by K. L. Jessop
“Then what happened?”
My throat burns and the ache in my heart gets stronger. “Lucas told me to run, and I did that time. When he fired again, before I knew it, I was falling into the water. That’s all I can remember. Lucas was shot in the leg.”
If Lucas is alive then, where is he? As if Marcus can read my thoughts, seriousness washes across his face as panic sets in.
“What aren’t you telling me, Marcus? Why isn’t Lucas here if he’s alive? And what’s happened to Richard?”
“You don’t need to worry about Richard. They found his body up on the pier. He was—”
“Tell me of Lucas.”
He sighs, shifting himself a little on the bed. Looking at me, his smile is straight as though what he’s about to say is good but it’s still not what I want to hear. “Lucas was shot a second time. The wound to his leg is nothing too serious, but the shot wound to his abdomen is what the doctors were more concerned about in case it affected his organs. He’s had surgery, which went well, and thankfully no organ damage has been affected. But…”
“What?”
“He hasn’t woken up.” He tucks the hair behind my ear as I process the words. “He should be awake by now and they can’t understand why he isn’t.”
The urge to see Lucas is too great and I fight to escape Marcus’s hold and leave the bed, trying to ignore the pain in my chest as my emotions begin to play with me. “I need to see him.”
“Just wait. I don’t think you should be out of bed.”
“I’m fine.”
“Victoria.”
“I can do this.” My legs tremble as I stand and I have to grip the bed for guidance. My heart is pounding uncontrollably and the heaviness within my body is unbearable. Tears glass my eyes because I know I’m not strong enough, even if I try to convince myself I am.
Marcus firmly takes hold of my shoulders, and his words are stern, making me realise just how serious this whole fucked up situation got. “Victoria, no. You almost died!”
“I just want to see him!” I yell before I finally break. Deep uncontrollable sobs leave my battered body with relief, sorrow, love and everything else that’s played a part in my life over the years and these last few days.
For the years that I never wanted as a child, and for the life I know I deserve.
For the love my mother had for me, and for the love that slowly died over time.
I cry because of the man that started the war in my heart and put me here and the man that saved me but is yet to wake.
And I cry for the pure fact that even though this is over in many ways it may not be. “He killed my mum, Marcus,” I weep. “I can’t lose Lucas too. I just can’t.”
Strong arms envelop me as I bury my face in my hands, trying to sooth my hysteria with his words of reassurance.
“You have to be strong, Victoria.”
“I’m not strong. I never have been.”
Why did I deserve this life? What did I do that was so wrong and has caused so much pain in my heart since as long as I can remember. Does the devil really work this way?
“Please take me to see him,” I whisper.
He kisses me on the head. “Get back into bed, I’ll find a doctor.”
I wake to the soft voices of Megan, Marcus and Andrew. By the look on Megan’s face, she’s been crying, and I have to swallow the lump that’s just formed in my throat. Does she know it was Richard? Does she know anything?
“Tori?”
“I’m so sorry, Megan.”
“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. This was not your fault.”
I wince at the tightness of her hug as pain radiates my upper body.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus.”
Andrew smiles, hooking his thumb at Marcus. “That will be from the strong hands of your friend here when keeping you alive. You took in a substantial amount of water from your fall.”
My eyes widen, and I look to Marcus. “That was you?”
“Kiss of life and everything,” Megan adds.
“Wow.” Even though it’s no time to joke, I can’t help the little grin. “I always knew you wanted to kiss me.” For the first time in days, I laugh along with the others, but that quickly stops when a blade of pain shoots through my chest. “Oh God, don’t make me laugh.”
“You’re the one making the joke,” Marcus says, stepping towards me. “I see you’ve not lost your cheek.”
I place my arms around him as he helps me out of bed and into a wheelchair, grateful for everything this man has done for me. “Thank you for saving me,” I whisper.
“Don’t make a habit of it.” A tender kiss is placed on my hair as he murmurs. “And for the record, it wasn’t me that saved you. It was Lucas.”
Every step that Marcus heads us towards the hospital room, anxiety deepens in my stomach about what I’m going to face on the other side. My hands are sweaty and my heart is pounding in my throat. Megan takes my hands just as we get to the door but that doesn’t ease the apprehension.
“What if he doesn’t wake up?” I whisper, focusing on the words High Dependency Unit that is on the door.
“He will.”
“How do you know?”
She bends down to my level; a soft smile tugs her lips as hope that I never noticed before shines brightly in her eyes. “Because I know my brother and I believe the only reason he’s not woken yet is because he’s waiting for you. He needs to know you’re okay. He needs your touch. He needs to know you’re here.”
“He’s everything to me, Megan.”
“As you are him. You’ve changed him. I’ve seen a side to him that I never knew was there. You and Charlie are his world.” Tears glisten in her eyes before she quickly adds. “Now go get his arse out of bed. It’s too quiet around here.”
The sound of the machines catches my attention first. There are so many, all leading to his body with tubes and wires. He’s breathing on his own, which is a relief, but my throat tightens with emotion at the sight of his muscular body looking so frail and tender.
“Hey, handsome,” I whisper, taking his hand. “It’s about time you woke up.” The Nurse instructs there’s no more than two to a bed before leaving with Megan right behind her. Holding out my hand, I indicate to Marcus for him to help me up onto the bed, careful not to knock any of the tubes.
When I feel the warmth of Lucas against me, I’m home.
“I’ll give you a minute,” Marcus whispers. “I’m right outside if you need me.”
Once alone, I rest my head against Lucas’s chest, my arm gently over his waist so he can feel that I’m here. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that I definitely can’t swim,” I chuckle. “Maybe I need to take up shooting as a hobby instead. The adrenaline rush you get from that, Jesus.” The beep of the machine is a fast reminder that everything could have ended so differently today, that one of us could have lost the other or Charlie could have lost us both. Facing death puts everything into perspective even more so to than you thought it was already. Lying here makes me wonder if life was always meant to be this way. No matter how tragic and traumatic it was, maybe I was meant to go through hell to find my tranquillity—to find him.
“I always considered myself to be strong until I met you. I had to fight for survival and keep my head up high, but then I found you and you changed everything I ever knew about myself.” I place my hand over his stomach wound as tears hit his chest. “I wasn’t strong, Lucas. It is you that’s given me strength. You’ve given me a reason and a vision. It’s you who’s made me grow, made me smile and made me who I am. You’ve made me love you unconditionally. It’s all been you. Please don’t let that change. Please don’t let me lose you. I need you to wake up because I’m not ready to let you go.” I kiss his heart and rest my head against him once more, closing my eyes and praying that his soul has heard me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lucas
As I lie here with my
eyes closed, I try to figure out why I’m in so much pain, my insides a mixture of discomfort and peace. My muscles have never felt so relaxed, yet my chest and midsection feel heavy and sore. An influx of monitor sounds and sterilising products engulf my senses, helping me to register where I am, but that’s not what bothers me.
There’s something else. Something familiar.
Then I get it, and everything hits me like a freight train.
Tori.
Pain grips my chest and tears burn my closed eyes as the revulsion of what happened plays back on my mind. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save my beautiful raven bird and her lingering perfume will be a sign that I’ll be forever haunted by.
How the hell am I going to tell Charlie?
He’s going to be wondering when Mummy is coming home.
I won’t be able to live with myself. I won’t survive. I ignore the pain that rips through my torso as my body convulses with emotion, but that pain is nothing compared to the agony of loss. It’s happened again. Only this time it was the one person that’s brought me so much light, so much life and even more love.
“Lucas?”
I gasp at the softness of her hand on my cheek as she wipes away my falling tear. Her touch feels so real and I don’t want to wake to find that it’s not.
“Baby it’s okay. Everything is okay. Open your eyes.”
I can’t. It will kill me when I don’t see her. It’s just my mind playing games, her spirit in the room.
“Lucas, please. I’m here. I’m safe. Please. I need to see your eyes.”
The light blinds me when I open my eyes. My throat is dry, and the beat of my heart is thudding so hard it’s almost painful.
When Tori comes into sight, I feel like the world has hit me full force. She’s just as beautiful, if not more, and the love that rushes through my veins is extraordinary. “Birdy,” I rasp out on a whisper.
“Hey, you.” Her voice is as soft as an angel, her touch as pure as silk.
“Am I dreaming?”
“No.”
Gratitude overwhelms me as I reach out and cup her cheek, thankful to whoever was looking down on us that she’s still here. “I thought I’d lost you,”
Her lip quivers and her eyes close as she presses her face into my hand. Tears fall from her and I hate that I’ve put her in a position that’s caused her heartache and worry.
“I thought I lost you too,” she weeps, her breathing scattered as if she’s been crying for sometime.
“Ssh. Everything will be alright. I promise.”
“Please don’t give up on me,” she cries, and remorse comes thick and fast with what she is referring to. I’ll never forgive myself for the way I handled things that night she walked out.
“I’m sorry I doubted you.” The event of what’s happened is a constant reminder in my mind of what I could have lost, and a ball of emotion hits my stomach. I can’t even comprehend what’s going on in my head right now and no doubt Tori is feeling the same. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about him. But there’s one thing that keeps repeating in my thoughts and I won’t settle until I get the words out I need to say.
“Tori,” I whisper. “I didn't know she was your mum, I swear. I saw her photo and by the time I realised, you were taken.”
“I believe you.”
“You have to know that if I—”
“Ssh, none of that matters right now. Just rest.”
Everything is still so raw, so vivid, that I don’t want to upset her any more than she already is, but it is something that will need to be discussed, no matter how hard it may be.
I ended a life, and not just any life, one that has a connection to Tori’s past and an even bigger connection to my family.
As she rests back against me, I stroke her hair, my pain now more intense than it was before, but I don’t want to move her. She looks so peaceful.
Not long after we lay in silence, a nurse, who I now know as Patty, comes and welcomes me back to the land of the living before checking me over and increasing my dose of meds.
“Do I have any family here waiting?” I ask as she helps me drink some water.
“You have half of Spring Rose waiting in the family room, but there’s only two to a bed.” She nods to Tori. “And sleeping beauty here is already your number one. So, who do you want?”
“My sister and Marcus.”
“That’s one too many.”
“Yeah but Tori is on the bed with me so that technically makes her a patient.”
Patty smiles. “And this patient has already broken the rules and has been demanding she wasn’t leaving you until you woke. I’ve had my arse-whipped each day when the doctors have come in here and found her since your surgery.”
I draw my brows together, a little confused by her comment of my surgery. I knew I would have to have it, but she’s talking of it as if it wasn’t a few hours ago. “When was my surgery?”
“Four days ago.”
“Jesus.” I look down at Tori sleeping. “And she’s been here the whole time?”
“She woke up not long after you were both brought in and hasn’t left your side. This one can be stubborn.”
“Tell me about it,” I smile.
Patty is quiet a moment, looking down at my love, but it’s as though her mind has gone someplace else for a moment. A soft smile graces her lips as she meets my eye. “I’ve worked in this job for thirty-five years and only occasionally I get a case that sticks in my head. The love and compassion I’ve seen, not just from Tori but from those waiting for you both, is unconditional and something you should never let go of. I’ve been treating you both and neither of you showed any signs of progress until you were together. I think Tori knew this and that’s why she’s not left. It seems you two are inseparable. And after what you’ve both been through, I think it proves that.”
We are inseparable. Everything we’ve done it’s been as a team. As one.
“I never believed in love at first sight until I saw her. The moment I saw her standing outside dressed in black and a biker jacket that was too big for her, I knew she was it for me. I love her so much it hurts. It’s just sad that it’s started off the way it has.”
She places her hand on my arm, a soft smile glistens her light green eyes. “My Grandmother once told me that sometimes the best love stories are the ones that start off on an uneasy road. Fight for what you want, and love will replace everything else. You’ve got yourself a worthy love. You were destined to find each other when the time was right for the both of you.” Her wise words remind me of my grandfather. Maybe these older folks always have the right idea when it comes to love.
“Do I still get to have two more people in to visit?”
She rolls her eyes and heads for the door. “Nice try, kid. I’ll get your sister.”
It took everything in me to persuade Tori to go home for some proper rest once I was moved to a different ward, and she’s made sure I’ve had around the clock care not just from the nurses but my friends too. Patty keeps popping in whenever she has a chance just to see how I’m doing, and earlier Amelia and Charlie FaceTimed me. It’s been just over two weeks since the incident, and I’m going out of my fucking mind sitting in this place. I just want to go home, but my impressive gunshot wound to my stomach had other ideas and up until a couple days ago weren’t showing signs of healing. I’ve spoken to my parents a few times and Mum is trying to get over here as soon as she can, but make-up and beauty fairs are holding her up in Barcelona.
It was hard for her at first to get her head around everything that had happened with Richard and a part of me did feel bad for her loss given the fact she treated him as if he was her brother, but on the other hand, I wasn’t just saving Tori, I was saving myself from his murderous game plan. That seemed to make her realise just how screwed in the head the fucker was. Due to the fact Richard was responsible for Rebecca’s death, along with the abduction of Tori and the attempted murder he brought on u
s both, the police have viewed our incident as a justified case of self-defence. And given my clean record in the protection services, it was a closed case. Not only was he a crook in many ways, it’s also suspected that Richard was behind the deaths of two other victims in Spain, but nothing was proven.
Although a part of me is pissed he got away with murder—literally—the other part of me is glad we no longer have to deal with him and we can start to rebuild our lives again. Something else that has come from all of this is learning that Lawson is no longer with us either. After a hard time dealing with prison, he was found dead in his cell a few years after his sentencing. Although this was a relief in one way for Tori, knowing her past is truly over, I also saw the slight edge of sadness for him knowing that he ended his life when he was wronged by a man that walked free for so many years. I guess after everything he put her through, a part of her heart still felt for him.
“Well look at you all sitting up and looking sexy,” she beams, entering the room in a dress I’ve not seen before that is way too short to wear in public for my liking.
“What is this? Tease the shit out of Lucas and wear something seductive to the hospital?”
“Just reminding you what is waiting for you back home.” She does a little twirl and the flow of the dress rides up to show the edge of her lace knickers. “You like?”
“I’ll tell you when you get your arse over here and kiss me.”
I help her up on to the bed and she whimpers in discomfort.
“You still sore?”
“A little. But I’m enjoying making Marcus feel bad for breaking my ribs,” she smiles.
“I still want to hurt him for that.”
“Babe, he saved my life.”