Vantage Point (The Point Series Book 2)

by Georgia Hamilton

  “Drawn up with your help?”

  “Yes. I didn’t know Guy. I helped set the company up, I helped keep that monster father of his out of prison. I lost so much money Guy, but it hasn’t eased the guilt”

  “What happened then?”

  “because of the contracts Martin had drawn up, Alexander was not allowed to use the money from the settlement to continue in the development business. Its crippled Martin. So he absconded with our money. We couldn’t do anything because if it came out? It would ruin everyone. He had politicians signed up to his scheme, high profile people. If anyone found out that they were involved in one of the biggest scandals in the UK, it would ruin them. We all agreed to keep quiet. None of us knew Martin was back until I found out he had information for McDavis. He had something that would help devalue your firm, devalue it enough so that they could sweep in and save you”

  “What did they have?”

  He hangs his head.

  “I don’t know. But whatever he thought you had, they didn’t find. Trent is one of the savviest people I know. The marker is on his head because he is that good. He’s like Teflon. Nothing sticks”

  I don’t know whether to laugh or not. I called Trent when this first came to light. God knows what he did but he whatever it was, I am grateful.

  “There was nothing to find. You almost betrayed me. For what? A pay out? I cannot do this anymore. Our relationship is fractured beyond repair. This was all your doing...”

  He interrupts me

  “Guy, you need to understand, I made mistakes and I judged when I shouldn’t…”

  “Understand what? You selfish...”

  The door flies open and Kelsey comes storming into the room.

  “Guy!”

  “Not now Kelsey, it’s not time to...”

  She throws herself in front of me

  “GUY! STOP. IT’S LEILANI”

  I know from the way she came into the room, to the way that she is standing that something is wrong. She’s holding me stock still. I don’t know what she’s going to say next, but I know I am not going to like it.

  I don’t answer her.

  “Guy, we have to go. Now”

  I swallow because my mouth is dry, my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.

  “What’s happened”

  Kelsey’s eyes are red. Flaming red.

  “Rayne has been trying to call you. She found Leilani. Unconscious at home. They’re at the hospital. She thought you’d want to know. Come on.”

  My baby sister, the size of my thumb, uses all of her force to get me out of the lounge

  “Can you call me and let me know how she is”

  “You don’t fucking know her” I shout. “You don’t give a shit about me, so why would you give a shit about her?” I find my feet. Leilani. Hospital. Unconscious

  “I will call you dad” Kelsey says and is hot on my heels. She stands in front of the driver’s door.

  “Nope. You are not driving Guy.”

  I get into the passenger side and decide not to argue.

  We drive in silence, I want to justify my emotion. But I can’t. I check my phone. 2 missed calls from Rayne, 1 voicemail

  She’s crying. I cannot make it all out

  “Guy, Leilani has had an accident, she’s not breathing, you need to come to the hospital. Please”

  That’s about all I get. We get to the hospital.

  “Hi, we’re here to see Leilani Barros”

  “Are you family” the pit-bull behind the desk asks

  “No”

  “Yes”

  Kelsey and I answer at the same time.

  “It’s family only in the ICU I am afraid. You can go up to the waiting room, but they won’t let you any further”

  ICU. I look at the list next to the lift ICU third floor.

  I press 3 and watch the numbers go up, 1, 2 the doors open at 3.

  I look at the signs ICU

  Kelsey won’t remember this journey. But I know it well. The last time I was here, I was too late.

  I go through the double doors. There is an empty receptionist desk and two blue arrows to my left.

  “There’s nobody here, we can walk through.”

  I shake my head. “No, there is another door the other side. They won’t allow us in”

  Kelsey starts to ask how I know, then realisation must dawn. She pulls my arm up and tucks into me. I lean on her more than I should. I can’t do this again.

  We get towards the waiting room and there are 4 people in there.

  Connor, Rayne, and two men. Ethan and Elliott.

  Ethan gives me a nod and comes over to greet us.

  We share a firm hug. No words have passed between us but there is an understanding.

  He bends down and gives Kelsey a kiss on her head.

  “How you doing? How is she?”

  Ethan breaks down as Kelsey asks. Elliott is up and at his twins side. I sit where I am.

  Rayne comes over.

  “Let’s go get a coffee” She holds out her hand and I take it.

  We head to the vending machine by the lift.

  “What happened?”

  She leans back against the wall, her eyes closed.

  “I went around to her apartment because she hadn’t been well. I hadn’t heard from her. I got a key from the concierge and found her. She was just laying there Guy. Just laying there. I thought she was sleeping until I saw the bottles”

  “Bottles?”

  “Yes, she’d taken some painkillers and a couple sleeping tablets. She wasn’t trying to end her life Guy, I don’t care what anyone says, she’s not a coward. No way.”

  I take in what she’s saying

  “Why would she take an overdose? Why would anyone think she wanted to commit suicide?”

  “She was being blackmailed Guy, for millions of pounds and she told nobody”

  I go back to our last day together. The phone call. The change in her attitude. The distance. Why didn’t she tell me?

  “Not even you?”

  “No not even me. I won’t lose her Guy. I can’t”

  Rayne starts to cry. I hold onto her and get a grip of my own emotion. I fail. My tears are silent. I hold onto her small frame until her sobbing stops. She takes a breath and steps back

  “Thank you for getting me here” I say. I don’t care that you can still see my tears. I’m grateful

  She nods. “I knew you’d want to know. You’re both ridiculous by the way, who did you think you were kidding with your ‘secret’ relationship? We all know! And I knew for sure the day after Trent’s party, when we were in my office. I don’t know what took you so long. You’re perfect together and I know she’d want you here”

  I breath out heavily. Rayne knew. We were fooling nobody but ourselves.

  “I don’t know about that”

  Rayne tips my chin.

  “Guy, she was wearing your t shirt – unless you know anyone else who was in the Durham swim team with the initials GPM? She also had the necklace you gave her around her neck. The paramedics took it off and gave it to me in the ambulance. Leilani doesn’t do gestures and she doesn’t do repeats, well she hasn’t before you”

  She reaches into her pocket and hands me a gold chain, with a gold coin in the middle. Her initials LCB and a diamond on the face of the coin.

  “What makes you think it was from me?”

  “She left the box on the side; your note was on her coffee table”

  I take the chain from her and hold it in my palm.

  Connor comes out to find us.

  “She’s out of surgery. They have pumped her stomach, she’s on a drip and they’ve kept her asleep. The doctors have recommended we all go home to get some rest. It will be at least 12 hours before they try and bring her round”

  Rayne strops, telling Connor that she’s not leaving, he is firm but gentle with her. She relents. We go back to the waiting room. Kelsey is sitting with Elliott and a woman who must be Leilan
i’s mother.

  Ethan comes back through.

  “Mum, this is Guy, Guy, my mother Lauren”

  I hold onto her hand, as she stands, I don’t shake it, just hold it. She is tall, very tall. Her eyes are the same as Leilani’s, she looks like a Siberian husky. Her brown hair accented with grey. Up in a ponytail. She is one beautiful woman.

  She rubs the side of my face. In a mothering, loving way. “It’s nice to finally meet you Guy”

  The locked doors open, and 3 men come into the space. I know Alex who comes over and shakes my hand. The other two. I assume are her father and older brother. They could be twins themselves.

  They have a conversation, coordinating who is doing what.

  “I’m staying” I say to nobody in particular. “I will call you if there is any change.”

  “I am not leaving my sister here, you all go home and come back after some sleep. I am staying”

  Alex takes a chair next to me.

  Kelsey comes over to me, I hold the coin up just enough, so she can see it. Her face drops.

  “I take it this was you” I whisper

  “Yes, I had to do something you’re both so stubborn. Guy I love you because you are my brother, but she loves you for you and you nearly missed it. I just couldn’t see that happen”

  I kiss her head

  “Thank you”

  I squeeze her until she stands.

  Carl Barros comes over.

  “Alex. Call me if there is any change, I don’t care what it is you call me”

  Alex mutely nods at his father.

  He looks at me. A man I have never met.

  “Thank you for being here. I have heard lots of good things about you, mainly from Leilani, she seems to be a big fan. We’ve all seen the change in her recently, I am sure we have you to thank for that. I wish we had met under better circumstances and for the record, you showing up here took guts, no actually, it took heart, I respect you for that and I appreciate you being here, we all do.”

  I am not completely sure what to say to that. I have never sought a dads blessing before, never wanted or needed it, but having Carl’s relieves me.

  “Your daughter means a lot to me, I would change places with her in a heartbeat if I could. I just want her to come back to me, to us”

  Carl puts an arm around my shoulders and gives me a small hug. We don’t say another word but we share a nod of understanding.

  Carl goes back through to Leilani with his wife to say goodnight. I sit numb as I watch everyone do the same thing. I am not saying goodnight or goodbye. I won’t leave here without her.

  When everyone has left, Alex and I are the only two in the waiting room. He heads back towards the double doors and holds one open

  “You coming” he asks.

  My heart is beating through my chest. I follow him. Looking at the other beds, all with someone attached to a number of machines. The last time I was here, she was in a room just as you came in, I was young and don’t remember seeing so many bays. We get to the end of the corridor and he squirts sanitizer into his hands. I follow suit on auto pilot.

  He opens the door and I see her. My heart is in my stomach.

  She looks so frail.

  I cannot count the number of tubes going into her. Her usually glowing skin is pale and sallow. Her hair is plastered to her forehead, someone has plaited it to the side. Her eyes are obviously closed, her cheeks drawn in. I can’t see her mouth. She’s got a breathing apparatus over her mouth, it’s helping her stay alive. She’s surviving on that one thing.

  I sit on the chair next to her bed. Beep beep beep.

  Alex is still in the room, but he doesn’t sit down. He is standing on the other side of her bed. I hold her hand in mine. Mine feels like a paw against her frail hands, they’re so cold. So very cold. Her thumb ring is gone. There is a ridge where it was. I stroke it between my fingers. This person laying here isn’t my Leilani. Is she mine? Yes. Yes, she is.

  I don’t notice Alex leave, I don’t notice very much until Rayne comes in.

  “You need to get some rest Guy.”

  I rub my hand over my face. I’m still holding Leilani’s hand.

  “What time is it?”

  “9am”

  It takes me a second to get my bearings.

  “Where’s Alex?”

  “He left about 7. Carl and Lauren are here, Lauren didn’t want to wake you”

  I feel bad that her parents are outside, and I am here.

  “She should have woken me up”

  Rayne gives me a little smile,

  “The nurses said you’ve been in here all night, you feel asleep at 5 they reckon. You need to go home and get some proper rest”

  “No. I’m not leaving, they’re going to wake her up soon. I want to be here”

  Rayne just nods her head and leaves.

  It’s like a revolving door. Carl Barros comes in. He slaps his hand on my shoulder.

  “Guy, you need to get some rest. Please. Even if you just have a shower and come straight back. It’s no good for you just sitting here ”

  I am still in my suit from my Tuesday. My jacket is rumpled on the chair behind me, my cuffs on her bedside. Sleeves rolled above my elbow.

  “With all due respect sir, I don’t want to miss her waking up. I will go into the waiting room”

  I leave him and make my way to the waiting room. Rayne is holding out a coffee for me.

  Ethan is sitting with his mother.

  Nobody says anything to me. I take the chair in the corner and sip my coffee.

  “Guy”

  I am being shaken.

  “Hmm?”

  Ethan is sitting on the table in front of me. They’re going to try and wake her up in an hour. Go and get a shower and something to eat”

  “I’m not going home.” I interrupt.

  “You don’t have to”

  He produces my overnight bag “Kelsey” he answers before I even ask the question.

  Christopher comes out of Leilani’s room.

  “Come on, we’ve got access to the doctors quarters, so you and Alex can shower and get changed.”

  Is there anything this family cannot do?

  Kelsey has packed a pair of navy jeans and a t shirt. My hairbrush and my bed head. I love her.

  I follow Christopher through the back and end up in what looks like a dorm.

  “Alex’s already in there” I sit on the sofa, like a child waiting to go into the head masters office.

  “She’s a fighter my sister. She doesn’t give up. And we can’t give up on her. I include you in that too. It takes a brave man to walk into our family and stake your claim. I respect you for that”

  He holds his hand out for me to shake. And leaves the room

  Alex is out moments later.

  “it’s all yours. Do you want me to wait for you?”

  “Please”

  The shower is more of a weep than a flow, but it is hot, and it eases my aching limbs. I don’t bother with my hair, I just want to get back.

  Alex is doubled over in tears sitting in the bed outside the showers.

  NO!

  “Alex?”

  “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I should have told her. I should have let her know it was ok. That bastard will pay for this. Lying dog””

  I realise he is carrying guilt – I should have sussed it sooner

  “The £7m? Was that the settlement?”

  He looks at me

  “I figured it out. Not until it was too late, but I worked out something was wrong and pieced it all together slowly, I realised about 30 seconds ago that he obviously had a video of Leilani”

  “He had. We got them all. He lied to her, told her he still had one and was blackmailing her.”

  “You’ve seen him?” I ask. I am curious.

  “He’d be dead if I had. She went to see Trent. He told my father everything”

  “That’s was the phone call!”

  “Wha
t?” Alex turns around

  “I was there when he spoke to your dad. He didn’t tell me any details, I didn’t know.”

  “None of us did. She never told anyone – only Trent”

  I slap by bag on the floor.

  “She’s so fucking stubborn – thinks she can do it all on her own. I don’t think any of us could have stopped this happening, we can only be here when she wakes up”

  He laughs

  “True. Thanks Guy”

  “No problem”

  We go back to the waiting room. Ethan has grabbed us a couple of hot sandwiches from downstairs.

  I leave mine on the side and head back in to my girl. She should be waking up soon...

  Guy

  She still hasn’t woken up.

  2 days. And she is still unconscious.

  I haven’t been home. I won’t go home. Alex has been here with me the whole time. Everyone comes and goes, there is always at least 3 of us at any one time.

  Christopher trained with some of the doctors here, he is being our eyes and ears. They aren’t worried, they want us to be patient. They say her chances of a full recover are still high. I don’t believe them. I don’t want to rely on percentages. She has to wake up.

  “Guy, there’s someone here to see you”

  Alex is standing by the door. We’ve got to know each other well the last 48 hours. He knows me well enough to say