by Joyce Jordan
Nate had managed to get hold of the two guards he had assigned to Ana. Apparently she had made them and evaded them, so they had no idea where she was and were trying to go to her usual places but couldn’t find her. A couple of times they thought they had seen her, but then she disappeared again.
“Fuck. How can she evade experienced people like that? When she gets out of here, they will need to stick to her like glue. I don’t care if she doesn’t like it. Her safety comes first. And you too Kelly. You need to start using the car. I’m not having what happened to Ana happen to you too. Fuck this. I need a drink.” Gabe stood and threw the rest of his uneaten food in the trash then walked out the door.
Kelly started crying and Stefano took her into his arms. The brothers followed Gabe out. They found him pacing at the elevators. “I need to hit someone, so don’t start. I told her repeatedly that it was dangerous on the subway, especially for someone who didn’t grow up here. But what did she do, she snubbed me and told me to she didn’t want me to interfere. Well, you know what? I am damn well interfering now. The gloves are off. I’d rather have her angry at me about my interference and at least know she is safe than pussy foot around and see her lie in a damn hospital bed with no idea of when and if she will wake up.” He paused to stare out of the window at the end of the elevators.
“Do you know how exasperating it is to deal with a female who tells you ‘no’ to things that are in her best interests?” None of the brothers answered. They knew Gabe didn’t really need a response. He just needed to vent and let it out. “One minute you want to tie her up and make love to her until she can’t move and the next you want to throttle her neck. One thing I can promise you all, is that there is going to be a wedding before the end of the year. Even if I have to tie her up and and have the pastor come to the penthouse to wed us.”
“It’s about fucking time brother,” Manuel said as he slapped him on the back.
“And I will help you tie her down,” Rafe added his support.
Everybody laughed when Nate said, “I’ll start making plans for the bachelor party. How many strippers do you want?”
“God I love that woman. I need to go and sit with her. Now I feel calm enough not to give bad vibes when I hold her hand. And believe me she can tell.”
“I’ll be leaving shortly to pick her family from the airport. I figured it will be more polite if we didn’t just send a driver,” Rafe said to Gabe.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Do you need me to bring anything?” Rafe asked.
“No, but can you go with Kelly. She knows them and I think her mother will feel a little calmer with her there.”
“Sure, does she know?”
“No, let me talk to her.”
They went back and Gabe suggested to Kelly that she go and meet Ana’s parents at the airport. “They will need to see a friendly face when they land,” Gabe explained to her. “They know and trust you. I’m sure her mother would rather hear what happened from you. You are not only Ana’s friend but also a doctor. Can you do that for me Kelly?” Gabe wasn’t above using every anything he had in his drawer.
“Sure, I’ll go,” she agreed.
“Thanks. And I’m sorry about earlier. But I mean’t it about using the car and driver. I need to make sure you are safe. Okay?”
“That’s okay. I understand, and I promise I will.”
Gabe kissed her cheek and said, “Thanks. And I don’t mean this the bad way, but you need to fix your face before you meet her parents. Her mother will think the worst of she could see you like that.”
“Ouch Gabe,” she said as she punched him in the chest. “It can’t be that bad, can it?” When he just smiled and held his hands out as a sign saying not to shoot the messenger, she punched him again and laughed. She left to go to the bathroom and almost screamed when she saw her face. She looked like a scarecrow. Without her handbag, the only think she could do was wash her face of all makeup. Immediately she felt better and went back to Ana’s room. She held her hands and told her she would be right back, she was going to pick up her parents from the airport. She kissed her forehead before she left. Gabe escorted her to the elevators. Rafe was right behind them.
“Rafe will take you,” Gabe said as he kissed her cheek.
“Ahh. Okay.” Kelly was surprised. She thought he was going to send her with a driver alone.
“I need to get my purse from the locker room. Is that okay?” Kelly asked Rafe as he punched in the first floor button.
“Sure,” was his reply.
Fifteen
Kelly and Rafe
Kelly collected her purse with Rafe right behind her. She would have prefered to go alone and not have anyone witness her tears. Despite what Gabe had said, she still felt responsible. Ana was her friend, her best friend and if not for her forgetting her notes at home, Ana wouldn’t have had to get on that train and meet those boys who almost killed her. She was a doctor, but everything she had learnt seemed to have flown out the window. She knew that as long as Ana remained in a coma, there was a good chance she would wake up. But after that it was anybody’s guess whether she would be fully functional or would have speech, limb or something else not at one hundred percent functionality.
When they got to the limo, she realized Rafe had been holding her hand. She hadn’t even realized it before. So absorbed had she been in thinking about her friend. Lying there. All alone on a hospital bed. She wished it were possible that she could join her and cuddle up with her. Maybe Ana would feel that she was not alone and would wake up faster.
The driver opened the door and Kelly got inside. As soon as she sat, her tears started falling again. She couldn’t seem to stop them flowing. The reality of meeting Ana’s parents at the airport was getting to her. What would she tell them? They would surely blame her, but not more than she was blaming herself.
A white handkerchief appeared in her line of sight. She looked at it a moment as if it would jump and bite her before she took it gratefully and wiped her tears. “Thank you,” was all she could manage.
“Sweetheart, you need to stop beating yourself up,” Rafe said to her as he picked her up and placed her on his lap. “I know Ana wouldn’t want that from you.”
“I’m sorry,” Kelly hiccuped.
“Nothing to be sorry about. We all know you and Ana love each other. But this was an accident. Not your fault at all,” Rafe replied her and took the hankie and proceeded to wipe her tears away.
“I’m trying. It’s hard. I can’t stand seeing her so helpless. What if…What if…”
“Shshshsh. Don’t even think it. Ana needs you right now. You need to be strong for her. You need to be strong for her parents.” Rafe tucked her head under his chin and rocked her. “Everybody is rooting for her and she will make it. I need you to believe that otherwise you are no good to her. She will sense that from you, and we wouldn’t like that would we, baby?”
“I feel so helpless. And to think I couldn’t even remember half the stuff we learnt on concussions and comas, it’s so embarrassing,” Kelly whispered.
“It’s just your emotions overpowering you. Give it time and you will remember and start thinking like a doctor,” Rafe told her and lightly kissed her forehead. He ran his hands through her hair trying to comfort her. “Right now, you are thinking like a friend. Which is natural. Don’t be embarrassed.”
Kelly sighed loudly, blew her nose and settled in against Rafe’s shoulder. “I guess.” She felt the comfort coming from him and didn’t want to move. The events of the day were wearing down on her and just being held like a little girl in Rafe’s arms gave her so much strength and made her feel less alone. Soon she would need to move, but for now she would take the comfort and be ready to face Ana’s parents and brothers, then be able to sit with her friend later and not weep the whole time. Ana would survive this. Ana was a fighter. Now it was up to her to keep remembering that. She wiggled her bottom trying to find a more comfortable position and heard Rafe
growl. “Sorry, guess I am hurting you. I’m too heavy.” She made to move away, but Rafe held on.
“No, you are fine. You hardly weigh much.”
“But you just…” Kelly started to say before she felt his thick erection against the side of her body. "“Oh! I’m sorry,” she said looking at him with wide eyes.
“Yeah,” he replied and chuckled at her.
“I didn’t mean…” Kelly said and didn’t finish the sentence.
“I know baby. Just lie still and not move around. Okay.”
“Ummm. Okay,” she whispered back. Easier said than done. Kelly was wondering how that was possible. How much longer was it before they got to the airport? The pressure was too much. At least if she hadn’t felt it, she may have been able to relax against his shoulder like she had before. But now. All she could think about was the erection she had felt between them. She sighed and wiggled trying to calm down.
“Kelly,” Rafe groaned.
“What?” she asked lifting her head then realized she had moved. “Oh! Ummmm. Sorry.” She sat up lifted her leg then dropped it down intending to get off Rafe’s lap, but Rafe grabbed her body and tugged her closer.
“Stop!”
Kelly froze.
“Just don’t move, baby,” he said with obvious pain.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you let me sit in my own seat?”
“No. And don’t say anything either,” he hissed.
“Rafe, this is ridiculous. Let me…” Ana said as she made to move off him again. Trying to get some purchase, she moved one hand to his shoulder and another grabbed onto his thigh. She didn’t realize where on his thigh it landed until she felt something both soft and hard, thickening as she grabbed hold. “Oops.”
She froze and the next thing she knew her lips had been captured by Rafe’s lips. “Fuck.” He took her lips and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her like a man drowning, a man on his death bed, a man returning home from a long absence. Kelly felt the softness of Rafe’s lips on hers and simply melted and held onto his shoulders. She lifted both hands and wrapped them around his neck. She opened her lips, giving him access and welcomed his tongue into her mouth.
Rafe knew he needed to stop, but he simply couldn’t. Her lips were so soft against his lips, and he had dreamt of kissing her for weekes on end, tried to stay away from her and had succeeded until today when he had seen her crying for her friend. It had taken a lot from him not to comfort her at the hospital. He just needed to drown in her kisses and at least have that before things went back to normal. Unfortunately, he didn’t want things to go back to the way they were. He needed her in his life. He could see forever with her, but had been afraid that he may not have been the best candidate for her. His reasons were selfish. But right now he didn’t care. He just needed her and he intended on going for her with everything he had. And that started with kissing her until he was satisfied. And Kelly too. But he didn’t think one kiss would satisfy him, so he would continue to kiss her, hopefully everyday and get the chance to explore her exquisite body.
He came up for air and nibbled her lower lip before he took her lips again and drowned himself in them. John’s voice and the lack of movement of the car brought him back to his senses. “You okay baby?” he asked Kelly.
Dazed, Kelly couldn’t say a word, but just nodded. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, and how it had happened. Emotions, probably she thought to herself. She felt Rafe lift her from his lap and gently placing her on the seat beside him just a few seconds before the door to the limo opened. She was the first one out and Rafe followed behind her. He buttoned her coat then took her hand and walked to the jet on the tarmac. The pilot was just dropping the stairs down and a few minutes later she saw Mark with Matt behind him, Ana’s mum then dad followed. She rushed over and hugged them and fresh tears started falling again. Rafe’s presence beside her gave her courage and she quickly dried her tears then tried to calm Ana’s mom.
They all got into the limo and she was grateful when Rafe did most of the talking giving them updates on Ana’s condition and the doctor’s prognosis.
Sixteen
Gabe was back by Ana’s side. Everyone took turns to come and sit with him and Ana. They all reminisced about some of the happy events they had had with her. They told jokes and from time to time just begged her to wake up. A nurse came in to check on her and left after a few minutes.
About ninety minutes after Rafe and Kelly had left, they came back with Jim, Maggie, Matt and Mark, Ana’s parents and her brothers. Kelly directed them to her room and her mother cried at the sight of her daughter. Kelly held her hand and told her she couldn’t cry because Ana would hear her crying. Gabe stepped aside to give Jim space to be closer to Ana. He left with Kelly giving her family private time to visit with Ana.
After half an hour they all came out and introductions were made around the group.
“Thank you all for being here with Ana. We are grateful that she has such a lovely family close by to look out for her,” Jim said to them all.
Eva, Gabe’s mom answered for them all. “We all love Ana, have loved her from the first moment we met her. And we are very grateful that she is in our lives. You raised a lovely daughter,” she said. “I’m so glad Gabe found her. She has become a daughter to me and sister to my daughter and boys.”
They all sat and talked about what had happened, what the police had so far, and that they had their family lawyer working on getting the names of the punks who had tossed Ana around as if she were some piece of meat, so he could file charges against them on behalf of both Ana and the poor old lady who Ana had been trying to protect. They had already talked to the old lady’s kids and signed her as a client. Apparently this was not the first time something similar had happened. Unfortunately this time it had resulted in someone getting hurt. But bullying on the subway was not uncommon and not even from gang members, but nice looking kids like the teenagers that had assaulted Ana. It seemed like the rich kids were above the law, or people were just afraid to come forward because most times thing were just brushed under the carpet. This time, however, Gabe intended to make these four boys an example for the other old ladies and other Anas out there. He hoped her parents would be on board.
Later that night, Maggie insisted on staying with Ana. Eva managed to talk sense into her and told her she needed sleep in a proper bed so she could be alert during the day for her daughter. She agreed reluctantly, and made Gabe promise to call if there were any changes. His mum and sister took them to his penthouse to show them where everything was before the driver took them home.
Kelly almost refused to go home too, but finally agreed when Stefano talked to her. They left together after Rafe had called his limo to pick them out front.
His brothers wouldn’t hear of going and leaving him alone. They each camped out on a coach and sweet talked the nurses for a blanket each. Gabe laughed and shook his head when they threw him a blanket. Gabe slept in batches of time, he never let Ana’s hand go except when he went to the bathroom. Every now and again one of his brothers would sit with him and hold Ana’s other hand.
Morning came with no changes to Ana’s coma. By eight, people were filing in and taking their places in the private sitting room, and taking shifts to sit with Ana. At one time, Jim and Maggie sat with her, then another Eva and Maggie sat with her and exchanged stories of Ana.
When Gabe and Jim sat with Ana, he saw the man almost cry tears. Gabe promised to take good care of his daughter. “I just need her to wake up, sir and I promise I will do everything and anything in my power to protect her. I love her.”
“I know son. She loves you too. I could see it the weekend you came to visit. But I hope you are prepared, because she can be a stubborn one.”
Gabe snorted. “Why do you think she ended up on the subway. She refused to use a driver and car I had assigned to her. And ditched the body guards I set in place. But to be honest, we were not talking. Needless to say it was all my fault,” h
e apologized. “And because of that I blame all this that happened yesterday on me. Knowing Ana, she would probably still have used the subway, but at least she wouldn’t have been mad at me.”
“Don’t worry son. Every couple has arguments. I’m sure you will work it out when she recovers.”
“It’s been twenty four hours now. And she hasn’t shown any sign of improvement. I hate that.”
“Well, at least it hasn’t gotten worse either. In my book it means there is hope. Don’t give up on her, she needs you.”
“I will never give up on her. That I can promise you.”
His brothers left to shower and change. They brought him an overnight bag and he managed to steal a shower in Ana’s bathroom. If it were not for her parents, he wouldn’t have made the effort. But after the shower, he felt better and had renewed energy for his vigil.
Someone made sure there was food and everybody was fed. His lawyer, Lester passed by to see Ana and give an update. He told them the police were being tight fisted about the names of the boys. His guess was one or more of the boys came from a prominent family.
“Can you get a private investigator on it?” Gabe asked. Lester nodded and Gabe went on, “Make sure you get me the best, Lester. Someone who can bring results in twenty four hours. When we get the names, I need the families investigated. I have a feeling these boys have been up to some other types of mischief and gotten away with it.”
A few hours after dinner people filed out as the night before, to go home. This time neither Maggie nor Kelly made any fuss. The brothers pulled their blankets from the night before and each one claimed a couch. As the previous night they took turns to sit with Gabe and Ana.
Friday and Saturday happened in exactly the same fashion as the previous two days. Dr. Eli Simmons who had passed with flying colors on his background check came in each morning and evening to check on Ana. Each time he had said there was no improvement and they had taken her for more tests, and assured them that the prognosis of some type of recovery was still there. The best thing that happened is that she didn’t have any swelling in her head. He talked about how each patient is different. Some take a few hours to wake up, yet others can take days, weeks, months or even years, and with one hundered percent brain and body functionality.