Damien Prescott (Redemption Series, Book 4)

by Sandi Lynn

  When I awoke, I rolled over to find the empty space beside me. I climbed out of bed, put on my robe, and went into the living area and looked for Damien. But instead, I found a handwritten note with my name on it, leaning up against a silver-covered tray. Opening the envelope, I took out the cream-colored paper and unfolded it. A smile crossed my lips as I read the words he wrote.

  Enjoy your breakfast, baby. I had to run some errands.

  Here’s to our wedding day. I love you.

  I poured a cup of coffee and removed the lid from the tray, revealing scrambled eggs, potatoes, a croissant, fresh fruit, and two pancakes with a smiley face on top. As soon as I finished eating, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, a group of people stood in the hallway, one of them being the hotel manager, Roberto.

  “Miss Everly, may we come in?” he asked.

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “We are here to provide you with everything you need for your wedding today. Laura has a selection of dresses for you to pick from. Andre will be doing your hair and makeup. Louise will be doing your nails, and Nico has a tray of wedding bands for you to choose from for your fiancé. When you are ready, I will be back to pick you up.”

  “Pick me up?”

  “Yes. I will be taking you to your wedding.”

  I couldn’t believe Damien did all this, and that this was actually happening. I grabbed my phone and sent him a text message.

  “You are the most incredible man I have ever known. Are you coming back?”

  “You are the most incredible woman I have ever known. I’m not coming back until after we’re married. It’s bad luck to see the bride on her wedding day. I love you, London, and I can’t wait to make you my wife.”

  “I can’t wait to make you my husband. I love you too.”

  I picked a beautiful V-neck sequined, laced, backless form-fitting dress with spaghetti straps. It was light, airy, and elegant. It was the perfect dress for a California wedding. Andre curled my hair and pulled the sides back into an elegant style, surrounding the hairband with small white flowers.

  “You look simply gorgeous, Madame.” He smiled.

  “Thank you.” I smiled back.

  After picking out Damien’s wedding band, Roberto walked in and handed me a bouquet of white calla lilies.

  “Your flowers, Miss Everly. Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  For one day, I had forgotten about everything happening in my life. I never thought I’d live to see my wedding day. I cherished every second that passed, and now, I was about to become Mrs. Damien Prescott. I hooked my arm around Roberto’s, and he led me outside to the back of the hotel, where I saw a large archway of flowers and Damien standing underneath it in a black suit.

  “Your future husband awaits you.” Roberto smiled.

  I took in a deep breath and started walking down the white runner that led me to Damien. Once I reached him, he took hold of both my hands as a smile crossed his lips.

  “You have taken my breath away. You look stunning.”

  “So do you, Damien. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, baby. Let’s do this.”

  We stood before the minister as he performed our short ceremony. When it was time to exchange rings, I gasped when Damien slipped the large princess-cut diamond on my finger with the matching band. After slipping the ring on his finger, and with tears in my eyes, we were now officially husband and wife.

  “You may kiss your bride, Damien,” the minister spoke.

  He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine as we shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

  “Are you ready to go back to the room and celebrate?” he asked.

  “Definitely.” I smiled.

  He picked me up and carried me back into the hotel and up to our room as my arms stayed secured around his neck. We made love, and it was more special than it ever had been. Roberto sent us a beautiful meal, which consisted of lobster and filet, along with a small round cake that was beautifully decorated with pink roses and the words “Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Prescott.”

  “We better get dressed. We have to leave for the hospital soon.” He softly stroked my cheek.

  “I know.” I placed my hand on his.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  London

  We arrived at the hospital where Dr. Finn was waiting for us.

  “Guess what, Dr. Finn.” I smiled.

  “What?”

  “Damien and I got married today.” I held out my hand.

  “Wow. Congratulations.” He hugged me and then turned to Damien and shook his hand. “That is wonderful news. I’m sorry you have to spend your wedding night in here.”

  “It’s fine. We already celebrated.” Damien smirked.

  I signed all the paperwork I needed to, changed into the hospital gown that I’d grown to hate over the years, and climbed into bed, where I was hooked up to an IV.

  “Please don’t hate me, but I’m going to have to shave part of your head.”

  “I know, Dr. Finn. This isn’t my first time.”

  He placed his hand on mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “I’ll see you both at five a.m.”

  As soon as he walked out of the room, I asked Damien to hand me my camera, for I was going to film a video and post it on my blog. I had thousands of messages from people keeping me in their prayers and wishing me good luck. I expressed my gratitude, and when I was done, I uploaded it and closed my laptop.

  “Damien, we never talked about the what if’s,” I softly spoke.

  “There aren’t going to be any, London. You’re going to pull through this surgery with flying colors.”

  He climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Everything is going to be fine.” He kissed my head. “You’re going to be fine.”

  I lay there, staring at the ring on my finger. Even if I didn’t survive the surgery, I at least got to live a day as Mrs. Damien Prescott, and that was something I was incredibly grateful for. But I couldn’t help but worry about Damien. I had spent the last year at peace with what was to come, but I wasn’t sure if he would ever find peace again if something happened.

  The nurse came in at four fifteen and woke me up. Damien stirred, kissed the side of my head, climbed out of bed, and went into the bathroom.

  “Can you please open my bag and hand me the envelope that is sitting on top?” I asked the nurse.

  “Of course.” She smiled.

  As soon as she handed it to me, I stared at Damien’s name, which I had written on the envelope, and then tucked it under my pillow when he emerged from the bathroom.

  “I’m sorry, London,” the nurse spoke. “But you’re going to have to take off your wedding ring.”

  I stared at it for a moment and then slipped it off my finger, placing it in Damien’s palm and closing his fingers around it with tears in my eyes. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, leaned in, and wrapped his arms around me.

  “You’ll get it back. Do you understand me? You will be wearing this ring again after your surgery,” he whispered.

  I hugged him tight as the tears freely fell down my face.

  “I love you, Damien.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Good morning, you two,” Jamieson spoke as he stepped inside the room.

  He walked over to the bed and placed his hand on mine.

  “It’s time, London. Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Can you give me a minute, please?”

  “Of course.” He softly smiled.

  I pulled the envelope from under my pillow and handed it to Damien.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  “Just something I wrote to you. I want you to open it after I go into surgery.”

  “London.” Tears filled his eyes.

  “It’s okay, Damien.” I grabbed his hand. “I’m ready, Dr. Finn. Let’s go now.”

  “Come on, people, let’s get her to the O.R.,�
� he spoke. “Damien, you can hold her hand and follow us until we get to the doors. Then you can take a seat in the waiting room.”

  They wheeled me out of the room as my heart raced a mile a minute. Damien held my hand the whole way, and when we reached the doors of the O.R., he leaned down and softly kissed my lips.

  “You come back to me. Do not leave me waiting. Do you understand? You come back to me, Mrs. Prescott.”

  I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Damien

  I watched as the doors opened and they wheeled her inside. When they closed, I stood there with my hands tucked tightly in my pants pockets as fear radiated throughout my body.

  “Damien?” Grace softly spoke as she placed her hand on my arm.

  I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked at her.

  “Come on. Come with me up to the rooftop for a cup of coffee. She’s in excellent hands. I promise you that.”

  I gave her a nod and she led me to the elevator. When the doors opened, we stepped out and over to where the coffee was located.

  “How do you take it?” she asked.

  “Just black.”

  She handed me the cup and I took it over to the railing and stared out at the busy city of Los Angeles. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the envelope she had given me.

  “She gave me this and told me to open it while she’s in surgery. I’m not sure if I want to.”

  “You have to. It’s her wish. Don’t let her down by not reading it. I have to go. I’m needed down in the ER. I’ll check up on you when I can and I’ll go into the O.R. and get updates.” She placed her hand on my arm.

  “Thanks, Grace. I appreciate it.”

  She gave me a friendly smile and left the rooftop. I sipped my coffee and stared the envelope I held in my hands. In a way, I already knew what she wanted to say and I couldn’t bring myself to open it. I shoved it in my pocket, finished my coffee, and headed down to the chapel. When I entered, I was the only one in there. I took a seat in the first row, folded my hands, and closed my eyes as the tears started to swell. Reality had set in, and no matter how good Dr. Finn was, the risks of this surgery were too high. I needed to be strong for London, and in the process, I became delusional with the fact that she might not survive this. I opened my eyes and wiped my tears as anger flowed through my veins. Just a few short weeks ago, I was a man who didn’t care about anything in life except my company. My work made me who I was and validated me. I had become so consumed with making money that I couldn’t see what really matter. Until I met London. And now, nothing else mattered but her, and the possibility that I might lose her forever haunted me.

  “Why?” I shouted as I looked up. “Why the hell did you bring her into my life? Were you testing me? Is this karma for the way I lived my life and treated people? Is this my punishment? Wasn’t it enough for you growing up the way I did? You already punished me by giving me to those horrible people. I was the way I was because of you!” I shouted. “Please.” I lowered my head. “London is the best thing that had ever happened to me. I have to feel that I found Dr. Finn for a reason, right? There was no hope for her until she met me. I know you have your hand in our lives, so please do what’s right and spare her. Give her back to me so we can live out the rest of our lives together. If you do that, I promise I will never go back to how I used to be. I give you my word.”

  I pulled out the envelope and opened it. Pulling out the folded piece of paper, I stared at her words.

  My dearest husband,

  By time you’re reading this, I will already be in surgery. I don’t know what fate has in store for me, but I need you to make me a promise. If something happens and I don’t make it, I need you to promise me that you’ll move on with your life with your head held high and the memories we made together. I love you so much and I thank you for loving me. Life will go on without me and I want nothing more than for you to love your life, even if I am no longer in it. I want you to take pictures of everything. Tell people that you love them. Do the things you’re scared to do. Those are the little moments in life that matter. Do those things in memory of me and have no regrets. Promise me, Damien. I will love you forever. Your wife, London.

  I wiped the tears that fell down my face and took in a deep breath. Folding the paper and placing it back in the envelope, I shoved it in my pocket, collected myself, and went up to the surgical waiting room. Only four hours had passed, and as I was sitting there with my face buried in my hands, I heard a voice and felt a hand on my shoulder.

  “Damien?”

  I looked up and saw Scott standing there. Immediately, I stood up and gave him a hug.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Do you even have to ask? There’s no way I was going to let you go through this alone. And don’t worry about the company. Everything is really good.”

  “I’m not worried about it at all. In fact, I could care less right now. Thanks for being here.”

  “Any update yet?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Have you eaten anything?”

  “No. I can’t.”

  “Damien, you have to eat. You’re going to be of no use to London when she gets out of surgery if you’re weak. Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria. Wait a second, is that a wedding ring on your finger?” he asked in shock.

  “Yes.” I smiled. “London and I got married yesterday morning.”

  “Wow, Damien. Congratulations. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Everything happened so fast. I really didn’t have a chance.”

  After we got back from the cafeteria, we took our seats in the waiting room. It was killing me. The waiting and the constant worry and nervousness. As Scott and I were talking, Grace walked in and I stood up.

  “I just came from the O.R. Jamieson got to the bottom half of the tumor with no problems. She’s stable and everything is going according to plan.”

  “Thank god.” I let out a sigh of relief.

  “There’s still many more hours to go yet. Just try to relax and I’ll keep you updated.”

  “Thank you, Grace.”

  She patted my shoulder and walked away.

  It felt as if time had stopped. The waiting was excruciating, and I felt like I was losing my mind. I paced back and forth across the waiting room. My heart ached with each minute that passed. I was exhausted, so I sat down in the chair next to Scott and closed my eyes for a few minutes. But it was more than a few minutes.

  “Damien?” I heard a voice.

  Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Dr. Finn standing over me.

  “The surgery went well and London is stable. There were a couple of complications, but nothing to worry about. I’ve placed her in a medically induced coma until the swelling in her brain goes down and her brain starts to heal.”

  “How long will that take?” I asked.

  “I plan on keeping her that way for about a week, maybe two. It depends. She will be monitored every second.”

  “Did you get the entire tumor?”

  “I did.” He smiled. “It was tricky, but I got it. All of it. There is not one speck of that tumor left inside her.”

  I let out a deep breath.

  “Thank you, Dr. Finn.” I hugged him.

  “Listen, Damien. You need to remember what we talked about. I don’t know how she’ll be or what kind of deficits she’ll have when she wakes up. You need to be prepared for the possibility that she may not be the same woman she was before the surgery.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Dr. Finn. She’ll always be the same woman to me, no matter what.”

  He gave me a sympathetic smile and placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “You can go to the ICU and see her. My suggestion would be to check out of Casa Del Mar and get a hotel closer to the hospital.”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you.”

  “Come on. I’ll take you to your wife,�
� he spoke. “And then I’m going to call her doctors and tell them that I removed her inoperable tumor.” He smiled.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Damien

  I walked into her room and over to her bedside, where I laid my head on her arm. Her head was covered in a white gauze and she was hooked up to several machines. To see her like this was frightening, but she was here and alive. I stayed with her for a while. I didn’t want to leave her side, but I had to check out of Casa Del Mar and find a hotel closer for the remainder of her stay here at the hospital. Scott drove with me to the hotel, where I gathered up all of London’s things and my own, packed our suitcases, and drove to the Four Seasons Hotel, where I was able to secure the Royal Suite for the next month, just to be safe.

  A week had passed, and it was the longest week of my life. I stayed by London’s side the entire time, leaving at midnight to go back to the hotel and get some sleep and back to the hospital by six a.m. I occupied my time by working. Dr. Finn said that if I didn’t do something, I’d go crazy. I also had Elvis Presley music softly playing for her. Sometimes, I’d come home from the office and she’d have his music on and sing to me when I stepped off the elevator. It drove me nuts at first, but now it made me smile. I leaned over and started singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to her.

  A few more days had passed, and Dr. Finn walked into the room.

  “The swelling in London’s brain is almost gone, so I’m going to start the process of waking her up. But I want you to know that it’s going to take time for her to come out of it.”

  “How long?” I asked with concern.

  “It could be a couple days or even a week. It’s up to her, when she’s ready, and then we’ll see what happens.” He sighed.

  “You sound concerned.”

  “I am very concerned because I have no way of knowing how she’s going to be.”

  “Well, whatever happens, happens. We can deal with it. The only thing that matters is she survived the surgery and she’s here.”