by Kelley, HD
“Mom, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” He squeezed my hand tighter. “She will be okay, won’t she?”
Who was he talking to?
“Wake up, Mom, please. We’re here. You’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay.” I wanted to open my eyes but I couldn’t. They were too heavy. “Please wake up,” he whispered over and over again.
“She hears you, Drew. Keep talking to her,” Dr. Leonard was saying.
Why can’t I wake up?
“I love you, Mom. We all love you.” I focused on Drew’s voice but was drifting fast, drifting, drifting.
“Mom, please! Just wake up.” Anna. She was there too. “When is she going to wake up, Drew? Why won’t she wake up?”
I want to wake up, sweetheart, but I’m so sleepy.
“Stay strong, Sis. We have to have faith. She’ll wake up soon.”
Wake up, Izzy.
“Open your eyes, Mom. It’s time to wake up now,” Anna cried.
No, don’t cry. I’m here. I’m okay. Why can’t she hear me? Why won’t my eyes open?
“Shouldn’t the effects of the ketamine have worn off by now?” Another voice. Who was that? Why couldn’t I open my eyes?
“Unfortunately there’s no way to predict exactly how long it will take,” Dr. Leonard said, but who was she talking to? “Try to be patient, Alec. I know this can’t be easy.”
Alec? Did she say Alec? My heart started to race. My breathing quickened.
“We’re here, Mom. You’re safe. We’re all here.” Drew held my hand again. My breathing slowed. The voices were getting farther away.
“Isabella. Oh, baby, please wake up.” I felt a soft kiss on my hand. Alec. He was really here.
“Excuse me, Mr. Payne.”
Alec let go of my hand. “Detective Rux, any news?” No, don’t let go, please stay with me.
“The FBI was able to match the print. Does the name Stephanie Sanders mean anything to you, sir?”
Who? What’s he saying?
“What? A woman did this to her?”
Yes, Alec. It was a woman. She has long blonde hair. And red nails.
“We found DNA at the scene, so we’ll know for sure very soon.
Now, does that name sound familiar or not, Mr. Payne?”
“No.”
The pain in his voice tugged on my heart. No, Alec, this wasn’t your fault. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I open my eyes?
My heart started to race. I couldn’t breathe. A loud beeping sound surround me. It was so loud. Too loud.
My chest. Something was crushing my chest. I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn’t.
People. Lots of people.
People everywhere.
“Code Blue. Code Blue. ICU. Code Blue.” The disembodied voice said again.
“She’s in V-tach.”
“Isabella!”
“Move away, Mr. Payne,” a voice I didn’t recognize yelled.
No. Alec. Stay with me.
“Everybody. Clear.”
“Again.”
“Clear.”
There was so much pressure.
“Push two more units of lidocaine.”
“Clear.”
Damn. That pain. My chest.
• • • • •
“Izzy, can you hear me?” Dr. Leonard asked.
A wave of relief washed over me when my eyelids finally responded. “Yes,” I whispered. My voice was weak, but I could speak.
“Isabella,” Alec moved between me and Dr. Leonard and picked up my hand. “Thank you, God. Thank you for bringing her back to me.” He kissed my hand over and over again.
“Alec?”
“Yes, Isabella, I’m here.”
My heart was beating faster. How did he know? When did he get here? I had so many questions.
“Mom.” Anna bent down and held on to me. “I was so worried about you.” She squeezed me tight.
Drew moved closer and hugged me too.
My head was pounding, but at least it was clear. I looked around the room, the tiny room. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the ICU. There was another attack.”
The hotel. Her hair, her long blonde hair. Her red nails. My heart started racing. That beeping sound coming back again.
A nurse pressed a button on the large monitor next to me and a blood pressure cuff squeezed my arm. “Try to stay calm, Ms. James. You’ve been through a lot these past few days.”
Did she say few days? “What day is it?”
“Today is Wednesday.”
“Wednesday,” I repeated, trying to process what she’d just said. “How long have I been here?”
“Five days,” Alec said quietly, “five excruciatingly long days.”
“Five days?” I repeated, struggling to wrap my mind around what they were saying. My job. Chris. I was supposed to call him on Monday. “Does Tim know I’m here?”
“Don’t worry about that right now, baby. You’re in the hospital. In ICU. We almost lost you.” He pulled his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Isabella. I should’ve been there. I was supposed to protect you.”
“Alec, no, this isn’t your fault. I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve stayed.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand in his. “And I should’ve come after you.”
“You’re both right,” Drew interjected. “You should’ve listened to Alec. You should’ve stayed where you were safe.” He looked from me to Alec. “And you shouldn’t have let her go. But what’s done is done.” Drew leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “You’re gonna be okay, and that’s all that matters now.”
“Please don’t ditch your security again, Mom,” Anna added. “I was so scared.” Her voice caught in her throat.
“Excuse me,” Dr. Leonard said from the foot of the bed.
Alec turned so he could see her, not letting go of my hand this time.
“Your labs look much better tonight, Izzy. I feel confident saying the worst is behind us now.” She looked from Drew to Anna and back again. “Go home and get some rest. Your mom is doing much better. The hospital will call you if anything changes.” Dr. Leonard looked at me again. “I want to monitor your heart here tonight, and if everything goes well we’ll get you moved to a regular room tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Can I get out of bed?”
“That should be fine. But let me get the nurse in here to remove that Foley first.”
What? I looked under the sheet, appalled by what I was seeing. When did they put that in? My face was burning from embarrassment.
“Try to sleep tonight, Izzy. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I moved the bed forward until I was sitting. “She’s right, guys. You should go. You should all go.” I didn’t want any of them there after seeing that tube inside me. I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and pretend it was all just a bad dream.
“I don’t want to leave,” Anna sulked.
“That’s enough, Anna,” Alec scolded. “Both of you need to get some sleep. Preston will drive you to the hotel tonight and you can come back in the morning.”
He reached up and touched the Bluetooth that seemed to be permanently attached to his ear. “Drew and Anna need a ride to the hotel. No, I’m staying here,” he said, then pressed the button again.
“Alec, you don’t need to stay.”
“I’m not leaving you, Isabella.” His voice was soft but stern, and I knew he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
After I kissed the kids goodbye, they disappeared through the glass door.
Fortunately, it was only a short while later when the nurse came in to remove that stupid tube. “I need a few minutes alone with Ms. James,” she said looking right at Alec.
“Do what you have to do. I’m not leaving her.”
“Alec, please, this is embarrassing enough.”
He started to object but the look on my face must have made him reconsider, and he finally agreed
to step out into the hall. It was bad enough knowing he’d seen me like this, weak, vulnerable, unable to care for myself. I wasn’t about to let him watch as they pulled out the catheter.
In a matter of seconds it was gone. The nurse helped me to my feet so I could use the tiny bathroom inside the ICU room. My legs were wobbly and weak, the effects of spending five days in bed. The bathroom wasn’t exactly private either, but it was definitely better than the alternative.
Alec returned as soon as the nurse left. Sitting on the edge of the bed once more he took my hand in his. “I’m so sorry, Isabella.” A single tear rolled down his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do…”
“Don’t do this, Alec.” I reached up and wiped away the tear. “Stop torturing yourself. This isn’t your fault.” What happened to his family hadn’t been his fault either but that hadn’t stopped him from blaming himself, and I didn’t want him blaming himself for what happened to me. If anything it was my fault. I was the one who left, who’d made the decision security wasn’t necessary any longer. “I’m just so thankful you’re here, especially after the horrible things I said to you.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “Anything for you, baby,” he whispered.
I buried my face in his chest, more than thankful he was here with me.
• • • • •
It was dark. I couldn’t see. My arms were tied. My legs too. Long blonde hair, red nails, that leather paddle. Pain. There was so much pain. Voices. Voices all around me. That smell. Her nails. Cigarettes. Whisky. Sharp red nails. Blonde hair. I couldn’t breathe. My heart was racing. “NO,” I screamed. “HELP ME! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!
“Isabella, wake up. You’re dreaming, baby. It’s just a bad dream. You’re safe now.”
Alec was sitting beside me when my eyes opened. The nurse was injecting something into my IV. “It was only a dream,” he said again.
My eyes were heavy. I couldn’t hold them open.
• • • • •
I jolted upright in bed, my head pounding. Light flooded the room and I knew it must be morning. I looked around, wondering where I was. This wasn’t the same ICU room I’d been in last night. It was bigger, much bigger. And everywhere I looked I saw flowers, lots and lots of flowers, and Alec. He was asleep in the chair near the bed, looking so peaceful, not at all the control freak I stormed out on almost two weeks earlier.
“Good morning, Izzy,” Dr. Leonard said as she walked through the door. “How are you feeling today?”
“Better, except my head is pounding.”
She nodded but continued to remove the stethoscope from around her neck. “Do you think you can you sit up so I can listen to your heart?”
I raised the back of the bed, my eyes fixed on Alec as he stirred. “Nice and strong,” Dr. Leonard said.
“Does that mean I can go home?”
“I think we can manage that in a day or two.”
I frowned when the words were out of her mouth. I hated hospitals and the thought of staying even one more day was depressing.
“Don’t pout, Isabella,” Alec said, kissing me on the forehead. “This is for your own safety.”
I rolled my eyes, silently wondering how many times he planned to use that against me.
“I saw that,” he whispered, that wicked grin making a brief appearance, but it was enough to make me blush.
“I’ll leave you two to work this out,” Dr. Leonard said, laughing. “I’ll have the nurse bring you something for your headache.” She patted me gently on the shoulder before leaving the room.
“I’ve missed that,” Alec said.
“Missed what?”
“Your feisty attitude, those crimson cheeks, your shy smile.” Alec kissed me softly on the lips.
Oh how I’d missed that kiss.
A loud knock against the door cut into the private moment we were sharing. “Come in,” Alec said sharply.
“Excuse the interruption, but I heard Ms. James was awake.”
“Can’t this wait, Detective? Isabella is still pretty weak.”
“It won’t take long, Mr. Payne. We have some new evidence we’d like Ms. James to look at if she’s feeling up to it.”
“What new evidence?” I asked.
“We’ve isolated an image from the hotel’s security video.” He pulled a picture from the manila folder he was carrying. “Does the name Stephanie Sanders mean anything to you?”
Stephanie Sanders? Why did that sound familiar? Unable to place it, I shook my head.
He moved closer to the bed. “That’s likely an alias anyway. Take a look at this picture and see if you recognize the woman.”
Alec stepped in between us, effectively blocking my reach. “Isabella, you don’t have to do this now if you’re not up to it.”
“I need to do this, Alec. I want this psycho bitch caught.”
Without another word, he stepped out of the way, and I took the picture the detective was holding. The picture was grainy, and she wasn’t looking at the camera, but I recognized her immediately. Valerie. Tears filled my eyes. I dropped my head into my hands, the picture falling to the floor.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
I was frozen; unable to move, unable to speak. Alec bent down and picked up the picture.
“Do you know who that is, Ms. James?”
“Charlee!” Alec shouted. “Her name is Charlee Barnes.”
Charlee Barnes? Valerie was Charlee Barnes? Alec was husband number three. My heart began to race, and I couldn’t breathe. Spencer and Valerie and Alec. Tears fell in a steady stream. Valerie? She did this? My head was spinning.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “I’m going to be sick,” I cried.
Alec held the trash can in front of me. My stomach contracted and that was all it took. My emotions came flooding out of me like water through a broken dam.
“We’re done here, Detective,” Alec snapped.
A nurse rushed through the door and quickly injected something into my IV. “Your heart rate is dangerously high, Ms. James. I’ve given you an injection of Lidocaine to slow it down. We can’t risk another episode.” She turned toward the detective. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave now. Ms. James’ medical condition is still pretty fragile.”
“Wait, that’s not her name,” I cried. “Her real name is Valerie Russell. She lives in Chicago.”
“Are you sure about that, Ms. James?”
“Positive.”
“Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” The detective took the picture from Alec’s hand and showed himself to the door.
Alec wrapped me up in his arms. The medicine the nurse gave me had already started to take effect, and I leaned against his chest. “Valerie said she knew Charlee. I had no idea this is what she meant.”
“Let’s not talk about that right now, baby. You need to try and stay calm.”
“It was Valerie, the pictures, Spencer’s affair,” I continued, my voice beginning to fade. I was so tired. My eyes closed.
Valerie…Charlee…husband number three.
Chapter Thirty
Drew and Anna stopped by for a visit the following afternoon. While I’d been dreading having to tell them about Valerie, I was more than happy for the distraction from the awkwardness that had fallen between me and Alec. Learning he was husband number three had proven harder to accept than Spencer having an affair with Val. Looking back, it all made sense with Val and Spencer. The way she laughed at everything he said, how she always had her hands on him, small, subtle touches that had seemed so innocent at the time. Actually, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen how she felt about him sooner.
Alec, on the other hand, now that was completely unexpected. Granted, Val could certainly turned heads, I just hadn’t expected she’d ever turn Alec’s. Certainly not the Alec I knew, anyway. Even though their relationship only lasted six weeks, I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that Val had managed to keep her true self hidden for so long, a
nd that was where the awkwardness came in. Had he known who she really was and married her anyway? Was that the type of woman he was interested in spending the rest of his life with?
Anna brought me a magazine to help occupy my time, and Drew brought chocolate. Not just any chocolate either, but Ferrero Rocher, my favorite. It was supposed to lessen the sting of him leaving, but it hadn’t helped much. I knew he had to get back.
Summer session was only eight weeks long and he’d already missed an entire week being at the hospital with me. But even knowing that hadn’t made the fact he was leaving any easier. To make matters worse, Anna was leaving too. She planned on spending the next few weeks getting acclimated to Gainesville before fall semester began. Summer was slipping away so fast. My life seemed to be moving at warp speed, and there was nothing I could do to slow it down.
I needed to tell Drew and Anna that Val was the one responsible for the attacks, but I was stalling. Anna adored her Aunt Val, and I knew telling her was going to split her heart wide open. The very thought made me frown.
“Mom, what is it? What’s wrong?” Drew asked.
I exhaled slowly. Time was up. “I need to tell you guys something.” I looked over at Alec. He nodded, encouraging me to continue. “Come, sit, both of you.” They sat beside me, one on each side. “I don’t know how to tell you this—”
“Just tell us already,” Anna interrupted.
I took a deep breath. “Aunt Val—”
“Oh my gosh. No! She’s not hurt too, is she? Tell me she’s okay, Mom. Tell me.” Anna’s voice quivered as she spoke.
“No, Anna, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?” Tears had filled her eyes. She was on the brink of a meltdown, and what I was about to tell her would surely push her over.
“Aunt Valerie did this. She’s the one who attacked me.”
“Aunt Valerie?” Drew and Anna said simultaneously. Unable to take the pain on their innocent faces, I closed my eyes and nodded.
Anna jumped up from the bed, her sudden departure jolting my eyes open. “I don’t believe you. Aunt Val wouldn’t do this!” Pacing back and forth next to the bed, she added, “There must be some mistake.”