Revengeful Deceptions

by Ursula Dukes

  Dominique was told that she could get dressed while the doctor left the examining room. The nurse knocked softly on the door.

  “Miss Reid, the doctor asked that you stop in his office before leaving.”

  “Sure,” said Dominique, “is anything wrong?”

  “I'm sure everything’s fine he just needs a word.”

  I hope it had nothing to do with the name on my insurance card thought Dominique; she had done what Rob said and only used her alias Jocelyn Reid for when she went to the doctor or ordered things online. Well if it has raised suspicion, I'll just use the credit card, she thought as she knocked on the doctor’s door.

  “Miss Reid come in. Miss Reid I’ve got to put you on bed rest.”

  The words stung Dominique. “What is it doctor, what's wrong?”

  Panic set in and her heart began to race.

  “Miss Reid, this pregnancy has made you severely anemic. Your baby isn’t getting enough oxygen, and I don’t have to tell you what that means, so we need you to be on complete bed rest to see if there is any improvement.

  You'll need someone to look after you.”

  Dominique knew that Muriel would drop everything to come and take care of her but her visits now were fewer and fewer as Muriel was giving 100 percent of her time to counseling and making things better between she and Jonathan. No, I’ll hire a nurse if I have to, thought Dominique.

  “Doctor are there any nurses on the island that I may hire?”

  “Absolutely Miss Reid I’ll have reception give you a list of very reputable ones. And don’t worry, you'll be fine. This is just a precaution, Miss Reid.”

  Dominique walked out of the office shocked; she could not believe that she needed complete bed rest. I mean I’ve been feeling bad, she thought to herself, but not that bad. “This isn’t good,” she whispered to herself as she dialed Muriel’s number. When Dominique told Muriel what the doctor had told her she wanted to drop everything and rush to her side.

  “Dominique I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said, her voice panicked.

  “NO Muriel, you'll do no such thing, your finally able to work things out with your husband, I’m not going to come in between that, no. The doctor gave me a list of nurses that he says are more than capable. I'll be fine Muriel, me and the baby will be fine.”

  Even as she said the words, Dominique was worried. She didn’t want a stranger coming in and looking after her, but she would have no choice.

  “Muriel, I’ve gotta get going on this list here,” she said voice cracking, so let me go and I’ll call you soon.”

  “Dominique let me at least come out for a few days, please.”

  “Not necessary Muriel, listen the best thing you can do for me right now is work things out with your husband, I’d like to see one nice thing come out of what we did.”

  “Are you sure Dominique?"

  “Yes I am now hang up you; I'll speak to you soon.”

  Muriel knew that her friend would hate the idea of having a stranger taking care of her. No, she needed a friend. Muriel knew that since things didn’t go exactly as planned and that she and Jonathan were going to try and work things out, it meant that she wasn’t going to be able to be there for Dominique like she had hoped.

  But she knew that there was someone who drop everything to be there for her and whether she liked it or not, Dominique was going to have to accept Adam's help.

  “Hello Adam its mom calling, can you stop by the house honey? I think we need to talk.”

  Adam sat stone faced and clenching his jaw while his mother explained to him that she knew where he could find Dominique.

  “You mean you knew all along and you kept this from me mom? Did you not learn anything from what happened on New Year’s Eve in this very house?”

  “Adam honey I’m sorry, I was respecting Dominique's wishes honey, please try and understand she and the baby have been doing alright Adam but now... her voice trailed off.”

  “Mom, what is it? What’s wrong?” The panic rising in his voice.

  “Oh honey I got a call from Dominique just today and she told me that the doctor has put her on complete bed rest honey. She's anemic and it seems that the baby isn’t getting enough oxygen, plus her childhood asthma has returned and if she gets upset or goes under duress, she needs to use her inhaler. Adam I told her I would go to her but she insisted that I stay and continue working things out with your father.”

  “And that’s why you called me? You want me to go to her.”

  “Yes Adam. I want you to go and take care of them, don’t you see, this is your chance; you two can start over.”

  “Mom, it’s been four months, what if she doesn’t want to see me?”

  Muriel put her arms around her son and giving him a reassuring hug said, “Adam Caruso, Don’t you give her that choice!” That woman loves you and she's carrying your child for heaven's sake now you go be with her and your baby.”

  As Adam headed home and started packing his bags, he hoped that his mother was right; he hoped that Dominique was still in love with him because he was certainly still in love with her.

  Although it was early May, Dominique was glad that the tourist season wouldn’t begin until Late May early June, she had never been on the island during its peak season but from the stories she's heard from the locals, things were gonna get pretty crowded.

  She didn’t mind the crowds at all; it was being pregnant and being in the crowds that would bother her.

  “You'll be here just in time for all the fun,” she said to her swollen belly.

  She had woken up early to start calling the names on her list but a sudden craving for bacon over took the urge to hire a nurse.

  As she sat at the kitchen table going over the list, she heard the sound of a car outside. That can't be Muriel, she told herself. Muriel always called before her arrival on the island, no, it couldn’t be Muriel. Dominique reached for a knife but thought better of it. Just in case it is Muriel, she thought to herself.

  Instead she grabbed the only thing handy; a cookie sheet that lie on the counter from the chocolate chip cookies she had made and devoured last night. As she crept towards the front door and peeked out the window, she couldn’t see a car. “Who the hell is it?” She whispered as she stood ready behind the door.

  She watched the door knob as it slowly opened and shutting her eyes, she swung hard at her would be assailant. “Son of a bitch!” Adam yelled as he dropped his bags and covered his nose. “Adam? Adam what are you doing here? How did you know I was here? Oh my god I'm so sorry, are you hurt?”

  Dominique thought she was going crazy, here she was pregnant, frying bacon and beating Adam in the face with a cookie sheet. Adam, the man she thought she would never see again. He stood in a daze; there right in front of him was Dominique, in all her splendid and pregnant beauty. When she realized that she wasn’t going crazy, Dominique felt light headed, and became short of breath.

  Adam remembered what his mother had told him about her health.

  “Dominique here, sit down please, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Dominique sat on the sofa with her hand on her chest. Adam couldn’t help but notice that even though she looked absolutely beautiful, she looked tired, she looked incredibly tired.

  “Adam, what are you doing here? No never mind I know, let me guess, Muriel told you where I was didn’t she?”

  “Yes she did Dominique. Do you have any idea of how long I’ve been looking for you? I even hired private investigators Dominique and they couldn’t even find you.”

  “Well it’s like I said Adam, I have friends in high places. I didn’t want to be found, I wanted to live out here on the island and raise my baby.”

  “Don't you mean our baby Dominique?”

  “Adam I don’t know what you want me to say, it's too complicated now Adam, when I needed you most you weren’t there and that still hurts.

  “Dominique I walked away because of what my brother threatened to do to
you. You know that and if you hadn't left so abruptly, I would have stopped you from even getting on that ferry. Dominique Foster I love you and I love our baby, now I’m here to take care of the both of you whether you like it or not. You need me and I’m not going to abandon you or our baby so you better get used to having me around because I’m not going anywhere, now get upstairs and get back in bed.”

  Dominique wasn’t used to Adam speaking to her in such an authoritative tone, she liked it, she liked the thought of him taking care of her, god knows he was better than a stranger and had he said he loved her? Had she heard him right? At the moment she didn’t care, she was too tired to object.

  “The bacon's burning,” she said as she made her way up the stairs.”

  Adam couldn’t have been happier taking care of Dominique, and each day while she rested, he took the opportunity to read several of the pregnancy books and magazines that Dominique had purchased. He had missed out on the first few months of her pregnancy, he wasn’t about to miss out on anymore.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Having Adam there was good for her and Dominique knew it. With him being there she was able to get some much needed rest and since his arrival she hadn’t had any spontaneous asthma attacks. Although she thought they had talked things out, there was something that Adam hadn’t done; he hadn’t slept next to her all night.

  They would spend hours sitting next to each other and watching movies or cuddling and kissing and he would lie next to her, but only until she fell asleep, then he would make his way into one of the spare bedrooms and she wanted to know why.

  Adam was in the kitchen making breakfast when Dominique strolled in.

  “Good morning sleepy head, I was going to bring you breakfast in bed Dominique, why don’t you head on back up.”

  Dominique was tired of staying in bed, it was a beautiful day, she wanted to get out and do something.

  “Adam, I’m not an invalid; I CAN do some things for myself sweetheart but today I want to go out for breakfast, would you please take me out?”

  “Dominique, are you sure that’s safe? I mean what happens if you have an asthma attack or worse, you go into premature labor?” Dominique couldn’t help but grin at his sincerity.

  “Adam, I’ll be fine trust me, I just need to get out, I promise, nothing bad is going to happen Okay? Me and the baby will be fine, now I’m gonna go get ready and I’ll be down in a little while alright?” She said giving him a kiss. “Oh and while we're at breakfast we are going to discuss exactly why it is that you won't sleep next to me,” she said, already walking up the stairs.

  “I was waiting for that,” Adam whispered. He wanted nothing more than to sleep next to her and even if they couldn't have sex, he wanted to be near her every night. But he had read online about the horror stories of men who slept so wildly in bed that they accidentally pushed their pregnant spouses out of the bed or had tossed and turned so much that they found themselves kicked out of bed all together. So he figured he'd avoid all that by sleeping alone in one of the other bedrooms.

  “Adam I not only want you in my life but I want you in my bed as well,” she told him over breakfast.

  “Don't believe all that non sense that you’ve been reading Adam, millions of pregnant couples share a bed and they are fine. If we're going to work at this Adam then let's really work on it Okay, and just so you know, sex is perfectly alright too,” she grinned at him.

  “Although I can understand why you wouldn't be attracted to me." Dominique said with a frown.

  Adam felt that what Dominique had just said couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

  “Dominique, you’re wrong. You look amazing, if you only knew how much I have to fight the urge not to be with you intimately,” he whispered as they were in a small restaurant and he wanted no one to overhear.

  “Well Adam I want you to know that nothing’s changed, we can still make love, we just have to be a little more creative,” she whispered back.

  “Well in that case, I don’t want to rush you Dominique but do you think we can get that to go?” He asked with a grin that Dominique had not seen in a very long time.

  Brandon was mad, even though he loved being part of the DiNunzio family, he despised the fact that his gangster father made him work for the things that he wanted. DiNunzio had told him that he was a spoiled kid who would have to work his way up and that meant he would have to start at the bottom.

  He was no longer able to support his habit as often as he had before because DiNunzio had him doing menial jobs. To make matters worse, Brandon was now forced to live in the same dingy apartment that his dead friend Nick had once occupied.

  Brandon was assigned to do small pick-ups and deliveries, and drive a few of DiNunzio's thugs around to various places when needed. He told his dad that when he wasn’t a part of the family he'd been given better, more respectable jobs.

  “Well your part of the family now,” DiNunzio told him, “if you can't deal with it there's the door.”

  “Gee thanks dad,” he said in a sarcastic tone.

  “There's some unfinished business Joey Costa has to take care of and you’re going to help him do it Brandon. Here's something you should know about this family, especially Joey Costa, he doesn’t like to leave loose ends that allows for less trouble, you of all people should know that.

  If you had taken care of this broad last year, none of this would have happened and I’m not Caruso buddy so don’t look to me to clean up your mess. You’re a DiNunzio now and I can't have the cops sniffing around here asking questions about an accident that happened two years ago, there's too much at stake Brandon.

  Now you started this so you need to see it through. Joey will be getting in touch with you soon so I suggest you go along with this Brandon, things have changed, you’re not the son of Jonathan Caruso, you’re the son of Peter DiNunzio now so man up and get to it.”

  “I don't even know where that bitch is, how the hell am I supposed to kill her if I can't even find her?”

  “Brandon, you’re not without resources son, I’m sure if you and Joey put your heads together you'll come up with something.”

  “If it's all the same with you, I want to take care of this myself; you just told me it was my problem so I’ll take care of it.”

  “Well.” his father exclaimed, “I'm glad to hear that. Sounds like your manning up already son, just see that you do take care of it and soon, real soon.”

  “Dominique that was incredible, are you sure I didn’t hurt you or the baby?” Adam asked, concerned that their lovemaking was uncomfortable for her.

  “Absolutely not Adam and you are right, that was incredible, and I’ve missed you.”

  Dominique sighed lazily.

  “Well you won’t have to miss me anymore because I’m not going anywhere, and that is a promise Dominique Foster.”

  “Adam, what if I had no desire to go back to Boston? What if I wanted to stay here?”

  “Then we stay here.”

  “What about your job? Your dad would never allow you to leave the firm?”

  “My father doesn’t own me, I can go where ever I please and besides, I’ve always thought about opening up my own practice, maybe I could do that here.”

  “You would do that for me?”

  “Dominique I would do that for the three of us. Look, I know it’s not just us anymore, we have a baby on the way and I’ve gotta think about that now.”

  “I'm glad you feel that way because I’m really not sure if I want to go back. I mean, I like Boston and all but I’m just not sure.”

  “We've got plenty of time to decide on that, plenty of time,” he said while gently caressing her belly.

  Adam grew more and more excited with each visit to the doctor's office. He was glad that Dominique had finally included him in her life and he wanted nothing more than to be with her and their baby. However, something was missing, he knew he loved Dominique and wanted to make it official, now all he needed was a
ring.

  “Adam honey, you’re not coming in?”

  Adam had to think of a good reason why he wasn’t going to accompany her to the checkup.

  “Not this time Dominique, the car has been acting a bit funny so I thought I’d better get it looked at, better to be safe than sorry, especially with a baby on the way. But I’ll be back to pick you up okay baby?”

  “Of course, I’m sure it’s just routine anyway, but can we go get something to eat after? I'm starving?”

  “Anything you want Dominique, anything you want.”

  Once he walked Dominique into her appointment and returned to the car, Adam set out in search of the perfect ring. He'd have only an hour or so before he had to return to the doctor's office so he drove down Main St. to the only jewelry store that he knew of.

  With the help of a knowledgeable saleswoman, it took Adam just forty minutes to find the perfect ring. While she wrapped the three carat diamond, Adam tried to think of creative ways to make his proposal of marriage.

  He was still thinking about it when he parked the car and made his way into the Dr.'s office. He suddenly became nervous, what if she didn’t like the ring? What if she said no? Those questions popped into his mind and grabbed a hold of him so tight that he wanted to give her the ring right then and there just to get it over with.

  But seeing the look in her eyes when she saw him walk in put all of his fears to rest.

  “I was thinking Dominique that we'd go out for a nice dinner tonight, what do you think? Get you out of the house more like you wanted, what do you say?”

  “I say that sounds like a wonderful idea Adam.”

  “Good, we'll head home, get all gussied up and have a night on the town.”