Lessons Learned (The Gifted Realm Book 2)

by Jillian Neal

  Rainer glanced at his watch as he held Emily tightly. She’d cried herself out. She had switched from Rainer’s chest to Logan’s, and then to Garrett’s shoulder as soon as he’d arrived.

  Mr. and Mrs. Anderson arrived soon after everyone else.

  Will was there before Rainer and Emily. He’d come from the farmhouse instead of the Governor’s mansion. Brooke had stayed with the twins, but Rainer and Emily were heading back there, as soon as they’d heard anything, to spend the night with Keaton and Henry.

  Vindico and Governor Carrington sat in one corner with Serena. They whispered about how one of Wretchkinsides’ men had managed to get his way in the house, along with the wait- staff, without anyone noticing.

  Levi and Connor paced, just as they had when everyone had awaited word on Emily. Vindico was on his cell frequently. He called in to Iodex and to key people around the world who knew of Wretchkinsides’ whereabouts. The first question had been how Vasquez had gotten out of prison.

  It was quickly determined that Wretchkinsides wanted to scare Governor Haydenshire out of running. They clearly wanted someone who would be easier to manipulate and would look the other way when their heinous crimes were committed.

  Further research was done, and Ericcson called a little after midnight to inform them that Vasquez had been paroled and that Governor Peterson’s signature was on the release papers.

  Finally, at a quarter to two, Adeline rushed back into the waiting room. “She’s going to be okay,” she fell into Logan’s waiting arms.

  Rainer felt air fill his lungs suddenly as he wrapped Emily up in his arms.

  “We were able to remove all of the poison,” Adeline stuttered.

  “Is the baby…?” Will choked as Adeline shut her eyes tightly. She drew on deep resolve and pulled away from Logan.

  “She hasn’t lost the baby, but something is wrong. Oh, and it’s a little girl. I think she might still miscarry though.” Adeline’s chin trembled. “It’s too early to tell what might’ve happened. We have the heartbeat, but her Gifted rhythms are gone.”

  Emily broke down in Rainer’s arms as he held her up. She couldn’t seem to stand on her own.

  “Em, shh, shh, it’s going to be ok,” he soothed repeatedly, though it was to no avail.

  She thought it was her fault. She’d been upset about the baby, and now she was blaming herself for whatever the complication might be. This was on top of being able to feel every single emotion from every person in that waiting room. It was more than she could handle.

  The fear, the terror, and the sadness she could feel it all around her.

  Logan looked ill, as did Connor. Garrett sank back in the chair, too stunned to speak. Tears sprang to Will’s eyes as he let his head fall into his hands.

  “When can we see her?” Levi asked quietly. Patrick looked horrified as he began to pace once again. Adeline let Logan wipe away her tears as she drew a shuddering breath.

  “Your dad’s coming out in a few minutes, but she can’t have visitors until tomorrow.” The horror of everything she’d seen and helped heal swirled rapidly in her eyes.

  Governor Haydenshire appeared a short while later. Rainer had to look away. The pain that etched every hollow of his face was too much, too deep.

  The Governor’s face was swollen. His eyes were bleary and a horrifying red. Never in the twenty-one years of his life could Rainer recall ever seeing Governor Haydenshire cry.

  “Daniel,” Governor Haydenshire demanded.

  “Sir,” Vindico snapped to immediately.

  “You will find the man who did this to my wife, and to my baby, and we will end this for good.”

  “Yes, sir,” Vindico agreed instantly.

  After allowing himself to draw a steadying breath, Governor Haydenshire pulled Adeline from Logan’s grasp.

  “Thank you. You saved her life,” he choked, with tears marring his face once again.

  He took in all of his children standing and awaiting his calming, buoying force in their family. He was the anchor that held them all securely in this life.

  “She kept your mother’s heart beating while they got the poison out of her blood stream. It took hours. She never stopped. She saved her life.” Tears coursed down each and every face that stared back at the Governor.

  “No sir,” Adeline shook her head adamantly. “She saved mine.”

  After a few minutes, when tears subsided somewhat, Will whispered.

  “What about the baby, Dad?”

  “I don’t know son, and we won’t know anything for several more weeks.”

  “Daddy,” Emily choked as her father wrapped her up in his arms. He held her tightly.

  “My sweet, baby girl. Looks like, if God’s willing, I might get another baby girl,” Governor Haydenshire rocked Emily in his arms.

  “She has to be okay. She just has to be,” Emily convulsed violently as her father reassured her.

  At 3:45, Rainer half-walked, and-half carried, Emily to his car.

  Will took Brooke home after he awakened her, and Rainer carried Emily into the house. He settled her in her old bedroom and went to check on the twins before falling asleep.

  Hold Steady, Then Run Like Hell

  Rainer awoke just a few hours later as a tiny, cold, wet hand smacked his face. With a groan, he turned over and lifted Keaton into bed with him and Emily.

  “Hi, Wainer,” Keaton announced. He was still patting Rainer’s face rather forcefully.

  “Hi, Keaton,” Rainer sighed.

  “Where’s Mommy?”

  Rainer’s heart ached as he tried to think of what to tell Keaton that wouldn’t frighten him. Emily rolled over and blinked heavily.

  “Hey there, baby. Guess who learned to get out of his crib?”

  “Hi, EE,” Keaton wriggled between Rainer and Emily and then fell back dramatically against the mattress.

  “Hi, Keaton,” She slid over so Keaton would have more room.

  Rainer studied her. Her face was still swollen and red. Her eyes were exhausted. It had been just over three hours since Rainer had carried her to bed.

  “Where’s Mommy?” Keaton quizzed Emily. He held out both of his hands in a gesture of curiosity.

  “Uh,” Emily choked, and Rainer reached for her hand. He held it tightly.

  “She’s with Daddy, and they’ll be back in a few days. Em and I are going to stay with you.”

  Keaton seemed to consider this for a moment before poking out his bottom lip.

  “I want Mommy,” he huffed.

  “How about some breakfast?” Rainer knew distracting Keaton was the way to go.

  “I want Mommy to make me bef-fast now, now, now!” Keaton demanded shrilly. Henry began crying from the Haydenshires’ room.

  With a deep sigh, Emily stood. She took a moment to steady herself and then moved to her parents’ room to remove Henry from his crib.

  They each carried a twin to the kitchen and placed them in their highchairs. Emily perked coffee while Rainer put Cheerios on the twins’ trays until he could locate something to fix them for breakfast.

  “Duce!” Henry commanded.

  “Got it.” Rainer poured grape juice into their sippy cups and supplied it to both boys.

  Emily chased a mug of coffee with a Dr. Pepper, and then began scrambling eggs.

  “How’s your mom?” was Rainer’s greeting when he answered Logan’s call.

  “Better, a lot better,” Logan sounded thoroughly relieved. “They just moved her to a regular room.”

  “Dad’s pissed off about half of the staff, so I’d say things are almost back to normal,” Logan chuckled, though he sounded exhausted. “Adeline’s volunteered to be mom’s in-room Medio, so that means she won’t be leaving until Mom does.” A deep yawn overtook Logan as he tried to recall everything that had happened in the last few hours.

  “And Mom’s insisting that we are all still leaving for the beach Wednesday night. She says that we can all just wait on her hand and foot there,
instead of at home.”

  Rainer laughed. That sounded precisely like something Mrs. Haydenshire would insist upon. Rainer glanced at Emily, and wondered if she knew how much like her mother she really was.

  “So, basically, once the poison was out, she was just weak. Medio Sawyer healed her liver last night, and some amazing Cardiac Medio healed her heart. The poison they used affects the heart and liver so….” Logan’s voice edged towards fury, and Rainer braced for the vengeance, but it never came.

  “They’re keeping her here mostly to watch the baby, and to let her rest. She wants you and Em to bring the boys up here,” Logan explained.

  “Ok,” Rainer began thinking through the logistics of doing just that.

  “The press is swarming, so be careful,” Logan warned. With a resentful sigh, Rainer assured him that he would.

  “Dad’s gonna announce his candidacy today. He’s gonna do it from here, in front of the hospital. He’s planning to slam Peterson for releasing Vasquez,” Logan’s voice dropped and Rainer had to cast his phone to hear him.

  “Wow,” That wasn’t a move he’d expected from the Governor right out of the box.

  “Yeah, he’s pretty pissed.”

  “Yeah, well he should be.”

  “I know, but this is gonna get ugly quick.”

  “Yeah, it is.” Rainer’s stomach turned as he thought of all of the horrors that could come out of a campaign.

  Logan clearly needed to talk, and Rainer felt badly he hadn’t been there when all of this had come to light.

  “Hey, let me go help Em get the twins ready. Then I’ll go switch the Mustang for the Hummer. Do you or Adeline need anything from the house?”

  Logan sounded thankful as he moved the phone from his mouth slightly to ask his mother and Adeline if they wanted anything from the house.

  “Yeah, I’ll get Em to get that,” Rainer assured Logan as he heard Adeline’s request. Her undergarments would not be something that he would ever want to be in his hands. She’d informed Logan that she’d be wearing scrubs the entire time she was at the hospital, but that she could use clean underwear, a bra, and her toothbrush.

  “Thanks,” Logan sounded relieved. “Hey could you bring me a suit and tie? Dad wants us all out there when he makes the announcement.”

  “Of course. Anything else?”

  “Yeah, hang on,” Logan moved the phone again. “Mom wants her robe and the book on her bedside table, and those two new cookbooks she bought. She says they’re on the island.”

  “Got it,” Rainer slid the cookbooks to the end of the counter so he would remember.

  “See you in a little while.”

  When Rainer hung up the phone, he recounted everything Logan had explained to Emily as he made them bowls of cereal.

  Her brow furrowed when he told her the Governor’s plan to announce his candidacy from the front of Georgetown Hospital.

  “Well, I guess the battle’s on, as of noon today.”

  “Yeah,” Rainer prayed that they all survived the next two months.

  After switching the cars, Emily packed for Adeline and Logan. She laid out a suit for Rainer, and picked out a tie that would complement the dress she’d put on.

  They dressed the twins in matching seersucker, blue pinstriped outfits, complete with their individual monograms that had been handmade by Nana Anderson.

  Rainer secured the car seats in the Hummer and put the sunscreens in the windows, more to block the twins from the press than from the sun’s rays.

  By eleven, they were heading back to Georgetown. The first obstacle would be to keep the press at bay long enough for them to get Keaton and Henry into the hospital without anyone snapping photos of their faces.

  The Governor had been debating them being in the press during the campaign, but after last night he was adamant that the twins were not to be photographed.

  Rainer phoned Vindico and explained the problem. Vindico seemed very pleased Rainer had called to ask for help rather than trying to deal with the press on his own. He’d stated that Rainer was thinking like an officer, and not like a student, and assured him that he would take care of everything.

  When they arrived, Vindico was directing the dozens of police and Iodex officers who were setting up barricades for the press. Rainer parked the Hummer and edged out of the car carefully, to determine the best way to proceed. A million flash bulbs went off as he emerged.

  “Rainer, how is Mrs. Haydenshire doing?”

  “How’s Emily taking her mother’s near-death experience?”

  “Is Emily with you? Where is Emily?” The questions rang endlessly.

  Vindico magnified his voice as officers surrounded the press.

  “Mr. Lawson and Miss Haydenshire will be bringing in the Haydenshires’ youngest children. Anyone who photographs them will be arrested, as the Governor has made it perfectly clear that they are not to be in any form of media until they are of age.” His voice was menacing.

  The crowd edged nervously, and Rainer felt the defiant energy buzz from the assembly. Debate whispered through the crowd as to whether or not arrest would be worth having the first shot of the Haydenshire twins in their credentials.

  “Six of us are running beside you, but you’re going to have to keep them covered and run like hell,” Vindico explained in a furious whisper.

  Rainer had had already assumed that. Garrett and Logan appeared a moment later, having seen the Hummer arrive.

  “I told you it was a freaking zoo,” Logan spat furiously.

  “Let’s get them in before any more arrive,” Vindico huffed.

  Rainer, Vindico, Garrett, and Logan all rushed back to the Hummer as Rainer released his cast from it. They were joined by numerous other officers who circled the car to keep anyone from getting too close.

  “We’re gonna have to cover them up,” Rainer explained.

  Emily slid out of the passenger side, and Garrett blocked her face from the long-range lenses.

  “Okay, we’re going to play a game,” Emily forced her voice to take on a happy excited hum, though Rainer knew she was exhausted.

  “Yay!” Keaton clapped delightedly.

  “Okay, you hide under your blankets and then, when Rainer and I pull off your blankets, you can see Mommy, but you have to leave them on until we take them off or you’ll be out.”

  The boys nodded their instant understanding.

  “No out,” Keaton instructed Henry, who nodded vehemently. The boys were elated. Rainer, Vindico, and all of her brothers stared at Emily in stunned disbelief of her genius.

  “Let’s throw a little wrench in their plans, actually,” Garrett gave a wry grin as everyone waited to hear his idea. “Logan, you run in with Emily. I’ll take Keaton with half of the escorts. You two bring Henry with the rest. That way they’re never together, and it won’t be what they’re expecting.”

  “Let’s get it done,” Vindico agreed.

  The boys had already pulled their blankets over their heads, anxious to begin the game.

  Rainer and Vindico released Henry from his car seat, but kept the entire doorway blocked with their bodies as Logan and Emily sprinted into the hospital. The press stirred. The confusion tactic had worked.

  “Ready to play, Keaton? If you lay your head on my neck, I can run faster, and we’ll beat Henry,” Garrett whispered to Keaton.

  “Yay!” cried from under the blanket as Keaton tucked his head onto his big brother’s massive chest.

  “Let’s move!” Garrett shouted to his escorts as he flew through the barricades and up the steps into the hospital. He kept Keaton surrounded by his hands and arms.

  “I want to play,” Henry demanded a moment later.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Rainer scooped him up and gave him the same promise Garrett had just given Keaton. He hid his blanketed face in Rainer’s neck as Vindico and the rest of the officers circled around Rainer and Henry in a furious sprint. Henry began to cry as shouts from the press frightened him.


  “Shh, buddy it’s ok; we’re almost there,” Rainer took the steps two at a time and kept his hand over Henry’s face.

  Henry’s tiny fists formed tightly around Rainer’s shirt he shook in his terror. The press called continually called out both of the twins’ names, not certain which one Rainer had, in an effort to get them to lift the blankets.

  They made it to the elevators and Rainer panted. Henry was sobbing, and Vindico was furious.

  “It’s okay, Henry. We’re almost to Mommy.” Rainer continued to talk to him through the blanket.

  “I want E-ah-E,” he kicked his legs as tears soaked through his blanket. Rainer understood only too well. He wanted Emily to soothe him. He was terrified, and Rainer, of all people, knew how incredible it felt for Emily to dissolve the terror and fill the recipient of her cast with her tender love.

  “She’s with Mommy. We’ll be there in just a minute.”

  Vindico shook his head. His face was drawn in disgust. “This is sick. His mother’s in the hospital, and she wants to see her kids. He wants his big sister. It shouldn’t be so freaking hard to get them to her.”

  Rainer knew that ‘freaking’ wasn’t the word Vindico would’ve used normally, but he’d reined it in for Henry’s sake. The elevator doors opened and they were met by another throng of cameras.

  Vindico, Portwood, Ericcson, and several other Iodex officers all flashed their badges. They looked quite fierce as they ordered the press away. Rainer kept Henry concealed tightly in his arms, and raced to Mrs. Haydenshire’s room.

  Two guards stepped aside to allow Rainer entrance, and then blocked the door way as Rainer slid himself and Henry in through the tiniest opening he could manage.

  “I won!” Keaton announced as Rainer finally removed Henry’s covering.

  “I want E-ah-E!” Henry wailed.

  Emily rushed to Henry. He laid his head on her shoulder, sucked his thumb, and hid his face again.

  Rainer finally took in Mrs. Haydenshire. She was propped up in the bed. She looked tired and worn, but her face held some color as she grinned at him.

  “How are you?” Rainer was terrified to touch her, lest he hurt something, somehow.