into the wall of a building, her hands flat against it. Her gaze skidded from side to side, then back to me, probably wondering whether she should run. I urged her with my eyes to go, or at least try, but with Martinez only a few feet away, he wouldn’t miss the shot. I squeezed my fists and forced adrenaline into my body. I wouldn't fail Tristan. I couldn’t let him blame me for not getting Kendra to safety. Pushing off the metal container, I launched at Martinez’s mid-section and took him down to the ground.

I twisted his arm to its breaking point and got him down on his knees. A single gunshot echoed in the alley and my tummy felt warm. I tightened my grip on his arm, and he dropped the weapon. I wondered why the back of my head felt warm as well, and then everything went black.

CHAPTER 19

The sound of a pulse beeping pinched my ears. The rhythm was steady and quieted as I listened in. A familiar smell of antiseptic hand wash wafted around my nose. My head ached. I reached up, but something restrained my arm.

“Don’t move.” I heard Tristan’s voice and let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

I opened my eyes a fraction. His beautiful face slowly came into focus from above. Dark shadows underlined his hazel eyes. A shade of worry disappeared as I felt my mouth curve in happiness. His scar lifted slightly on his upper lip. Was I dreaming, or dead? The last thing I remembered was pinning Martinez down to the ground with his gun right between us.

“Where am I?” I didn’t recognize my hoarse voice. My mouth felt as if it had been stuffed with a hundred cotton balls. My throat ached as if someone shoved a ten-inch pipe into it. A smooth end of a plastic straw touched my lips before I even asked for water. I sucked on it for a few seconds. My jaw muscles hurt.

“You’re in the hospital. It’s been five days.” Tristan said.

“Kendra?”

Please tell me she’s safe.

“You got her. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but she’ll be fine.”

“Good. That’s really good.”

My eyes felt heavy.

“It is. You’re on morphine. Martinez’s thug whacked you in the head before Martinez shot you.”

“He shot me in the head and I survived?” Why did that sound confusing? And why was Tristan wearing a purple wig?

“No, silly. Martinez shot at your stomach as his thug whacked you in the head. The bullet flew without damaging any major organs. You were very lucky.”

“You look funny. Did Emma color your hair?” I asked like this was the most important question he had to answer at the moment.

He took my hand into his. It felt nice and warm. “No,” he chuckled. “You’re on morphine. It can do that to you.”

“How did we get away?”

“Kendra threw herself at the gun Martinez dropped and shot them both.”

“Kendra saved me?”

“She saved you and you saved her.”

“And you found us?”

“It wasn’t me. I woke up and you were gone. I went to the bathroom and got your text. I didn’t expect the phone to ring at the same time and dropped it into the toilet. Kendra called Julian when I didn’t pick up. He tracked you through your implant – which we’ve removed, by the way.” It sounded like too much information to process all at once. I’d have to get him to repeat it all later.

“I think I’ll have to kiss him again to thank him.”

“Now, I hope that’s the morphine talking.”

“Nope,” I shook my head. It hurt. “That’s all me.”

“You’ll have to stand in line then. It seems Kendra doesn’t want to let her rescuer go. Julian’s been at her side the entire time. And I don’t really like you kissing other men.”

My heart warmed. The two of them had found their way to each other after all, and Tristan seemed comfortable with that. Why did that feel like it was too good to be true?

“Sounds like we’re all going to be okay.” The weight of my eyelids forced me to close my eyes.

Someone knocked on the door and a small head popped in.

“She awake yet?” Emma’s curious voice sounded.

“Are you up for visitors?” Tristan squeezed my hand. His warm palm felt like a soothing heating pad. I wanted him to hold it forever.

“Yes, please,” I lied. But I couldn’t say no to my favorite person in the world.

Before Tristan acknowledged his little sister, she rushed to my bedside, holding a huge bouquet of daisies. I loved this girl.

“I’ll let the rest of the clan know.” Tristan pulled out his phone and texted.

Emma took a deep breath in and started, “We’ve been here every day, but Tristan kept shushing me away, saying you need your rest. I read in a book you should talk to people who are unconscious to make them feel like they’re still with us. He said I was saying too much nonsense and would make you confused, but I saw your eyes move and I knew you were listening.”

As destructive as Emma’s honesty could be, as always, I found her comforting. My eyes closed for a moment, searching for the familiar sound of her voice.

I heard Tristan say he loves you.

My eyes flew open.

“You do remember, don’t you?” Her eyes bulged like two grapefruits and her cheeks sprang upward.

“I may have been dreaming,” I said hesitantly.

She leaned in closer. “Everything I said was true. You have to believe me.” Her excitement was over the top.

You’ll get better and move to the new house and I can finally be an aunt.

“No, I think I was dreaming...”

She opened her mouth, but my mom and Mrs. Cross rushed into the room, sitting down beside her. Emma didn’t like the attention stolen from her and frowned. Something told me this wasn’t everything she had to share. My little gossip girl would have to wait a bit longer to spill her secrets, though. And judging from Tristan’s expression, she’d have a heck of a time talking to me on her own again.

CHAPTER 20

That evening, after everyone left, the news from the doctor hit me like a brick wall. If it weren’t for the thick bandages around my head and mid-section, I think I would have run. I know I would have run. But the bandages hampered my ability to move.

“The baby is fine,” Dr. Jaipers reassured me for the third time. “The bullet missed the vital organs. I’m more concerned about the stress level you may be under. From what I gather, you don’t exactly work in Neverland.”

That’s right. I’d been knocked up by none other than Tristan Cross.

“No, work is fine. Does anyone else know? It’s quite difficult keeping things from my family.”

Had I just called Tristan family? He would be in less than nine months.

“I assure you’re the only one. I’ve been waiting all day to speak with you privately.”

“Good. I’d like to keep it that way. I just need to figure out what to do. How could this have happened? We were safe...”

“Did you have sex?” Dr. Jaipers asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I assure you, it can happen.”

After a longer pause, as the news sunk deep into my heart, Dr. Jaipers continued, “You have options, Ms. Green. If you’d like me to send someone in to talk to you, I can.”

When he suggested abortion my world collapsed, and my hands flew to my stomach, protecting my unborn baby from the outside world. And at that moment I knew I would never consider terminating the pregnancy. Even if Tristan wanted nothing to do with us, my choice remained the same. Oh, my God! Tristan! How would he react? Would I just push him away? Would I add another scar to his heart by tying him to something he didn’t want? That’s what had happened with Kendra. She wanted more, he wasn’t ready, and she stabbed him. Not that I’d stab Tristan. I’d walk away, no questions asked.

“No need,” I said to the doctor. “Please make sure my medical records are only available to me. My family likes to be nosy.” And that was the understatement of the year. I’d be lucky if Tristan hadn’t gone over my files himself already. Had his mom been a nurse at some point too? It wouldn’t have surprised me.

My head throbbed and I felt my blood pressure spike. The machine I was hooked up to began beeping like crazy.

“You need to relax, Ms. Green. If you want your baby to be well, you’ll listen to me,” the doctor said.

And on command, I took a deep breath in, exhaled, and the machine calmed.

“Push the button if you need anything,” he said before leaving.

As soon as he left, another thought rammed into me. Did Emma know? I clearly remembered her speaking while I was semi-conscious, saying she’d be an aunt. And if she knew, had she told Tristan? Why hadn’t he said anything? Had he decided to run? Perhaps he was already figuring out a way to break our ties.

There was only one way to find out. I picked up the phone and called the best detective in town.

CHAPTER 21

Emma peeked into my room, and I waved my hand eagerly for her to come in. She sat at my bed side, all giddy at being called to come alone and make sure no one was aware of her absence.

“Hi,” I said.

“How are you?” She beamed. That was the shortest greeting I’d ever gotten from Emma.

“Anyone with you?” I asked.

“No. I forged a note and cut school. If anyone finds out I’m gone, it won’t be until this afternoon. And my parents will call my cell first. I have a back-up plan if they do.”

Of course she did.

“You know, your brothers will hire you on the spot one day. And if they don’t, they’ll have to deal with me.”

“No worries. I have enough blackmail on them to last a lifetime. They won’t have a choice but to hire me. So?” She grinned, waiting for me to spill the reason I’d called her. I think I preferred the more talkative Emma to the inquisitive one.

“So, how is Tristan? Has he said anything to you, you know, about me?” I pried.

“Nothing. He’s been busy dealing with Kendra and some new stuff going on at work. They’re re-organizing the departments, and he’s been working fourteen hour days, then he visits Kendra, and you, and then he sleeps in his office.”

“How do you know he sleeps in his office?” I asked.

“I heard Mom saying he’s been stressed. Was he supposed to say something about you?”

She didn’t miss a beat. Emma was almost jumping up and down in her chair, her knees shaking and her smile beaming. Oh, my, she really did know about me, didn’t she? But how?

“There’s some stuff I think I remember you saying when I was unconscious.”

“Yes?” Emma’s shortest answer ever.

I took a deep breath in. “And I want to know whether you really said it, or whether it was my imagination—”

“—it wasn’t your imagination.” She cut me off in a whisper.

“You really know?”

“You mean that you’re pregnant?” she squealed.

My eyes flew open. “Yes, how? Have you told Tristan?”

“No. This is the biggest secret I’ve had to keep in, like, forever. I thought you’d tell everyone by now. Mom has been asking why I’m so quiet and whether I have boy troubles. But honestly, who cares about boys when I’m going to be an aunt. Oh, my God, I’m so happy!” She rammed into me with her full weight. My ribcage ached. “I can’t wait until I’m an aunt, and when Tristan finds out—”

“—he can’t find out. At least not yet. And I need you to try to keep the secret from him for a bit longer.”

“That’s not going to be easy. I’ve been keeping way too many secrets lately. It just gets so confusing sometimes who I should be telling what story or truth. I don’t know...”

“I’ll let you help with the baby name.”

Oh my gosh, did I just say that?

Her eyes doubled in size. “Really?”

“Yes, but you need to make sure Tristan doesn’t check my medical records.”

“That’s impossible. You know he will. I’m surprised he hasn’t already. He really does have a lot on his mind.”

“Emma, you’re the best investigator in this family. If anyone can make sure the papers don’t say what we both know, it’s you.” I squeezed her hand and looked at her as if we were sorority sisters ready for battle. “It’s me and you, Emma. I really need to tell him at the right time. You know how easily your brother scares off. If you want to be a real aunt, you’ll do this for me.”

“True, but I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit.”

“Baby name, Emma.” I reminded her.

“Okay, okay.”

“How did you find out, anyways?”

“The doctor was talking to the nurse when your blood work came in. You lost a lot of blood. People don’t really notice when kids are around. And after she asked about the baby, I double-checked the papers when they weren’t looking and the rest is history. You’re not far along. A couple of weeks, I think. They said they hardly caught it themselves.”

“Did anyone else hear?”

“No, I’m sure I’m the only one.”

“Good. Are you up to the challenge of falsifying some medical records?”

“Peanuts. It’ll be done before the end of the day.”

“Thank you, Emma. You know, I thought of you as my little sister the moment I met you. Whatever happens, I’ll always think of you that way.”

She leaned in to embrace me. For the first time in my life, I imagined that’s what it would be like to embrace my little Emma.

“I’m thinking Betty,” she said, still holding me. “For the baby. Or Barney if it’s a boy.”

What had I gotten myself into?