by Pavan Kaur
“Only two in the room at a time,” she says, checking Lexi’s monitor and the fluids going through the tube in her arm. “I'll start letting them come in.”
As much as I want to stay with Lexi, I know everyone wants to see her; they’ve waited long enough. I kiss her lips then walk out of her room and head toward the waiting room.
I stop when I see all the police lights coming through the windows. What the fuck is going on? I look around and see Travis running toward me, glancing back momentarily. I look behind him and can’t believe what I am seeing. “You fucker!” I run to where I see Sam sitting in a chair with police officers surrounding him. “I'll fucking kill you!” I shout.
As I get closer to Sam, Travis stands in front of me, trying to push me back. “Travis, move out of my fucking way.” I start pushing him away, but he stands firm. “Travis!” I shout, pushing him with all my strength, making him take a step back. As I’m moving around Travis to get closer to Sam, one of the officers reaches out and grabs my arm to stop me.
“Ethan!” Travis shouts my name then grabs ahold of the back of my shirt and pulls me back. “They have him. The shit-head will get what he deserves.”
Sam starts laughing, his eyes locked on mine. “I hope you enjoyed fucking my wife. You remember that every time you touch her. When you see those scars, you remember I was the one who did that. No matter what, she will have something to remember me by for the rest of her life.” Sam’s voice comes out like daggers being thrown at me.
Curling my fingers into a fist, I swing as hard as I can and feel a rush of satisfaction as it connects with his jaw. The officer standing beside me jumps in front of me, effectively holding me back from swinging again. Another officer reaches down and picks Sam up, holding him steady. Sam spits blood out of his mouth, then looks up at me again.
I stand face to face with him. “I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. You will become someone’s bitch, and above all things, you can put money on the fact that you’ll suffer a hundred-fold what Lexi suffers. And the entire time, I want you to remember that Ethan Knight was the one that made it happen.” As I go to take a step, an officer places a hand on my chest to stop me from reaching Sam. “Just remember one thing. You’ll be safer in prison than on the outside, because outside I would have been your worst nightmare.”
Travis pulls me away. I wanted to be the one to find Sam, to hurt him in a way that only happened in movies. I never wanted the police to get him.
“I want my lawyers here. I don’t give a shit what time it is or what they’re doing, I want them here right now!” Pushing Travis out of the way, I follow the officers outside, making sure they get Sam into the car. “Why was he here?” I ask the officer as the car door closes.
“He wanted to finish what he started,” the officer replies as he walks around the car and gets in the driver’s seat.
Watching him drive away, my palms become clammy, and my heart beats faster. He came back to finish what he started. He was here to kill Lexi.
Walking back into the waiting room, I look around at everyone. “Who wants to see Lexi first?” I ask. I’m not in the right frame of mind to see her right now.
“Do you think we should tell her about Sam coming here?” Dan asks me. Well, it’s not like I can fucking hide it from her.
“Who wants the job?” I look at them all staring at me. “I guess I’d better go talk to her, then.” Shaking my head, I walk past them.
Standing by the door, I stop and soak in her beauty.
“I can feel you staring.” Her voice is still quiet and weak. “Does no-” she pauses to take in a breath, “-one else want to see me?”
“They do, but I need to talk to you about something, first.” I take her hand in mine as I sit on the side of the bed. “Sam was just here.” Her small hand grips tighter on mine. “The police have arrested him—you’re safe. I won’t let him get close to you,” I tell her as I kiss her hand. I want her to understand there is no way I'll let her get hurt again. “I’ve called my lawyers, and now we have to decide how we want to proceed.” I feel her hand tightening even more.
Bringing my hand to her cheek, I wipe the tear from the side of her eye. “I’m going to tell the lawyers everything and they'll make sure you won’t have to do anything. The police will come to you, and I'll make sure my lawyers work it so you never have to see him again.” Placing my hand softly on her stomach, I feel her body shaking. “Lexi, do you still trust me?” I whisper. She nods her head. “I promise I'll make sure you don’t have to go to court. But, for now, I need you to know that I am here and you can relax.” I reach up and wipe away her tears.
“I can’t…see him.” Her voice shakes as she talks.
“Ethan, your lawyers are here,” I hear Dan say from behind me. “You really have them in control.” I look at him as he walks into the room with Jon right behind him.
“They need to know who they work for.” I bring my eyes back to Lexi’s. “You won’t have to worry about anything, I promise.” I kiss her soft lips, then turn and leave the room.
Walking into the waiting room, I see three of my lawyers talking to Travis and my mom.
As I’m walking their way, Jackie stops me. “Mr. Williams called me. He said he’s been trying to call Lexi, but she isn’t answering and he’s worried Sam got to her. What do you want me to tell him?” she asks me, in a soft, calm voice.
“Tell him the truth. I know that they’re close, and Lexi helped him when he needed it.” He was the only client Lexi wanted to keep because she saw him more as a friend than a client. Plus, I’ve seen him with her. He doesn’t treat her like his call girl. He treats her like a friend or a daughter, so he needs to know.
Walking over to Travis standing with the lawyers, I get their attention. “Has Travis told you the situation?” I ask them.
“Yes. We'll go to the station now and see what the charges are, then we can form a plan of action from there. Is there anything that Miss. Lexi would like?”
“She will not go to court. She doesn’t want to see him, much less be in the same room as him, so make sure that happens. And, I want you to make sure he never leaves. He’s to spend the rest of his fucking life behind those bars, understand?” I look at the three of them. They have worked with me long enough to know I get what I want or it won’t be good for them.
“Yes.” And with that one word, they leave. I do like that they know to keep it straightforward and not clutter it with crap I don't need to be bothered with.
Turning to Travis, I look him in the eyes. “Until Lexi is one hundred percent, you’ll take over all business matters. I'll have my phone, but I won’t be in the office, and for now, I want everything to come you first, then you can come to me if needed.” I rub my eyes. The fatigue is beginning to drag me down. “I’m going to stay at the hospital until Lexi comes home,” I add, walking to the bench to sit down.
“Would you like me to keep you informed about things?” Travis asks, sitting down next to me.
“Only if I need to know.” Resting my head back, I close my eyes. I need a minute to myself. Knowing that Dan and Jon are with her makes me feel a little better, and now that Sam is behind bars, I feel like I can relax.
“Edward and Angie signed the papers, so you won’t have to hear from them again,” Travis tells me. I smile with relief. Thankfully, I'll never have to see them again, and that’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
Lexi
Two weeks later.
My stay at the hospital seemed to last forever. I was never alone in the room; someone was always there visiting with me. Ethan never left the hospital, even at night. When someone else was visiting with me, he would wait in the waiting area.
“Ready to go home?" Ethan asks as he walks into the room. “All of the papers are signed, and they’ve given me the go-ahead to take you out of here.”
Taking my hand, he helps me to stand up. Oh yeah, that hurts a bit. I can still feel where I was stabbed, but the
doctor said the pain will ease with rest and to not do anything that will pull any of the muscles. I looked at Ethan and laughed when she said that. Our three-day bet has now turned into a two-month bet—maybe longer. Ethan has told me enough times that he isn't touching me until he's happy I’m back to normal. I know better than to try to fight him when he uses his serious 'I'm the boss' voice.
“Yes, and do you know what I want to do first?” I ask him, placing my hands on his shoulders.
“What's that?”
“Sleep in our bed,” I tell him. The hospital beds are not horrible, but nothing beats your own bed. “I can’t wait for you to make me breakfast. I’ve missed your cooking, I’ve missed our shower, I’ve just missed home.” I stop as the nurse walks in. I don’t want them to think I haven’t appreciated them because I do, more than they'll ever know. They’ve helped me through the nights when I couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares. They helped me shower when I couldn’t even stand up. They’ve given me back my life.
“All ready to go?” the nurse asks, and I nod my head. “You have to change the bandage regularly. Otherwise, you could get an infection,” she says, putting the instructions for care of the incision into my bag.
“I don’t think this one will miss anything.” I start laughing.
“You won’t be leaving the bed until I’m happy you're fit enough to walk.” Ethan helps me sit in the wheelchair. I've told him I don’t need one and that I can walk to the car, but he isn't listening.
“You have a good day,” the nurse says as she hands Ethan my bag. “You take care of yourself, Lexi. Our phone number is on the paperwork if you need us.”
“Thank you so much.” I smile her way as Ethan rolls my chair to the exit.
The penthouse is finally finished. Ethan’s mom oversaw all of that to make sure it was finished by the time I got out of the hospital. Ethan’s pleased with it and said I would love it. I already knew I was going to love it. Who wouldn't love living in a penthouse? It doesn’t get much better than that.
The police came this week and questioned me. They wanted me to tell them everything about my past. I gave them every name I have ever used and told them what Sam did to my father. They already had that in the file as an open case since no one was ever arrested for it when it happened. I also told them about what I remembered about the day at the warehouse. Tanya had already told them everything, but I still had to relive it for them.
Ethan’s lawyers were there every time the police came. They’d gotten the judge to agree to let me be absent from the court proceedings, and I was so happy when they told me I didn’t have to see him. I want the court date to come and go so I can finally start living my life, and never have to look over my shoulder ever again. I can finally look forward and enjoy every second with Ethan.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan says, placing his hand on top of mine.
“Okay. I just want to get home now,” I tell him, as I rest my head on the seat. “I might take a nap when we get home.”
“Good, I'm glad we agree.” Ethan gives me a wink with a cocky grin.
Today is the first day Ethan has acted normal around me. For the past two weeks, he’s treated me like I’m glass and going to break at any moment. When he would kiss me, it was with the softest touch and then he would only gently hold my arm to help me up or to the bathroom. Other than that, he hasn't touched me at all, but today, he's holding my hand. Not to help me, but because he can.
I think it’s sweet that he worries about me, but I want him to hug and kiss me the way he used to.
***
“As soon as we get home, I'll make lunch,” Ethan tells me as he helps me walk slowly into the building. “And then you're going to bed.”
“Hi, Joe.” I'm so happy to see him. “Ethan, I’ll wait here while you make lunch. I have a lot of gossip to catch up on,” I say, holding on to the desk. Ethan looks at me incredulously. “What? I need to know what’s been happening, and on top of that, Joe has missed me.” I look towards Joe. “Haven’t you?”
“I have, but if Ethan says rest, then I’m not going to fight with him.”
“It’s only until he makes lunch, and I'll be sitting right here the entire time,” I say, pointing to the chair.
“I’m going to order a couch for you both since I can already see she will be down here all the time.” Ethan helps me sit in the chair. “When I’ve finished making lunch, you’re coming straight up without a word.” He leans down to give me a kiss.
“Promise,” I tell Ethan before turning back to Joe. “So, what’s been happening?” I move a little in the chair to get comfortable.
I listen to Joe as he tells me all the details that I’ve missed, and nibble on some of the lemon cookies his wife made. I still can’t eat too much without feeling nauseated.
“Are you worried about the court date tomorrow?” Joe asks me.
Ethan has been trying to avoid the subject. He knew it would stress me out, and the doctor told him to keep me away from stress as much as possible.
“I’m just happy that Ethan’s lawyers got the judge to say I don’t have to be there in the courtroom. I think I would’ve been in worse shape if I had to see Sam,” I tell Joe, my words coming out in barely a whisper.
Even though I don’t have to see him, I still worry because I know anything can happen tomorrow. Ethan told me that he's not going to tell me anything because he doesn’t want me to worry or get upset about it. He said there wasn't any sense worrying about something I had no control over. The fact that he would take on the stress of everything to keep me from worrying about it makes me love him even more.
“You look like you're doing better, but I can see you’re a little on edge. When doors open, you look to see who's walking through, and you’re still constantly scanning your surroundings.” Joe gives my arm a rub, and I take a deep breath. “Let’s get you upstairs.” He stands up and takes my arm to help me up.
“Maybe Ethan’s right. The chair isn’t really that comfy to me," I say with a giggle. “You watch and see. There’ll be a couch here in the morning.”
“Morning? I give it until the end of my shift.”
I start laughing, knowing that Joe is probably right. Holding my stomach, I try to suppress the laughter. “Laughing will have to wait until this pain decides to leave me alone.” We walk into the penthouse, and I look around, impressed by what I see. “Wow! They really did a good job with this place,” I say, talking to myself but Joe voices his agreement.
I see Ethan walking toward me. “You should’ve called me. I would’ve come down and helped you," he says as he stops in front of me.
“I’m sorry, but I needed a strong man to help me.” I look over at Joe and give him a wink.
“You're never going to stop with the teasing and the sarcastic comments, are you?” Ethan looks at me as Joe helps me to the couch.
“Where would the fun be in that?” I ask him.
“Joe, a couch will be delivered today before the end of your shift,” Ethan tells him, and I start laughing.
“It’s a good job I didn’t put money on it.” I look behind me at Joe who's laughing as well. I look back at Ethan. “Thank you, the chair isn’t comfy at all,” I say, lying through my teeth. “Joe, I would love some lemon cookies,” I say, smiling at him.
“I'll get some for you in the morning.” Ethan walks over to the couch and kneels down in front of me. “But, I'll bring them up to you. I’d like you to relax for a few days,” he says, kissing my cheek. “I'll come see you before I go.” I nod at him then hear the door click shut.
“Lunch is finished. Are you ready to eat? I can bring it in here for you.”
“Please. Can I have a blanket? I’m getting a little cold.” Slowly sitting back up, I take Ethan’s fleece jacket off the side of the couch and put it over my shoulders.
He walks out, and I look around the new sitting room. You can tell that Ethan had no say in this place. There are beautiful photos on the wall, the couch
has pillows, and there are candles all around the room.
“You mom did a beautiful job with this place,” I tell Ethan as he walks back over with a blanket. “I can’t wait to see the bed you picked. I just hope its comfy.”
“There are things that I would have gotten, but her words were, ‘Lexi is living with you, now. You have to make it more homely.’ So, just for you, I’ve kept it the way she had it. But, if you don’t like anything, we'll get it changed.” He kisses me then walks over to the kitchen.
“No, I like it.” I move my feet around the footstool trying to bring it closer.
“What are you doing?” Ethan’s voice gives me a jolt. “If you need something, then ask me. Do you think I don’t want you to get better faster?” Setting the plates on the table with a little too much force, he brings the footstool in front of me. “Please, just ask me. I’m here for a reason," he tells me, handing me my plate.
I watch him as he sits down next to me, then I rest my head on his shoulder. “Sorry. I promise it'll be only rest for me until I get better.” As I look up at him, he gives me a kiss. “You know there’s a plus to me being home. I get to see you shirtless when we go to sleep. I hope you haven’t been slacking on looking after yourself.” I know I’m in no shape to do the things I want to, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look and enjoy the view.
Ethan starts laughing. “Only you would think like that when you're still recovering from major surgery." He turns his head and kisses me again. “I’m confident you’ll be happy,” he says giving me a wink before turning on the TV and taking a bite of his food.
“Can I ask you something? I know that you’ve already taken a lot of time off work, but I was wondering something.” I take a small bite out of my sandwich.
“I’m the boss, and I’m paying Travis to keep the place running until I get back, so what do you want to ask?”