Lasting Pride (Pride Series Romance Novels)

by Jill Sanders

  The passenger van full of retired golfers, which had been the first car to come down the road, had been a blessing. One of it’s occupants had been a retired doctor and had actually turned out to be Aaron Steven’s grandfather.

  He’d stood by and watched as the man and an older woman had worked on Roberta, stopping the blood that had been oozing out of her left shoulder.

  When the ambulance had arrived they loaded her into the back and he watched the local Sheriff load the man into the back of his squad car. He’d ridden in the ambulance with Rob, watching, hovering over her.

  Ric looked up now and watched Aaron Stevens walk in.

  “What happened?” Aaron asked as he rushed to his side.

  “Rob, she’s been shot, can you go check on her for me? I’m okay, just please let me know what’s going on with her first,” Ric pleaded.

  “I’ll go check and be right back,” Ric watched as Aaron quickly left. Then he placed his head in his hand and prayed.

  Less than ten minutes later, when a nurse was finishing cleaning his head, Aaron walked back in. The look on his face said more than his words.

  “She’s in surgery, Doctor Kent is the best around, he’s going to take care of her. Her vitals are not good, but they aren’t getting worse.” Aaron walked over and started looking at Ric’s shoulder. “Let’s take care of this shoulder.”

  “I didn’t know you were on staff here. I thought you had your own place.”

  “I do, my grandfather called, I was in town for a meeting, today just happened to be your lucky day. This is going to hurt.” He said as he popped Ric’s shoulder back into place.

  Six hours later, Ric felt like he was going crazy. He was pacing up and down the small private waiting area, his arm in a sling and new stitches on the side of his head. The whole Jordan clan was there except Lacey, who was at home watching all the young children.

  Allison and Iian sat quietly huddled together, Megan and Todd had arrived shortly after them. There was even a priest, a Father Michael who was sitting talking quietly to Megan. He seemed like a nice, older gentleman.

  Ric had been raised Catholic, but hadn’t been practicing for some time, he’d quietly prayed with the man when he’d arrived. Rob’s partner Tom had arrived two hours after he’d called the PD and told them what had happened. Now there were several cops sitting around the room as well, including her sergeant and commander.

  The room was quiet, too quiet, Ric wanted answers. He walked to the door and looked out at the nurse’s station. When he saw Aaron standing there, talking to another doctor., he opened the door and walked towards the men.

  Rob knew what was happening, she felt herself drifting away. Everything in her head said that she was leaving, there was no pain.

  Her mind flashed to the night so many years ago, when she was back in a hotel room with her dad. He’d passed out drunk on the other bed and she’d stayed up all night watching MTV, eating red licorice vines, Mike and Ike’s, and drinking three Dr. Peppers.

  Then, she was whisked away to be with her friends, months before they’d been gunned down. They’d been eating burgers and drinking sodas, laughing. Everyone was there, Billy, Bonnie, Tom, Jenny, and all the others. Their young faces all smiling and happy.

  Then, she was eighteen and sitting with Detective Johns in an ice cream parlor, after they’d won their case against the gang members who’d taken her friends away. They’d celebrated and he’d asked her what her plans were for her life. His face hadn’t masked the concern and friendship he’d shown her.

  Quickly, she was whisked to the small cabin with Ric. They were making love slowly after taking a walk on the beach in the summer rain. She spent more time here, realizing that it had been the happiest she’d ever been.

  She watched as his face hovered above hers, his eyes filled with love. Then his eyes turned sad and tears were falling down on her as she was being wheeled down a long bright hallway. She wanted to go back to the cabin, back to the happy moment.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Shh, shh, it’s okay, everything’s going to be okay, you’re safe. Just relax, rest now, I’ll be here. I’ll be right here,” he said.

  She’d been calling his name over and over, from across the room. He’d woken in the uncomfortable chair he’d been sitting in for the last two days.

  His friends had brought him a change of clothes, razors, whatever he had needed. Aaron had managed with his pull, to allow Ric full access to her room, day and night. He’d showered and changed into new clothes and stayed by her side ever since.

  His friends brought him food from the hospital, something home cooked, or something from the restaurant.

  Roberta’s friends and partners came and went. Her mother and grandmother came and went, they had even stayed for a few nights in a hotel nearby. Megan, Lacey, and Allison came and went. Todd and Iian had stopped by and kept him company for a while. All the time, Ric had stayed, never leaving the room and only stepping into the adjoining bathroom for quick breaks.

  Aaron came back every day, checking her charts, her vitals, checking him to make sure he took his medicine for his shoulder and head injuries.

  Now as she stirred, Ric leaned over her and comforted her. This was the first time she’d moved since arriving at the hospital.

  Her eye’s fluttered, then she was looking at him. He could see confusion and fear.

  “You’re at Edgeview Hospital, you were shot.” He tried to maintain his voice, but it still cracked and he held back a sob. “The bullet was lodged less than an inch from your heart, but they got it out.” He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

  When she tried to talk, he shushed her again, “Don’t, they say you throat will be sore from all the tubes. Everything is going to be fine, just rest. I’ll be here.” He watched as her eyes slid closed again.

  He sat next to her and watched her sleep. Her dark eyelashes resting on her pale cheeks. Over the last few days, he’d thought long and hard about losing her. What it had done to him, seeing her lying on the cold ground, blood pouring from her chest and shoulder. He thought for a moment that he’d lost her, and it had nearly killed him.

  His hands shook now as he reached over and lightly pushed a dark strand of her hair from her forehead.

  There had been no one else he’d ever felt this passionate about. He couldn’t think what life would be like without her, he didn’t want to think about it.

  Pushing up, he started to pace the room again. He swore he’d wear a pathway in the linoleum flooring soon. Just then, a nurse walked in, when she started taking Roberta’s vitals, he told her that she’d briefly woken up.

  “That’s a good sign Mr. Derby, I’ll pass the good news along to her doctor.” She quietly left the room.

  Less than ten minutes later, Aaron walked in smiling.

  “I heard she was awake.” When Ric nodded, he continued. “Wonderful, was she coherent?”

  “No, not really, she just called out.”

  “Well, give her some time. It’s a good sign.” Ric watched as Aaron double checked her vitals and IV tubes.

  “Have you had dinner?” When he just shook head no, Aaron said. “I can have someone bring you something, it’s meatloaf night in the cafeteria. You don’t want to have the meatloaf here.” He shook his head. “Iian’s making lasagna for the family.”

  “Sounds good, thank you.”

  After he left, Ric sat and watched Rob sleep, his phone beeped with a new message. He hadn’t heard it ring, then he realized it was on silent mode. He’d switched it over to allow her some quiet.

  He listened to his sister’s message. “Ric, it’s Katie,” she sounded so different, almost as if she was far away. “I heard about what happened, I just wanted you to know that I’m thinking about you and I hope Roberta gets better. I… I’m sorry I can’t take your calls right now. Just know that I’m not upset with you. I just need to sort a few things before I can deal with… everyone else. Give Rob my love. B
ye.”

  He felt sad knowing that his perky little sister was no more. He sat in the quite room and listened to the machines and thought about everything he’d almost lost.

  Less than an hour later, there was a light knock on the door. Walking to it he was shocked to see his father on the other side.

  “Dad?” Ric was the same build as him, lean, tall, and toned. He knows his father spent as much time in the gym and running as Ric did. His blond hair and blue eyes matched his father’s perfectly. His father’s hair was just shorter and more well trimmed at the moment.

  Ric noticed that his pants and shirt were wrinkled, something he’d never seen on his father before. Usually the man’s clothing was in pristine condition. He actually looked like he’d just stepped off a plane and ridden in a car for two hours like a normal human being.

  “Ric, I heard about your -- detective and came as soon as possible.” His father looked uncomfortable, standing in the bright hallway. Ric could see the dark circles under his eyes and could only imagine the pain the man was going through. He knew that his father had just found out that his wife of over thirty years had not only been unfaithful, but had a different family and had lead a separate life across the world.

  “It’s good to see you,” Ric walked into the hallway and hugged his father.

  The next day, when Sergeant Johns was visiting, he pulled Ric out to the hallway.

  Well, it looks like Adham Rangan was the real mastermind, he’s admitted to hiring the others to steal everything he wanted from your gallery, then trying to kill you and abduct Rob. It appears that he’s shipped several of the pieces to India for his brother so he could recoup the lost of his daughter’s dowry. Since she’s still missing, he assumed you had something to do with her disappearance. Even if they did get her back, the shame she’s caused her family was irreversible. Most likely she’d be killed if they ever found her.” The sergeant shook his head. “Damn crazy country, anyway, what he didn’t ship we recovered in his mansion. The man has more money than god, apparently his family has oil money. He has a pile of lawyers fighting to get him free now. We’ll see how it plays out in the courts. Most likely you’ll be called in to testify.”

  Ric watched as the older man rubbed his hands through his hair.

  “I’d like to get my hands on him myself. But, he’s been transferred to the state facility already. There’s a possibility the feds will even get a chance at him since shipping of stolen goods to outside the US is a federal and international crime. There’s a lot of people piling up the charges against him.”

  “Thanks,” Ric went to shake his hand.

  “Please, call me Mike,” he shook his hand.

  “Thanks, Mike.”

  Roberta sat up in the bed and watched the group of grown men huddled around her. Their faces were all solemn and she could tell they were trying to keep a positive attitude.

  “Do I look that bad?” she asked Tom.

  It had been three days since she’d woken up. Since then, she’d had so many visitors she couldn’t count. Her mother and grandmother had driven and spent two whole days with her before they’d been assured that she was on the mend and had returned home with their promises they would visit her soon in Portland.

  Today, it seemed, the whole Portland police department was crammed into her small hospital room, which had been filled full of amazing bouquets of flowers.

  She looked around the room now, looking for Ric, he’d been a standard feature in the room since she’d woken. She saw him standing in the corner now, talking to his father, who had apparently shown up a few days ago. He hadn’t left his son’s side once since arriving.

  He’d mentioned the wedge that they had, but it appeared to her that they had mended any rifts that they might have had.

  Ric had left her alone for only a few hours. Apparently to shower and change, since he came back looking fresh in new clothes she hadn’t seen yet.

  She desperately wished for a shower. She’d had a nurse pull her hair up in a loose pony-tail. The most she’d been allowed to do was walk to the restroom by herself, even then, a nurse had never left her side.

  “You take your time healing, there’s no rush to get back,” Tom was saying.

  She noticed that Sergeant Johns had not stepped forward to talk to her, yet. He stuck to the back of the group and waited until everyone started to clear out. Then, when it was just Ric, his father, Rodrick, and the Sergeant, he stepped forward.

  Rob looked at Ric and he and his father quietly walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the man who had been more of a father figure than her own dad had ever been.

  “You scared me little girl,” he patted her hand, she reached up and held onto his. She’d held it together in front of the others, now, however, she felt the tears coming.

  “I scared myself,” she hadn’t known she could explain to this man what he’d done for her life. How could you repay someone who had saved your life in more ways than one? “Listen Sarge,” wetting her lips she held onto his hand, “I’ve never told you…”

  “Shush now, you don’t have to say anything,” he patted her arm lightly.

  “Yes, yes I do. If it wasn’t for you, who knows where I would have ended up. You saw something in me that day, something no one else had ever seen. You gave me something I didn’t even know I needed.” Tears were slipping down her cheeks now.

  “Rob, I didn’t do anything that you wouldn’t have done. I saw potential in the scared girl who’d just lost everything, I gave you a chance and you haven’t failed me or yourself since that day. You are the strongest person I’ve ever known. That’s why I know you’re going to be back at the office, doing your job as soon as you’re cleared. You will continue saving and protecting others like you were born to.”

  “I love you, you know that,” she smiled, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.

  “Yeah, I love you too, kiddo. I think there’s someone else waiting to hear those words as well. Unless I’m just an old fool and have lost my ability to see the obvious.” He smiled down at her and then turned and left.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was less than two weeks later that Rob sat in her living room with Jack on her lap. It felt good to be home. Apparently when Jose had gone through her place, he’d torn up some of her furniture. Because when she walked in, she noticed the new living room couch and chairs and her small queen bed had been replaced with a large king sized foam mattress.

  “Did you have something to do with all this?” she looked across the room at Ric who had just carried in the last of their bags from the car.

  “I have no idea what your talking about,” he said with a smile.

  She didn’t quite know what to expect from him. Did he plan on living here with her? Would he feel comfortable in a small, modest place so much unlike what he was used to?

  He had no more than sat down, when there was a knock on the door.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but while you were asleep in the car, I ordered take out,” he walked to the door expecting the delivery man to be on the other side.

  Both of them were shocked when it turned out to be Dante Cardone on the other side.

  “Hi, I hope you don’t mind me stopping by, I wanted to check up on both of you.” Since Rob had only met him twice before, her impression of him had only been cockiness. Now, she could see that he was nervous and possibly a little scared. His eyes were searching theirs and she realized she was wrong about him, it wasn’t attitude and boldness, it was fear and nerves.

  “Please,” Ric stepped aside to let him in.

  “I know that this is all strange to you,” Dante ran his hands through his hair, something Ric tended to do when he was upset or nervous, and Rob noticed how much the two men really had in common. Both had been raised to believe one thing and been thrown into this situation unwillingly.

  “Please, come in and have a seat,” Rob waved her hand towards her new leather chairs.

  When they wer
e all seated, looking at each other from across the small space, Dante continued.

  “Ric, I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I didn’t come to you sooner. When I found out about you, my junior year of college, I wanted nothing more than to hate you. But, it’s been over six years now and I’ve grown to forgive mom, Kathleen,” he looked more nervous now.

  Rob snuck a look in Ric’s direction, he was sitting very straight, very stiff next to her. Reaching over, she took hold of his hand and noticed that he relaxed a little.

  “I didn’t know about Katie until just last year, and just now found out that she’s,” he looked a little sick and sad, “she’s my sister. I was led to believe that you were a mistake mom made in college, a one night fling. Then I found out about Katie, and well, all mom’s lies just weren’t adding up, so I did some digging of my own. When my father opened the branch in Portland, I left school eager to run it, to be closer. To try and understand…”