by MA Comley
Tony frowned.
She held up a finger and winked at him. “I’ll tell you in the car.”
Charlie came running out of the kennel and stopped beside Tony. She hugged him and wished him good luck. Then she sprinted around the car to kiss Lorne goodbye.
“There’s no rush to get back. Why don’t you have lunch in town or something?”
“Now that’s a brilliant suggestion,” Tony agreed.
“We’ll play it by ear, see what the specialist has to say first, eh?”
“Either way, ring me as soon as you leave the hospital,” Charlie ordered.
“Yes, boss.” Lorne kissed her daughter and got into the car. As Tony struggled into the passenger’s seat, she wanted to lend a hand but knew it would be the wrong thing to do.
• • •
After a delay of fifteen minutes, the specialist called Tony’s name. “Mind if I come in, too?” Lorne asked.
“If it’s all right with your husband, then it’s okay with me.”
Tony nodded, and Lorne followed the two men into the specialist’s office. The room was barely large enough for the three of them to sit comfortably. Dr. Jones moved a pile of files off the spare chair in the corner for Lorne.
“Right. What appears to be the problem, Tony?”
“I’m in severe pain, unable to use my false leg.”
“I see.” The doctor seemed annoyed about something and glanced around the tiny room. “I’m sorry, the wing is going under a few minor changes at the moment, and there are limited places we can carry out examinations. Let me try to find a vacant room.”
Once the doctor had left the office, Lorne tapped Tony on the arm with her fist. “I knew things were bad, but not that bad. Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve pushed for an earlier appointment had I known.”
“Stop worrying. You had enough on your mind without me adding to your worries.” He leaned over to kiss her, and before she could reply, the doctor pushed open the door.
“Can you come this way? I’ve managed to locate a room with a table in it.”
Lorne imagined all kinds of temporary desks awaiting them on the journey up the hallway, but was relieved to see an examination table lined up against the wall of the room they entered.
“Strip down, and we’ll take a look.”
Tony struggled to stand upright, and Lorne lent a hand in undressing him. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw next.
“Tony!”
“Hush, it’s nothing,” Tony whispered back, ashamed.
The doctor tutted and shook his head. “I’d hardly call what appears to be a raging infection nothing, Mr. Warner. I’m admitting you to the hospital right away.”
“Aww…Doc, that won’t be necessary.”
“I’ll say what’s necessary and what isn’t. If we don’t do something about this infection now, it could spread, with terrible consequences. You should have notified us sooner.”
Never one to miss the opportunity to make light of a situation, Tony turned and shrugged at Lorne. “Guess a nice lunch is off the cards.”
“I’m sorry for my husband’s obscure sense of humour, Doctor.”
“Nonsense, it’s good to see him in such good spirits, considering the state he’s in.”
Lorne leaned forward and whispered. “He has a high pain tolerance, he’s a former MI6 agent.”
“Ah, that explains a lot. We’ll get him sorted within a week or so.”
Tony’s mouth dropped open. “I have to stay in here for a week?”
“Yes, which probably could have been avoided if you’d admitted the state your leg was in sooner.”
“All right, Doc, less of the grief, I get enough from the wife.”
Lorne laughed in spite of her annoyance. “I better go back to the house and get you some supplies.”
“Let’s get your husband settled on a ward first.”
The rest of Lorne’s day consisted of going back and forth between home and the hospital. By the time nine o’clock arrived, she fell into bed, exhausted.
• • •
She was addicted to him. Bella knew she should keep her distance. However, the draw of being near him consumed her. She had missed him all day, and when he’d rung to say he had a surprise waiting for her and to join him at the flat at eight, her heart did somersaults. He’d instructed her to wear a nice dress. She’d chosen a navy-and-white dress that could be classed as smart cum casual. Bella ran her hands down her hips, nervously waiting for Morris to open the front door.
“Darling, you look divine. Let me grab my keys, and we’ll head off.”
She had puckered up, expecting him to greet her with a kiss, but he hadn’t. Her inner voice told her to get the hell out of there, and her heart implored her to stay and spend the evening with her new beau.
He hooked his arm through hers and guided her along the corridor back to the lift. When he pressed the button, the lift jerked into action and took them down to the car park in the basement level. She was dying to ask where they were going, but she decided it would be best not to question him or say anything until he invited her to speak.
During the car ride, his fingers tapped the steering wheel to the concerto playing on the stereo. After his initial welcome at the front door, he’d ignored her. He seemed in a zone, an untouchable zone, and not for the first time, Bella queried her decision-making abilities for putting herself in this situation…whatever this situation was.
He finally spoke to her when he pulled into a restaurant car park. “Here we are. Follow me inside in ten minutes or so, okay?”
“But—”
His eyes narrowed, and he turned in his seat to face her. “No buts. Do as I tell you. I’m meeting a young lady. I wasn’t happy that you needed prompting the other night, so I’ve decided to show you what I expect from you the next time we arrange you a date.”
Her eyes widened—she couldn’t help but react. What the hell is he talking about? Next time? She had hoped there wouldn’t be a next time. She didn’t want to kill another man. Did this mean his date was going to end up on a slab at the mortuary, too?
“Is there a problem with tonight’s arrangement, dear?”
“No. Not at all. I’m just getting my head around what you said.”
“There’s no need for you to think about things. Leave all the thinking to me, okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologise. Here’s my spare keys. Remain in the car until after I’ve gone. Lock the car when you go into the restaurant. Ask for a table close to mine so that you can observe and listen to what’s being said. I thought about booking you a table, too, but decided it would draw attention if anything should go wrong.” He bent forward and kissed her on the lips. Instead of drawing back immediately, he pinched her lip between his teeth in a warning sign not to mess up. She received the message loud and clear.
Morris got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. She could see the hostess showing him to a table where a youngish brunette was already seated. Feelings began to stir inside—strange emotions that she’d never experienced before. Don’t be silly. There’s no need to be jealous of that slut. She stared at them laughing and enjoying themselves for the next six or seven minutes before getting out of the vehicle and making her way into the restaurant.
“A table for one please?” she asked the hostess at the small podium desk.
The blonde studied her with a look of pity. She picked up a menu and showed Bella through to the dining room. The girl walked right past an empty table next to Morris and his damn date.
“All right if I sit here? The view is better, I think.”
The hostess shrugged and placed the menu on the table. “Your waiter will be with you shortly, bon appetite.”
Bella glanced sideways at Morris. He was smiling at the strange woman opposite him and holding her hand. Bella’s face heated up in anger. She pretended to study the menu as she li
stened in on Morris’s conversation.
“You’re adorable. Like a princess doll. I knew the minute I laid eyes on you the other day that we would end up sharing a blissful evening together.”
He’s met her before? Where? How? He’s spent all his spare time with me lately. The girl was reluctant to reply. Was it easier for Morris to do all the running? Listening to him talk, Bella suspected he’d done this kind of thing many a time before. He never hesitated, and his voice never wavered. His flirtatious nature came naturally, and she should know—hadn’t she been on the receiving end of it since they’d met?
His date concentrated on the starter in front of her rather than talking to Morris. However, Morris was undeterred; he continued to pile on the praise and adoration.
The waiter came to take Bella’s order. “I’ll have the pâté, followed by the salmon.” Bella hadn’t had time to really study the dishes on offer, so she chose something she safely assumed would be on the menu.
“Yes, madam. And to drink?”
“I’ll have a dry white wine, a large one. Thank you.” Bella handed the menu to the waiter and glanced over at Morris, who was smirking and nodding. Was that for her benefit? Had he been pleased with her choice of meal? She cringed when she realised she had neither the cash nor the credit on her card to pay for the meal. Damn you, Morris! Double damn you for getting me into this shit.
Morris finished his starter and put down his knife and fork, then his date did the same. A second later, Morris reached across the table and lifted the unsuspecting date’s hand in his. “How I long to be with you, caressing your beautiful hair. To see your locks draped across my pillow would be heaven. To wake up next to you after making love would be mind-blowing and beyond my wildest dreams.”
Bella almost spat out the sip of wine she had just taken. Her gaze settled on the other woman, who seemed to be softening to Morris’s over-the-top attention. He continued to bombard his date with compliments.
“Your eyes are like the stars. Your smile would be the envy of angels.”
Every compliment Bella heard twisted her stomach into a tighter knot. The waiter brought her starter, and she tossed it around the plate with her fork. I can’t eat! All I want to do is get out of here, now!
Morris’s date giggled when he traced a finger down her protruding cheekbone. Bella had to admit that the woman’s face deserved all the praise he heaped on her, and much more. If Bella had the chance of five minutes alone in a room with the woman, she wouldn’t look that pretty after Bella had thumped her a few times.
The waiter appeared beside her. “Is everything all right with your meal, madam?”
“Er…yes. Sorry, I appear to have lost my appetite all of a sudden. I’m sure it’ll return soon.”
“Would you like me to take the food away?”
“No,” she snapped at the young man, who had positioned himself between her table and Morris’s. The urge to push him out of the way overwhelmed her but then subsided as quickly as it had come. “Thank you. Give me a few minutes, if you will.”
The waiter smiled pleasantly and went on his way. She wished he hadn’t when she spotted Morris’s hand go under the table and end up in his date’s lap. Grinding teeth supressed Bella’s appetite further. She eyed the woman through narrowed, intense eyes. The woman’s reactions went from being coy to outrageously flirtatious with Morris. My Morris.
After everyone had consumed their main courses, Morris and his date walked past her table and left the restaurant. Bella was eager to follow them, but there was the small matter of paying the bill. She summoned the waiter and smiled. “I appear to have left my purse at home. How stupid of me.”
The waiter tutted and walked away. She saw him whispering in the ear of the hostess at the front of the restaurant. She picked up the phone and spoke to someone, then hung up. The hostess approached her table with a stern expression set firmly in place.
“If you’d like to follow me, madam?”
Confused, Bella wiped her mouth on her napkin and rose from the table. Under the stares of the other patrons, she trailed the hostess to an office at the rear of the restaurant. A man in his fifties was sitting behind a large mahogany desk. He didn’t smile when he invited her to sit opposite him.
“I hear there’s a problem with you paying your bill.”
“Um…there needn’t be. I’ve left my purse at home. I changed bags before coming out and forgot to transfer my purse to the new one. Silly of me, I know.”
The man looked down at her tatty handbag and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“How do you intend paying for the food you’ve eaten in my restaurant tonight?”
“I promise I’ll come back tomorrow with the cash.”
The man sat back in his chair and bounced. “Do you have any idea the amount of times I hear that line?”
“In my case, it happens to be the truth. I assure you this has never happened to me before. I’m embarrassed and ashamed about the situation, which could be rectified easily if you’ll only take my word—”
He halted her words with an upraised hand. “I’ve heard every excuse known to man. We have a policy here that if a customer intentionally eats and tries to leave without paying their bill that they should work off that bill.”
“I don’t understand. I have a job.”
The man laughed sarcastically. “It won’t interfere with your job, madam. I’ll get one of the kitchen porters to show you what your role will entail this evening.” He stood up and motioned for her to follow him through to the kitchen.
Sweat poured off the brows of the people dashing about in the noisy environment. A porter appeared with an apron. He slipped it over her head and ordered her to go with him.
She was in a daze as everything was happening. The work didn’t bother her, but she knew Morris would be livid because she hadn’t followed him and his date out of the restaurant. Had he gone ahead and murdered his date? Or had he delayed the inevitable until she could be there to witness the deed?
As she cleared and stacked the dirty plates, Bella managed to sneak a glance around the hectic kitchen once in a while. She was trying to make out where the back door to the kitchen was located. She had to find it, to get out there and warn Morris that things had gone wrong. Over half an hour had passed since he’d departed with his date. Had he waited in the car park for her? Questions, questions—her mind raced with them.
She jumped when a man bellowed in her ear, “Get on with it, woman. No slacking.” Two plates crashed to the ground, and the whole kitchen turned to look at her. Shame filled her and made her hands shake even more. She juggled more plates as they slipped from her grasp. All she wanted to do was run.
“Danny, give her a hand. She’s obviously never washed dishes before in her life.”
The kitchen erupted as a cocky teenager pushed her aside and proceeded to treat her like a child, instructing her how to clear the plates and wash them without breaking them. Mortified, she let her head drop. She’d never been so humiliated in her life. She could kill Morris for getting her into this mess. He’d dropped her into such a chaotic situation and a distressing position. She hated being laughed at by strangers.
The slop bucket filled quickly, then needed emptying. Danny told her to help him shift it. They struggled to carry the bucket through the prep area. Danny kicked the back door, and it flew open. Bella slithered through the doorway, carrying the bucket with Danny. She nervously browsed around for any sign of Morris and was relieved to find the dark alleyway empty. Danny tripped over something and yelled as he hit the floor. The bucket’s contents spilled down Bella’s leg, and Danny’s yell became a full-scale scream. Bella’s eyes were glued to the woman’s dead body lying face-down on the concrete. She heard Danny scramble to his feet and run inside the kitchen. Shouts, then the sound of approaching scurrying feet brought Bella out of her stupor. She felt someone grip her shoulders and turn her, then push her through the back door and say, “Quick, she’s in shock. Has any
one called the police or the ambulance yet?”
The realisation that the police could turn up freaked her out more than seeing the woman’s dead body. She tore off the apron she’d been forced to wear, and in the mayhem of the kitchen, she sat in the corner, hoping no one would notice her. The officers arrived and talked to everyone, including her. She acted as though she were still in shock. Well, she was, sort of. After she’d given him her address, the concerned officer asked if she wanted to go to hospital, but she shook her head. “I just want to go home.”
“You’re obviously too upset to give a statement now. We’ll be in touch in a few days. Do you need a lift?” the officer asked.
“No. I’ll be fine, thank you.”
Bella left the restaurant and mayhem behind her. Glancing over her shoulder the whole time, she ran to the nearest main road and hailed a taxi. She’d checked her purse, and whilst she didn’t have enough money to pay for her bill at the restaurant, she found the fiver she tucked away in a pocket of her bag for emergencies. Her only dilemma was whether she returned to Morris’s flat or went back to her own dingy digs. Curiosity made her give the driver Morris’s address.
She hesitantly rang the doorbell, and instantly, the door was yanked open. A look of surprise settled on Morris’s face. He pulled her into the apartment and wrapped his arms around her. She tried to explain what had happened, but he silenced her with a kiss, then another. Before long, he had removed all of her clothes and carried her into the bedroom. Their lovemaking consisted of frantic jerky movements and painful, thrusting intercourse. Bella wanted to throw him off her because she felt as if he were punishing her in some way. As he built to his climax, he dug his fingers into her flesh. She wanted to cry out, to plead with him to stop hurting her, but she knew exactly what his reaction would be. So she suffered in silence, her eyes clenched tightly to help combat the excruciating pain.
He rolled off her once he’d reached his blessed release. Frozen in fear, Bella lay rigid until she heard his breathing change. With Morris asleep, she crept into the bathroom. She ran the shower and rid herself of the animal scent he’d covered her in. She peeked around the bathroom door and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him still fast asleep. She crawled across the bedroom to gather her clothes and then made her way into the lounge. At the doorway, she heard the sheets rustle behind her and the bed move. The noise stopped her dead in her tracks. Suddenly, he was on her back, yanking her hair from the roots.