by Mary Peart
“You are asking me to marry you again?” she whispered staring at the ring. “There is no minister here.”
“There is Mrs. Tang,” a voice spoke up from the crowd and a tall black man came forward with a Bible in his hand.
“You have everything covered don’t you?” she asked him tearfully.
“Yes.”
“I do,”
The minister came forth and Sybil took the children and they formed a circle around their parents as they renewed their vows before them and everyone else there. Derek sang at the end of it all and they danced throughout the night.
“This is the best night of my life,” she whispered as she snuggled into his arms.
“It’s not over yet,” he told her softly.
“Christopher Tang my heart cannot take anything else,” she protested.
“This one you can take.” He promised her as he led her up to the honeymoon suite later on that night after they had said goodbye to their kids and everyone else.
“You even got Derek Mitchell to sing at my birthday party, he does not do that sort of thing,” she said shaking her head as he helped her out of the dress.
“He does for me,” he said softly. “Happy birthday my darling wife. I love you more than anything else in this world.” And he proceeded to show her.
Chapter 16
After her birthday party the 4th of July celebration was anticlimactic. They had returned home from the night spent at the hotel the next morning at ten and had spent the day in lazy leisure at the pool.
“Had fun yesterday?” he asked her as he rubbed sunscreen onto her beautiful skin. She was wearing an aquamarine one piece bathing suit with thin spaghetti straps tied around her neck; he loosened the string and rubbed the lotion onto her back.
She turned her head to look up at him. “Fun is not the word,” she told him softly. She was still shivering as she remembered last night and this morning. His mouth on her body, Lord the man certainly knew his way around a woman’s body! She thought with a shiver. He had not allowed her to sleep and had used the champagne in an innovative way. “I was transported like Cinderella attending the ball.”
“You are no Cinderella,” he said softly. “No cleaning out cinders for you.” He reached underneath to cup her breasts watching as her breath quickened. She looked quickly over to where the children were frolicking in the pool. There were two guards sitting unobtrusively underneath the gazebo. Christopher was taking no chances.
“We have company,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he sighed, removing his hands and tying back the knot. “I think I will go and cool off in the pool.”
“Me too,” Sophia said softly.
*****
They had business coming from Korea. The 4th of July celebration was being held at the manor and it was going to be outdoors. Christopher had decided to extend the meetings with the Korean businessmen and invite them to stay over for the celebration. Sophia had insisted on doing it all on herself. Her mother and Madge would be doing the cooking but she had hired people to serve.
The house was abuzz with activities and the children had been delegated to their playroom for the morning with their nannies to look over them. Sybil had spent the night so that she could rise early in the morning and start cooking along with Madge. The gardeners had been working since yesterday into this morning to get the grounds ready and Christopher had taken the men out to play golf.
Sybil and Madge were cooking several Korean dishes including fried chicken, collared green, potato salad and two Korean dishes: soy sauce crabs and Army stew. Sybil had baked several pies: apple, pecan, lemon meringue and sweet potato. It was going to be informal but there were also going to be chairs available for those who wanted to sit and eat. There were also going to be fireworks for sometime during the night.
Sophia had a list in her hand and she was doing her check. “Honey you need to get out of the kitchen and let us do our job,” her mother said taking her arm and leading her out. “Go and spend some time with your children.”
She was in the bedroom and had just come from the bathroom. She was just about to call and ask Christopher why he was not at home yet when her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Tang?” the strange voice asked her.
“Yes who is this?”
“Could you come by the hospital? I am afraid your husband has been in an accident.”
Sophia felt as if her heart was being torn from her body. No! There has to be a mistake! “Mrs. Tang?” the voice was a little uncertain.
“Is he-“ she did not dare say it because if he was dead she would not be able to deal with it.
“He is not dead ma’am but we would like you to get here now if you can.”
She got dressed and somehow she was calm when she told her children that daddy had been in a little accident but there was nothing to worry about. She went into the kitchen and told her mother. “I am coming with you,” she said decidedly taking off her apron. Sophia nodded and called Carlos who had already heard. He opened the door for them and made his way to the hospital swiftly.
Sophia did not say anything. She allowed her mother to take her hands inside hers and rubbed them with her warm ones. For some reason she felt cold and had forgotten to take a jacket. Please Christopher please don’t die, you promise you would always be there for me, for us, please don’t die!
*****
He was in surgery and they were trying to get the bullet that had been lodged in his left shoulder. He had lost a lot of blood, that’s what they told her. It was the same detectives as before. Detectives Carmichael and Hamilton and from what they were telling her it appears that Brent Golding’s son had been the one who had done the shooting as revenge for his father going to jail. He had been watching Christopher at the golf course and had waited until he had been making his way to his car and away from the associates he had gone with.
It was a good thing that the boy was a lousy shot or else her husband would be dead now. She listened in silence and waited for her husband to get out of surgery. They had the boy in custody they told her and he had confessed. She was not listening or even aware that they were talking to her. She just needed to be with her husband and they were taking too long. She was going to demand to see him. He needed her!
She was just about to get up and go and find someone who could give her answers when she saw a doctor walking towards her. He had taken off his skull cap and looked tired and defeated. Oh God no please no! She ran and grabbed him by his coat. “Where is my husband?”
“Mrs. Tang please calm down,” he held her arms. “He is out of the woods and has been put in recovery. He has lost a lot of blood but he is going to be all right.”
She sagged into his arms and felt the tears coming. The man held her awkwardly patting her back and looking over her shoulders to where her mother, the detectives and the two bodyguards stood watching. Sophia composed herself enough to step away from him. “I want to see him.” she said quietly.
“He is not conscious-“ the man began but was rudely interrupted.
“Take me to him now,” Christopher would have been proud of her tone. It sounded very much like his.
“Of course, right this way.”
*****
He looked so still, she had never seen him so still and his eyes were closed. There was a large white bandage on his left shoulder and his hair had fallen down on his forehead. She pushed it aside gently and her touch lingered. She pulled up one of the chairs and sat there looking at him. She had almost lost him and she shuddered to think about it.
He had left her this morning after making slow and lazy love to her and kissed her before going off. Two days ago he had thrown her a fantastic party and had renewed their vows and today he had been shot and almost killed by the crazed son of a man who had allowed greed to take over his life. It showed her how very uncertain life was and that with all the money and the guards he had hired to protect her and the children he had left himself out i
n the open, not thinking about himself but always thinking about them.
“Damn you Christopher Tang! If you had died I would never be able to forgive you! How would I be able to manage with three kids?” she rested her head on the bed beside him and allowed the tears to come quietly.
*****
Christopher woke up to the stinging pain in his left shoulder and the memory flooding back as he opened his eyes in the darkened room. He frowned as he looked around the room and realized that he was in the hospital. He gritted his teeth as he tried to move his shoulder and realize that whatever pain medication they had given him had worn off. He heard the stirring beside him and saw a head lifted. “Sophia?”
“Christopher!” she wanted to shout his name but she contained herself, barely.
“Hey baby,” He said softly reaching out his right hand to take hers. The pain was making him dazed but he needed to hold her.
“You are in pain,” she saw the look on his face and knew she had to call the doctor.
“I can bear it for a little bit.” He told her hoarsely “I just want to touch you to convince myself that you are here.”
She let him hold her and when she could not bear to see him in pain any longer she buzzed for the doctor and they gave him something for the pain while she went out to let them outside know that he was up and lucid. Her mother decided to go back home to the kids and took Carlos with her. She would send back a change of clothes for her.
“Thanks Mom,” she said quietly.
Sybil squeezed her hand before leaving.
She went back into the room and sat there while he slept. She had called the house and spoke to the children and assured them that daddy was okay but he was resting at the hospital.
“We want to see him Mommy, why can’t we?” Christine had demanded.
“He is sleeping baby girl so let your brothers know that daddy is okay and will be home soon. I expect you to take care of them. Will you do that?”
“Of course Mommy!” the little girl said stoutly. “I will make sure they brush their teeth before going to bed. Will you kiss Daddy for us and tell him it is from us?”
“Of course sweetie.”
She curled up on the sofa and watched him sleep, At one point she saw him shifting a little bit and went over to take his hand and he gripped hers and went back to sleep.
He woke up at midnight and told her he was thirsty. She gave him water and made to go back to her couch when he held onto her. “Stay,” he told her huskily. She went to the right side of him and eased into the bed careful not to jostle him. He closed his arm around her and she settled her head against him, breathing in his scent and the warmth of his body. “The detectives told me what happened.” He murmured in her hair.
“I told them I did not want you disturbed.” She said angrily lifting her head to look at him.
“It’s okay baby I told them I wanted to know.” He lifted his hand to brush away the loose hair on her forehead. “He is just a kid,” he shook his head. “I am going to see what I can do for him.”
“He almost killed you Christopher. Forgive me for not feeling empathy for him at this time.” She told him angrily. She remembered getting the phone call and the terror and fear that had run through her at the time. He knew what she went through because it mirrored what he went through when she was taken.
“I am sorry baby,” he told her softly. “It seems the more I try to protect you and my children the more you get hurt.”
“You try to protect us and leave yourself open Christopher and that is not acceptable. I thought I was going to lose you and I wanted to just fold my hands and not go on. I never want to feel that way again.”
“I understand baby and I am so sorry.” He pulled her down onto his shoulder holding her close. With a sigh she put her hand on his chest and closed her eyes wearily.
*****
He was released two days later. The children had come to see him the day before he left and had demanded to know what had happened. They had told them that it had been a shooting accident. “Someone shot you?” Christine asked him frowning as she sat carefully on the bed beside him.
“Was it a bad man?” Christopher Jnr. asked him.
“He was a very angry person,” Christopher told them looking at his wife.
“What did you do to make him angry Daddy?” Christian spoke up quietly.
“I helped put his daddy in jail for something he did wrong.” He told them.
They were quiet for a little bit then Christian spoke up again. “I guess he was angry at you for taking away his daddy from him. We would be angry if you were taken away.”
Both Christopher and Sophia stared at the children in silence for a moment. “I guess you would be.”
He was quiet on the ride home and all the way up to the suite. His staff had sent over flowers and several of the board members had been to see him including Tiffany. The grounds had been cleared of the chairs and the things that had been placed there for the 4th of July celebrations and the Korean associates had sent their regards and hoped for his speedy recovery and told him that they would be back as soon as he was well enough to do business.
Amelia had called her and updated her on what was going on in her absence and she had told her to deal with everything as she would be out of the office for the rest of the week.
“Hungry?” she asked him as she settled him back against the pillows. The bandage had been changed and the wound was healing but he still felt pain every now and then.
“A little bit,” he told her. “Could you hand me my cell phone please?”
“Christopher-“
“I need to make some calls baby. Please don’t make a big deal out of it,” his tone was a little impatient.
“Fine,” she said stiffly and handed him the phone. He sighed as she turned around and left the room.
“Detective Carmichael, this is Christopher Tang.”
“Yes Mr. Tang what can I do for you?” the man asked him pleasantly.
“How is the boy?”
“He has been booked and processed.”
“I don’t want to press charges.”
There was a very pregnant pause before the man responded. “You do know that he almost killed you right?”
“Yes I am aware of that,” he said impatiently. “I am not going to be the one to ruin a confused child’s life. What can I do?”
“Get him a kickass lawyer. There will have to be a trial but your not wanting to press charges will be taken into consideration.”
“I will be in touch.”
*****
“Mr. Tang considering that Brady Glover tried to kill you a month and a half ago a lot of people think it is very noble of you to not press charges. What made you decided against doing so?” the question was posed as they climbed down the steps of the courthouse. The trial had been going on for a couple of weeks and was at an end now. There were reporters gathered at the foot of the steps as both Christopher and Sophia made their way down.
“My son reminded me that there was a boy who had had his father taken away from him and that was why he was so angry. It does not matter the circumstances surrounding his father’s arrest, the boy just looked at the fact that his father is gone away and that was all that he saw. I looked at my own kids and considered the consequences and decided that he was doing what came naturally at the time. Striking out to the one who had caused the pain.”
“As I said very noble of you.” The woman turned towards Sophia and silently admired her very chic and expensive black and white skirt suit. “Mrs. Tang, your husband’s shooting came at a time when you were kidnapped and held for ransom, how do you cope with all of that?”
Sophia felt her husband’s hand tightened on hers and drew strength from it. “It is sad that when a person has wealth they are not viewed as people with problems. My husband gives a lot through his company and is a very generous employer and contributor to this country. I felt anger at first but I am just happy that we are alive
because it could have been so much worse.”
“Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Tang. Now back to you Brian.”
*****
“You look good on television,” Christopher pressed the off button and pulled her closer to him. They were in the theater room and had been enjoying a rare night in. The children had gone to their grandmother's for the weekend and they no longer had any fear that Jeremy was going to pose a problem.
He was doing sales for the bookstore and Lauren had bought the house for them to live in. She had decided to stay home with her grandchild and she had met someone from her walks in the park, and she and Sybil had continued to be best friends.
“So do you,” she snuggled closer to him. She could not believe that so much had happened to them in so short a time and gave thanks everyday that they were okay. Even though the children had gone over to Sybil's he had made sure they were protected by sending two guards there with them. Sybil had put them up in the living room.
“How about we go away to Europe for a week?” he murmured, lifting the handle of the deep cushioned chair and pulling her onto his lap. “We could take the kids on a tour of the Louvre and the French Riviera and hop on over to Italy for a day or two.”
“That’s sounds divine.” She said dreamily. “We could do it the Thanksgiving Day weekend.” It was almost the end of September and the weather had taken a turn with chilling rains and winds.
“Cold?” he asked as he felt her slight shiver.
“A little bit,” she burrowed closer to him. “I was just thinking about when you were in the hospital and I did not know what was going on. It was a scary feeling Christopher.”
“I felt the same way when you were taken and I had no idea who had you.” He murmured. “I kept envisioning all sorts of crazy things in my head and I had to force myself not to think about it but just concentrate on what was important and that was getting you back.”
“There is something I have wanted to ask you since that time,” she lifted her head to look at him. “What if he had raped me?”