Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2)

by Isabella Kole

  "Baby, you fell in the woods. Do you remember anything?"

  "Vaguely. I remember having lunch with Bonnie, then walking to my bench when I got home. I must have been on my way back. Did I trip?"

  "We don't know, precious. When we realized that you were missing, John and I went to the woods to look for you. When we found you, you were unconscious."

  "How long have I been out?"

  "Three days."

  "What?"

  "Three days, baby. I was so worried. Your mom's here. Mom, Bonnie, and Jared have been in and out. And Dr. Kellum and his wife are here."

  "Oh, my, all of you? Where are my babies?"

  "Ellie and John have been taking excellent care of them. Annie flew up from the beach house last night to help out. They're fine, but they miss their mama. They send their love with hugs and kisses."

  The nurse came in, followed by Dr. Kellum. "We've paged Dr. Phillips; he's on his way. Harper, may I check you out?"

  "Sure, whatever you need to do."

  She checked Harper's vitals. Turning to Dr. Kellum, she said, "She seems to be doing fine."

  Dr. Phillips came rushing into the room. "Harper, are we ever glad to see you."

  "Harper, this is Dr. Phillips. He's been taking care of you since the night we brought you in."

  "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Bentley, and very glad to see your eyes opened." He looked at her chart and seemed pleased.

  "I'm going to order another CT scan of your head. Do you have a headache, Harper?"

  "A little, and my arm hurts."

  "We'll get you something for the pain. It may make you sleepy, but you need to rest, anyway."

  "Whatever you say, Dr. Phillips," Harper replied, smiling weakly. She looked over at Dr. Kellum, who winked at her.

  "If you're feeling hungry at all, the nurses can get you some broth or tea—nothing more than that, at first."

  "I'll try some broth."

  "All right, let's get you to radiology for that scan, first. After that, we'll get you some food."

  When the broth arrived a little later, Parker insisted on spoon feeding her. She gratefully let him, taking small sips.

  "This is like the time I had the flu and you took care of me."

  "But this time I've felt so helpless, baby."

  The next day, Harper was able to sit up for short periods of time. The doctor allowed her to try more solid food. Her CT scan had shown improvement, much to everyone's relief.

  "Parker, I've been going over it and over it, in my head. I know this may sound crazy to you, but I'm almost certain I didn't trip. I think I remember hearing a noise. After that, I felt a pain in my head. It's almost as if someone or something hit me over the head before I fell."

  "Harper, are you fairly sure about this?"

  "I'm positive."

  An icy feeling gripped Parker's heart. Who would want to hurt Harper, the sweetest person in the world? Surely, Laramie wouldn't have ordered a hit on her? He was known to be a ruthless businessman, and it was rumored he had connections with the underworld, but attempted murder? Thinking back to Aileen's accident, he wondered to what lengths the man would go to get what he wanted.

  "Harper, I don't want you to panic, but I'm going to make a call to the police. I think they need to come down here and take a statement from you. Are you up to it?"

  "Yes, do what you think best."

  When he hung up the phone, he told her, "A Detective Carter will be here within the hour to speak with us." He took Harper's hand. "I'll make sure you're protected from now on, Harper. No one is going to take you away from me."

  "Please, arrange for some security at the house… my babies…"

  "I'll take care of it right now." He dialed the phone, filling John in. "Until the police can get someone out there, keep the alarm on, and don't take your eyes off the children for a minute."

  When he finished his conversation, he smiled at Harper. "They're all happy you're awake. They won't take their eyes off Ava and Aiden for a second."

  "Thank you."

  When Detective Carter made his appearance, he seemed genuinely concerned. "The Laramie bunch is not someone you want to get on your bad side. I'm afraid you may have done that by refusing to sell to them."

  "But to resort to such drastic measures? Do you really think they'd stoop to this?" Parker asked.

  "I don't know; anything's possible." Turning to Harper, he gently asked, "Now, Mrs. Bentley, do you think you can tell me everything you remember?"

  "I'll try, Detective." She related to him the same story she'd told Parker, earlier.

  The detective took notes throughout the conversation. When they were finished, he looked at the two of them and said, "I intend to put some security at the house and also at your offices. I'll have an undercover police officer outside Mrs. Bentley's door, at all times. I don't want to take any chances."

  "We have a home on Hilton Head Island. Should I call the police there to watch it?" Parker inquired.

  "I'll take care of that for you. I'll also do some digging, see what I can find out."

  "Thank you." Parker stood up to shake his hand.

  "Mrs. Bentley, I hope you're feeling better soon." He nodded to Harper as he quietly left the room.

  "Wow, this is frightening, Parker."

  "It's all right. I won't let anything happen to you. That bastard won't be able to get to you now." He put his arms around her, hoping he was right.

  The nursing staff had been alerted, as well as the family, close friends, and certain people within the company.

  When Jenny came on duty and heard about the suspected attack on Harper's life, she came forward with more information about a suspicious male nurse who'd been trying to administer Harper medications that weren't on her chart.

  Detective Carter took down the information when Parker told him. It was then that Parker vaguely remembered walking in on a male nurse to find him standing next to Harper's bed, holding a pillow. He told the detective about it.

  "It could be a coincidence, or it could be this guy is working for Laramie or whoever is behind this. I'll see what I can find out about this nurse," the detective told them.

  "There's something else you should know," Parker told him. "My first wife died in a freak accident almost three years ago. Laramie was already trying to get my company at that time. Do you think there could be a connection?"

  "There may very well be. I'll pull the records on her accident as well. I'll get back to you when I know something, or if I have any other questions."

  "Thank you for all you're doing for us."

  "If Laramie is behind this, we need to stop him. And if it isn't him, we need to find out so we can look for other suspects. Is there anyone else who would want to hurt your wife or your first wife, for that matter?"

  "I can't think of anyone. Harper has no enemies. I wouldn't think anyone would have had a reason to hurt Aileen, either, so it has to be directed at me. Laramie is the most likely suspect."

  "That's where we'll start, then. Both of you have a good day and try not to worry. You need to concentrate on your recovery, Mrs. Bentley."

  "Thank you." Harper forced a smile as she spoke.

  When Dr. Phillips made his rounds that night, the nurses told him about the new developments. After hearing the news, and due to the fact Harper had been unconscious for three days, the doctor suggested keeping her in the hospital for observation an extra day. "I'm concerned about the stress causing problems. I'd just feel better if we kept her one more night, keep an eye on her blood pressure and a few other things."

  "With all that's been going on, that might be for the best," Parker agreed.

  The next afternoon, after Parker and Harper had taken a stroll around the floor, he was helping her back into bed when Lorena walked into the room, carrying a vase of flowers and a box of chocolates. Parker stiffened when he saw her. He gave Harper a look that held a silent message to remain calm.

  "Hello, Lorena," Parker said in the
calmest voice he could, under the circumstances. "What brings you here?"

  "I read about Harper's accident and thought I'd drop these by for her. No hard feelings, Harper. I sincerely hope you're on the mend."

  Knowing the suspected murder attempt had been kept out of the news media, Parker carefully chose his words. "Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you, Lorena."

  "Yes, thank you, Lorena. I'm feeling much better."

  "That's good news. I'd better get going. I have a plane to catch. Take care." The woman turned and walked out the door, leaving Parker and Harper to wonder what the visit was really about.

  "I'll get rid of these." Parker picked up the vase and the candy and went to the guard in the hallway.

  "Have these checked out, please. That was the suspect's daughter who just delivered them."

  "I'll call it in right away." Within minutes, someone arrived to take them to the police lab.

  Not wishing to alarm Harper, Parker didn't tell her the flowers and candy were being tested. He wondered if Lorena deliberately delivered those items, knowing they were tainted, or if her father had pulled a fast one on her?

  When Detective Carter walked into the room a few hours later, Parker could tell by the look on his face his worst fear had been confirmed.

  "You were right, Mr. Bentley. The flowers were all right, but each and every piece of chocolate had been injected with a poison. I believe we now have enough evidence to pick up Mr. Laramie and his daughter on suspicion of attempted murder."

  Parker dropped his head. "If I'd known they were capable of this, I'd have sold my damn company to them." Looking at Harper, he said, "I'm so sorry, Harper. I had no idea."

  She took his hand and replied gently, "Honey, it's not your fault. You didn't know. None of us did. And they didn't succeed. I'm getting better every day."

  "Think about poor Aileen; they may have killed the mother of my children. And for what, my company?"

  "We'll be questioning them about that as well, sir."

  "Any leads on the male nurse yet?"

  "I believe we may have located him. If we can offer him a reduced sentence, we may be able to get him to reveal who he was taking orders from."

  The detective left to get the warrant issued for the arrest of Mr. Laramie and Lorena.

  Parker said to Harper, "If you only knew how deeply I regret putting you through this. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

  "Parker, there's nothing to forgive. You had no idea."

  Detective Carter called Parker, later that day. "We've located the nurse. He's being extradited back to Chicago. Laramie and his daughter are in police custody and are being questioned as we speak."

  "Keep us informed."

  "I will. I need to get into the interrogation room now, but I wanted you to have an update."

  "Thanks."

  That night, as Harper was about to fall asleep, she said, "Parker, I miss you lying next to me."

  "You really want to be that close to me after all that's happened?"

  "You're going to have to stop beating yourself up about this. I'll always want to be close to you."

  He got up from the chair, gently easing himself onto the bed beside her. Taking her in his arms, he rocked her until she fell asleep. He softly kissed her forehead, whispering, "I'll love you forever, my precious angel."

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, Parker and Harper received a visit from Detective Carter.

  "The mysterious male nurse is in custody. Hopefully, after he's told about the reduced sentence offer, he'll chirp like a bird."

  "What about Lorena and her father?" Harper asked.

  "So far, neither of them is talking. Their lawyer has been with them the entire time. Miss Laramie says she knows nothing. Her father hasn't said anything at all."

  After the detective had gone back to the station, Mary came in the room. "I have a surprise for you, Harper."

  Grace walked in, holding Ava's hand. She was carrying Aiden, who ran to the bed as soon as she put him down.

  "Easy now, guys, Mama's still recovering," Parker told them gently.

  "Mama, can I sign your cast?" Ava asked as she looked at the fiberglass contraption on Harper's left arm.

  "Sure you can, princess. Let's see if we can find a marker."

  "Right here; the nurses left it for you." Parker handed it to Ava, who printed her name proudly. He helped Aiden print his name on it when his sister was finished.

  "Aiden, you're growing. Have Ellie and Annie been feeding you superhero food or something?"

  "Oh, Mama, you're silly." He leaned across the bed and planted a kiss on Harper's cheek.

  "Daddy says you can come home today," Ava stated seriously.

  "Mama, please don't fall in the woods again," Aiden said. The little boy looked into her eyes and smiled.

  "I don't plan on it, Master Aiden." She laughed as she looked at Parker. She could see the pride in his green eyes as he watched her with the children.

  "I think you guys had better let your mama rest now. Come on; let's go home. Annie is baking a chocolate cake," Mary reminded them.

  "Chocolate cake and I'm not there. Go figure," Harper joked.

  "I'm sure she'll save some for you, baby, don't be jealous." Parker leaned down to kiss her.

  After the two grandmothers took the children home. Parker sat down next to Harper's bed again. Flashing one of his award-winning sexy grins, he said, "Baby, I can't wait to get you home. You're going to be the most pampered wife in Chicago, if not the whole state of Illinois."

  "I thought I already was." She giggled as she reached up and gently caressed his face.

  "You aren't going to lift a finger for a while."

  "I can't wait to get home to my own bed. Or to get you into it."

  "Now, I think you may be rushing things a little. You'll need to rest when we get home."

  "But at least you can hold me all night long. I've missed that."

  "Oh, yes, I can certainly do that." He kissed her passionately, the first they'd shared in weeks.

  "Uh, I don't think you'd better do that again, for a while, anyway."

  "I can tell you really are on the mend if that kiss affected you," he teased.

  "Your kisses always affect me, Parker. They always leave me wanting more and more."

  "I told you on our honeymoon, once I'd gotten a taste of you, it would never be enough. And I was right. I couldn't want you more right now."

  "Thank God we still have that to look forward to."

  "Yes, Harper, we have a lot to be thankful for."

  That afternoon, there was a break in the case. Detective Carter had called to tell Parker he'd be stopping by later, with news.

  "What do you suppose he's going to tell us?" Harper asked nervously.

  "I don't know. Hopefully, they've gotten a confession, or the nurse talked."

  "Call our mothers. I want them to be here."

  "I was thinking that, too." He dialed his mother's number and asked her to come to the hospital and to bring Grace with her.

  "Is anything wrong, Parker?" she asked worriedly.

  "I'm hoping everything is right. Detective Carter has news for us. We'd like for you and Grace to be here when he tells us what it is."

  "We'll be right there. We were just having cake and coffee with Ellie and Annie."

  "You're all going to miss Annie when she goes back home."

  "Yes, we are, very much."

  The two women arrived at the hospital a short time before the detective did. All of them were seated around Harper's bed when he entered the room.

  "Detective, if you don't mind, we'd like for Harper's mother and my mother to hear what you have to say."

  "That's perfectly all right. Ladies, good afternoon to you both." He nodded to the women and shook Harper's hand and then Parker's before continuing.

  All in the room were waiting on pins and needles.

  "I'll get right to the point, as I know you're all anxious to hear
what I have to say."

  "Yes, we are, please tell us what you know," Parker replied, urging him to go on.

  "Our plan worked. The nurse told us everything we wanted to know. But I believe you're going to be surprised at what he told us."

  "Surprised? You mean Laramie isn't the culprit?" Parker asked in a shocked tone.

  "Not exactly. You see, it was Laramie's silent partner who hired the nurse, a Mr. Carl Johnson. It seems, the young man, who also posed as a nurse, had indeed struck Mrs. Bentley on the head with a rock, causing her to fall and lose consciousness. He left her there, thinking she would most likely freeze to death before anyone found her. When Johnson learned that Harper had survived the attack, he instructed Cruz Cortez, the so-called nurse, to finish the job. How he found out she had survived, we don't know, since nothing was leaked to the press. Someone may have been watching the comings and goings at your place. When you walked in on Cortez with the pillow in his hand, he was about to smother Harper with it. And when Jenny walked in on him with the syringe, he was about to inject a drug into Harper's IV that would probably have killed her. Young lady, you need to thank your lucky stars that both times someone walked into the room."

  "Oh, Parker." She reached for him, terror stricken.

  He took her hand, soothing her.

  "Go on, detective, is there more?" Parker asked.

  "When Cortez failed, Johnson took it upon himself to finish the job. That's when he called Laramie and told him of Mrs. Bentley's 'accident.' He suggested that Laramie send his daughter with the tainted chocolates, since she was a 'friend' of Mr. Bentley. Of course, neither Liam nor Lorena knew the chocolates were tainted. At least, there is no evidence of that, at this time."

  "Has he admitted to any of this?"

  "Carl Johnson has been charged with attempted murder. He hasn't entered a plea yet. The arraignment is later this afternoon."

  "What about Mr. Laramie?" Mary inquired.

  "He says he knew nothing. But we aren't sure we believe him. We're still working on getting him to talk."

  "And Lorena?" Parker asked.

  "We have the confession of Cortez, as well as the proof of the tainted chocolates. Lorena has come forward, saying that it was Johnson who convinced her she should seek a relationship with Mr. Bentley for the good of the company. She still says she knew nothing about what was going on. She thought it was a nice gesture to stop by with the flowers and candy. She has said that if she had known the real reason behind Johnson asking her to pursue Parker, she would not have done so. Now, whether she is trying to cover her own ass or telling the truth, we don't know yet."