The Sacrifice: Forbidden, Book 1

by Samantha Sommersby

  “She told me she was engaged on more than one occasion. Katherine didn’t consider it a date. It was just dinner.”

  “And that’s different how?”

  “My point, exactly!” I said triumphantly. “I thought it was a date. Why didn’t she? Well, you’ve got me. She’s your daughter.”

  “So, how long have you been not dating my daughter?”

  “We’ve just had the one non-date.”

  “Let me ask you a question,” said Julia, shifting a bit in her chair. “You meet my daughter, charm her into agreeing to a date, it’s a train wreck, literally… And yet you’re still here by her side. Why? You barely know her.”

  “I made her a promise.”

  “A promise?”

  I shook my head. “It’s more than that.”

  She waited patiently.

  “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  Julia nodded.

  “As we pulled into her stop I kissed Katherine good-bye. It wasn’t our first kiss of the night and I didn’t want it to be our last.” I paused, hesitant to continue.

  “You asked her to go home with you?”

  I looked away and swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Begged would probably be more accurate. Promised her she wouldn’t regret it. Convinced her, I did. Before the next stop we derailed. It all happened so bloody fast. There wasn’t any warning. We lost power. I had my arms around her, but I couldn’t hold on and keep her from falling.”

  “You do realize this isn’t your fault.”

  I turned back and looked her in the eye. “The wreck, no. But, the fact that she was there in that carriage at that time? That’s completely my fault.”

  “I’m sorry,” Katherine said, pulling away.

  “At least let me walk you back to your flat.”

  She shook her head. “It’s close to the stop. I haven’t got far to go. I’ll be fine.”

  “I insist. It’s late.”

  “If I don’t walk away from you now I won’t have the strength to do it at all. Please, Wes. Just let me go.”

  I had no choice. I steeled myself against the overwhelming disappointment and watched as Katherine walked down the aisle. I’d tried my best and I’d lost.

  As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, I switched sides so I could follow her progress from the window. I saw her hurry toward the exit to the station. Then, when she was just about to round the corner, she hesitated and turned back. It was almost as if she were searching for the right window. I lifted my hand to the glass. Suddenly, Katherine was running back toward me. I moved, swiftly, arriving at the open doors just in time to gather her into my waiting arms.

  “You came back.”

  “I realized I hadn’t said good-bye.”

  “I’m better at hello,” I said, taking her face in my hands and crushing my lips to hers in a passionate kiss. As I felt her arms wrap about my waist I lowered my hands, resting them on her hips and pulling her in closer still.

  “Wes, my daughter is very stubborn. If she didn’t want to go out with you, she wouldn’t have. If she didn’t want to go home with you, she wouldn’t have agreed to it. No one pushes Kate around, and I mean no one.”

  I wondered about Damien. “Can’t help but notice that Damien isn’t with you. Is he coming?”

  “I don’t know. I actually hope he isn’t. I’ve never been good at pretending.” Julia shook her head. “I always thought he was the steady, reliable type.”

  “He’s a fool.”

  “True. Your injury,” she said, gesturing toward my immobilized arm. “I didn’t even ask about it.”

  “It’s nothing, just a dislocation. I’ll be fine.”

  I reached for Katherine’s hand, intertwining my fingers with hers.

  “Is this all right?”

  “Are you asking me for permission to hold my daughter’s hand?”

  “I find myself on uncertain ground here. I’m not a cad, Julia. Really I’m not. But I’m afraid you might think me one.”

  That made her smile. “I’m really not quite sure what to make of you, Dr. Atherton.”

  “Wes.”

  “Okay. Wes. You look so familiar.” Julia stood up and stretched. “I just can’t place it.”

  “My father was fairly well-known, when he was alive. Perhaps that’s it. I’m often told I look very much like him.”

  “You’re Sullivan’s son,” she said, recognition dawning.

  “That’s right. You know of him?”

  “I still have a couple of his paintings in my gallery. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve overpriced the pieces because I can’t bear the thought of parting with them. He was a very gifted man.”

  “Yes, he was. Tell me, do you believe that certain things are predestined, fated to happen?”

  “No. And before you ask, I don’t believe in love at first sight, either. Your parents’ love was legendary. While I believe that it was genuine, I also believe that kind of love is very rare. But, then, I’m divorced and bitter. What do I really know?”

  “You’re forthright, direct. I like that.”

  “I believe we shape our own lives, for better or for worse, by the choices we make.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry Katherine chose… That I…”

  “Who’s to say it wasn’t a choice for the better?” asked Julia. “Her getting back on.”

  “I expect that will be up to Katherine.”

  “You’re afraid that when she wakes up she’s going to regret it.”

  “Yes.”

  Before she could respond, my mobile rang. “Excuse me, I have to answer this. Hello?” It was my secretary.

  “Wes, sorry to bother you. I thought you’d want to know that Bernie Friedman admitted Jennifer Carlton when he was on-call for you last night.”

  “What? Why am I just finding out about this now?”

  “She was brought in around two this morning, right before Bernie’s daughter went into labor, first grandchild. It was a girl by the way. He just called to let us know.”

  “Bollocks!”

  “Bernie offered to see her today for you. She’s over there, at Saint Catherine’s.”

  “That’s all right. Tell him I’ll do it. Listen, it’s almost five o’clock. Can you have some food delivered to the office? Dinner for two? I’ll swing by and pick it up.”

  “Sure. Katherine’s recovering I take it?”

  “She’s still unconscious, but she’s stable. Her mum arrived from the States a short while ago.”

  “I see.”

  “Katherine’s going to be fine, though. I can feel it. Thanks for asking.”

  Chapter Five

  “Do you have Miss Carlton’s chart?”

  “Right here.” The ward clerk handed it to me.

  I opened the chart and flipped to the admissions summary. “She was picked up at Mornington Crescent station around midnight? How odd.”

  I was so keen to see Jennifer, the ward clerk’s response was lost to me. Jennifer Carlton had become my patient a little over a month ago and I still wasn’t quite sure why.

  “How can I help you?” I asked her.

  “I’ve already told you, you can’t.”

  Her large, doe-like eyes seemed empty, haunted.

  “Yet you’ve come back for a second appointment and my secretary tells me you’ve made several more.”

  Jennifer stood up and strolled over to the window. She was thin, delicate, vulnerable. Her hair was down today, its long dark waves spilling loosely about her shoulders. Her dress, as always, was simple yet tasteful. But underneath the calm exterior, she seemed distracted, even more so than the first time I’d seen her.

  “I’m hoping that I can help you,” she finally said.

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. Is it all right if I just sit here for a few minutes and enjoy the quiet?”

  “Of course.”

  For the rest of that session we sat in silence. It was how we’d spent our first session t
ogether and it ended up being how we spent the third and forth as well. Jennifer always arrived on time. She always came alone. And she always paid in cash.

  I knocked twice, then opened the door and entered.

  “Dr. Atherton!” Jennifer was sitting up in bed reading a paperback novel that she promptly tossed aside.

  “Miss Carlton.”

  “I told you he would come, Will.”

  The man who had been keeping Jennifer company was impeccably dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and blood red tie. His hair was closely cropped and precisely parted. Although his finely chiseled features were reminiscent of Jennifer’s, in contrast to her deep brown eyes his were a striking blue.

  “William Carlton.” He stood up and offered his hand. “I’m Jennifer’s brother.”

  “Wesley Atherton.”

  His handshake was firm and confident.

  “Will here used to be a spy,” announced Jennifer. “He swears he’s quit, but I’m not sure I believe him.”

  “Perhaps Jennifer and I should meet alone for a few minutes. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You might as well let him stay, Doctor,” Jennifer said. “He’s probably got the room wired.”

  “The room isn’t wired.” Will checked his watch. “But I have a call to make. So I’ll leave you two to chat.”

  “Don’t go far. I want to go home. I didn’t sleep a wink here last night. There are too many of them walking about at all hours, chattering incessantly.”

  “She didn’t sleep the night before either,” added Will.

  “Well of course not. Could you? I’ll sleep tonight though. The doctor here is safe. We’ll get the rest sorted. Eventually. I think. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

  “I’ll help you,” I assured her.

  “I’m so tired.”

  As soon as Will was out the door I took the chair he’d previously occupied, opened up Jennifer’s chart, and scanned the remainder of the admission note. “It looks like Dr. Friedman prescribed something that should have helped you sleep.”

  “I didn’t take it.”

  “You didn’t?”

  She shook her head then pointed to the dustbin over in the corner. “When the nurse left I tossed it in there.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “The other doctor, he said it would help stop the hallucinations,” replied Jennifer. “I’m not having hallucinations. What I see, what I hear, it’s real.”

  “Tell me what you see, what you hear.”

  Jennifer’s eyes darted about the room.

  I leaned forward. “What are you seeing now?”

  “I knew you would go to her, move toward the back.”

  A sudden chill ran through my body and made me shiver. Before I could stop myself the words tumbled out of my mouth. “Go to who?”

  “Why, the girl. He laughed when I told him she had the power to save you. He didn’t believe me. He believes now.”

  “Are you talking about Will?”

  “I’m talking about the Reaper.”

  “The Reaper?”

  “Death.” Jennifer climbed out of her bed, walked over to the window and gazed out. “He makes those tracks look so appealing sometimes,” she said wistfully. “He calls to me you know, whispering words and sweet promises. I hear him even now. I hear all of them. That’s why I can’t sleep.”

  “What are the voices saying, Jennifer?”

  “That I’m not supposed to meddle. But sometimes I can’t help myself.”

  “You said earlier that he makes the tracks look appealing. Are you having thoughts about harming yourself?”

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I must figure out how to make it right. You’re not going to let me go home tonight, are you?”

  “I’m not sure you’re ready to go home. Tell me about what happened in the Tube station.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I was trying to get someone to listen, but nobody would. It’s so…”

  “So what?”

  “Frustrating!” she practically yelled. “If only they’d stopped it. They could have saved you all. But, I saved you. At least that’s something. The rest is a jumble now. I’m too tired to make sense of it. I need to rest.”

  I hastily scribbled an order. “I’m going to have the nurse bring you a sleeping pill. I’ll come back to see you tomorrow evening. Promise me you’ll take the pill and stay until we can talk again?”

  “I promise.”

  “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I made my way over to the door, pulled it open, and instantly laid eyes on Will. He appeared to be waiting for me.

  He was standing in the hallway holding two cups of coffee.

  “Tomorrow will be our sixth meeting,” I heard Jennifer say right before the door closed. “I’m paid up for six.”

  “Coffee?” Will offered one of the cups to me. “You’re probably wishing it was something a little stronger.”

  “Are you and your sister very close, Mr. Carlton?”

  “Please, call me Will. I’d say so, yes. She lives with me. I travel quite a bit. Jennifer takes classes part-time at the university and tends to the house.”

  “Can you tell me about her history?” I motioned toward the visitor’s lounge and we started to stroll in that direction.

  “What is it you want to know?”

  “How long has she been ill?” I asked, before taking a seat.

  Will chuckled, then he selected a chair directly across from me.

  “Why do you laugh?”

  He shrugged. “She said you’d be stubborn. That you wouldn’t believe. What Jennifer has isn’t a mental illness, it’s a gift.”

  “Then why is she seeing a psychiatrist?”

  “She wasn’t seeing a psychiatrist, per se. She was seeing you. Trying to get close, suss it out. She told you why. She gave you a reason, told you she was there to help you. You didn’t believe it. You still don’t.”

  “She also told me you were a spy. I’m supposed to believe that?”

  “I was with MI5. I’ve only been out a matter of months.”

  That took me aback.

  “I do private security now,” he added. “Look, I can appreciate that this whole thing is unsettling.”

  “Unsettling?”

  “If it hadn’t been for Jennifer, you’d be dead. My sister isn’t hallucinating or paranoid. She’s not psychotic. She may see and hear things that we don’t, but that doesn’t make them less real.”

  “There are a lot of people who would disagree with you there.”

  “She saved your life.”

  “You’re telling me she knew there was going to be a crash and that I would somehow be involved?”

  Will took a sip of his coffee. “It sounds bonkers, I know.”

  “Damned right.”

  “And being a shrink you probably hear a lot of crazy-sounding talk.”

  “I’ve heard my share.”

  He nodded. Then he stood and tossed the last of his coffee in the rubbish. “Well, hold on to your hat, Doc. If my sister’s right, there’s a whole lot more crazy to come.”

  The truly daft thing was that deep down inside, I knew he was right.

  Chapter Six

  I was completely knackered, but I couldn’t seem to slow my mind down. Jennifer’s words rolled round and round in my head. I desperately wanted Katherine to wake up, but I feared the regret I might see in her eyes. So for the next eight hours I did nothing but pace and drink bad coffee. I’d long ago switched to decaf and was just returning with a fresh cup when Katherine opened her eyes.

  “Mommy?”

  I hung back. Julia stood up and quickly moved to the bed. She leaned over and kissed Katherine on the forehead. “Shh, Mommy’s here.”

  “Where?” Katherine seemed confused, her brow furrowed.

  “You’re in the hospital. There was an accident.”

  “An accident?”

  Julia pulled the chair she’d
been sitting in closer to the bed, sat back down and said, “Yes. Down in the Tube, the carriage you were on derailed.”

  “I remember it pulling out of the station, then…nothing.”

  “You hit your head. Wes called me. I flew right out. It’s Wednesday morning, sweetheart.”

  “Where’s Damien?”

  “He isn’t here.”

  “He isn’t here? Does he know?”

  “He knows. Your friend, Wesley, called him.”

  Katherine blushed at the mention of my name.

  “So, is Damien coming?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I don’t understand, what did he say?”

  Julia sighed.

  “Mom? There’s something you’re not telling me! Why didn’t Damien come with you?”

  Katherine was beginning to look stressed. I stepped into view and smiled. “You’re awake!”

  “Wes has hardly left your side. I tried to convince him to go home and get some rest but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

  “He is annoyingly persistent.”

  “It’s one of my very best features,” I said.

  Katherine lifted her hand up toward her head.

  Julia reached out to stop her. “You had a bleed inside your brain. They did some surgery.”

  “Did they shave off all my hair?”

  I took her hand in mine and sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “No, they didn’t shave off all of your hair, just a little spot where they made the holes.”

  “Holes? I have holes?”

  “Only two. They did it to relieve the pressure from the bleed. It worked like a charm, love. Can’t even tell they’re there.”

  “Honest?”

  “I swear. I’ve been so worried. How do you feel?”

  “I have a bad headache.”

  “Wes?” Julia looked alarmed.

  “Her pressure and vitals are fine. I’m sure they have something ordered that can help with the pain. I’ll go ask the nurse.”

  “I’ll go. I’ve been sitting here for hours feeling helpless. It’ll feel good to stretch my legs.”

  “What happened to your arm?” asked Katherine, once we were alone.

  “It’s nothing. It’s just a dislocated shoulder.”

  I leaned over her and lowered my mouth to hers, stealing a tender kiss. “I promised you a really good kiss when you woke up,” I said, pulling back a bit.