Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Beauman, Cate

  “Bella?”

  She pressed her fingers to her temple, her guilt compounding when Faith started crying in the background. “I’m so sorry to call you—”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “No. I’m afraid I have another emergency.” She swallowed as a ball of emotion tried to choke her. “I’m hoping you’ll be able to come over and let Lucy out before you go to work.”

  “Of course. I’ll have to swing by around six thirty. I have an early shift.”

  “That’s fine. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You don’t have to. You’re my friend.”

  She blinked back another wave of tears. “Thank you, Jenny.”

  “I’ll give her breakfast too.”

  “That would be great. I’ll be home in time for work but… I’m so grateful for your help. I’m sorry for waking Faith.”

  “It’s all right. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take good care of Lucy.”

  “You’re the best. There’s a twenty on the entryway table. Go ahead and grab it.”

  “I don’t—”

  “You’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t take it.”

  “All right.

  “Bye, Jenny.”

  “Bye.”

  She hung up and bent down, kissing Lucy’s head. “I’ll be back later. Get some more sleep.” Hurrying downstairs, she put money on the table, went out to the car, and took off, making excellent time on Sunset Boulevard, then the 405 in the light traffic. She pushed her speed to eighty-five, hoping the highway patrol was busy watching another stretch of road. She needed to get to Dad and find out what was going on. Forty-five minutes later, the GPS barked out directions Bella didn’t need as she got off the exit and made her way through Reseda to the hospital. Parking in the first available spot she could find, she ran inside, stopping at the admittance desk. “Good morning. My father, Vincent Pescoe, was brought in by ambulance a little while ago.”

  The woman tapped a few buttons on her keyboard. “It looks like they just took him up to his room. They have him settled in on the fourth floor.”

  “Thank you.” She beelined it to the elevator, impatiently pressing the number 4 when the doors took forever to close. Moments later, she stepped out into the oncology unit and headed for the nurses’ station.

  The woman sitting behind the desk smiled. “Good morning.”

  Bella did her best to smile back. “Good morning. My father, Vincent Pescoe, was brought up a few minutes ago.”

  “Yes. Visiting hours are at eight.”

  She shook her head. “I have to work today. I need to see him now. They called me up here from the Palisades.”

  “That must have been the admittance clerk. She should know our procedures.”

  “But I’m here now.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Please,” her voice broke. “I drove over an hour. I just need to see that he’s okay and I’ll go.” She dashed at a tear as it fell.

  Sympathy filled the woman’s eyes. “I can sneak you in real quick. Your father needs his rest.”

  She nodded, sniffling, trying desperately to pull herself back together. “He’s going to be okay?”

  “They’ve started a round of antibiotics.”

  She nodded again, even though she wasn’t sure what the antibiotics were for. “Okay. That’s good.”

  “Here.” The nurse plucked a tissue from a box.

  “Thank you.” She blew her nose. “Thank you,” she repeated, perilously close to losing it again.

  “Let’s take you down.”

  “I appreciate it.” She walked behind the nurse.

  They stopped in front of room 420. “Here we are.”

  “I’ll be quick.”

  “Just make sure he rests.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath before she stepped into Dad’s room.

  He opened his eyes in the blue light glowing from the television. “Bella, I thought you would come by after work.”

  She shook her head, walking over to his bed and taking his hand as she sat on the edge of the mattress. “I needed to come now and make sure you’re okay. You told me you were okay, Dad.”

  “I’ve got an infection. The doctors gave me some medicine on Monday—”

  “Monday?” She touched the back of her fingers to his forehead and cheeks. He was burning up. “You didn’t tell me anything about this.”

  “I had some sniffles. They turned into a touch of pneumonia.”

  “Pneumonia? Daddy,” she scolded, trying her best not to get too frustrated with his lack of disclosure.

  “That’s what they’re saying.” He shrugged. “I was taking the pills.”

  “So what happened tonight?”

  “I got a little lightheaded again and fell, but I didn’t crack anything open this time.”

  She frowned when he smiled. “You’re not taking this very seriously.”

  “I’m going to be fine. They’re giving me some pretty potent stuff.” He gestured to the liquid dripping down the IV tubing. “They want to keep me here for a couple of days.”

  “It sounds like they should.” She fussed with his pillow. “We’re going to start you on probiotics as soon as we get you home. We’ll need to get your healthy bacteria back to where it should be.”

  “Bella.” He gripped her hand tighter. “They ran some new tests.”

  Butterflies immediately fluttered in her belly as she stared into his eyes. She could already tell she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “Okay.”

  “Some of the tumors are getting bigger. They’re spreading.”

  She swallowed as her pulse began to pound. “What does that mean, exactly? Are they shortening your time frame?”

  “No. It means they said I should start expecting to have a few more bad days mixed in with the good.”

  “Oh.” She brought his hand to her cheek as she pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. “Oh,” she said again, when she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “I’m going to enjoy my good days. Having you here makes every day better, Isabella.” He winked.

  She made herself smile. “We’ll focus on the good, then.”

  He yawned. “I think I’m ready to close my eyes for a while.”

  “I want you to.” She kissed his forehead. “Get some sleep. I’ll stay—”

  He shook his head. “Go home to bed.”

  “I’m going to sit for a few minutes.”

  “For a few minutes.”

  “Just a couple,” she assured him as she settled in the chair next to his bed, keeping her hand tucked in his. Slowly Dad dozed off while she stared out the window, watching the night fade into day. She was exhausted. Her body begged her to sleep, but she focused on his big, bony hand swallowing hers. She didn’t have endless moments with him to take for granted. He wasn’t going to be here much longer.

  She glanced from the IV drip to the hospital bed, then finally at her watch. Unfortunately, she had to go. She stood and kissed Dad’s cheek, knowing she had to get home and ready for work. Looking his way one last time, she closed the door behind her and stopped by the nurses’ station, where the same woman still sat. “If there are any changes with my father’s condition, please call me right away.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “If you can, let him know I’ll be back tonight after work.”

  “As soon as he wakes up, I’ll tell him.”

  “Thank you.” She got in the elevator when she wanted nothing more than to stay, but she had clients and a dog waiting for her an hour down the road.

  ~~~~

  Reed brushed his fingers through his wet hair as he walked downstairs, yawning loudly. He was starting to wonder why he bothered getting into bed every night when he barely slept anymore. For hours, he’d tossed and turned, catching a few minutes of shut-eye here and there, but mostly he’d stared at the ceiling, thinking about the way he’d handled things with Bella yesterday.

&nb
sp; It bothered him that he’d caused her pain, that he’d allowed his frustrations to become an excuse to be careless and unkind. Bella meant too much to him to have treated her the way he had. Not all that long ago, he’d used his anger and intimidation tactics to get information—that’s how the mafia crowd rolled, but that wasn’t going to work with Bella—nor did he want it to. She owed him plenty of explanations. Waiting patiently for her to give him the answers he needed wasn’t getting him anywhere, but neither was being a dick.

  At some point last night, he’d realized he couldn’t back off the investigation, nor could he walk away from Bella. Both were too important to him. He wanted to take down the Caparellis. They deserved to rot in hell, but most of all, he needed to know who Bella was. He meant what he’d said when he told her he was going to help her no matter what, but first he needed to know exactly what they were dealing with.

  Basically, he and Bella needed to talk.

  Sighing, he walked to the Keurig, set a mug beneath the spout, and pressed the brew button as he tried to figure out what his next step should be. He contemplated grabbing Bella breakfast and stopping by her office, waving a white flag, but then he remembered the tears in her eyes when she’d told him they should take a break. An egg burrito and his attempt at making light of a bad situation probably wasn’t the best idea. Maybe the beach and ice cream would be better—their special thing…

  The car slowing and pulling up at Bella’s place caught his attention. He frowned as he glanced at the clock, then out the window, watching Jenny rushing toward Bella’s front door, dressed in nursing scrubs. “Shit.” Bella had been keeping early hours this last week, but she always brought Lucy with her. Bella’s Volkswagen was gone from the driveway, and Jenny was on puppy patrol—not a good sign.

  The fact that Bella was clearly having issues again and she hadn’t bothered calling when he was right next door wasn’t lost on him. He abandoned his hazelnut brew and walked outside.

  Jenny looked at him as Lucy ran over from the side yard. “Hey, Reed.”

  He absently petted the puppy. “Where’s Bella?”

  “She had another emergency. She called me in the middle of the night—real upset again. She thought she’d be home for work, but I’m not so sure since it’s almost six forty-five.” She looked at her watch. “I mean, seven. Come on, Lucy. Do your thing.”

  Her gaze kept wandering to her car. Apparently, Jenny was running behind. “Do you have Faith with you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t leave her by herself. Reagan’s got her.”

  “I can keep Lucy with me.”

  “I haven’t fed her breakfast,” she said, glancing at her watch for the second time.

  “I can take care of it.”

  She hesitated, looking from her vehicle to Lucy. “I don’t know. I should have been here sooner, but Faithy was givin’ me a fit with her oatmeal. We both had to change.”

  “I’ll take care of Lucy.”

  “That’s real nice of you. Thank you. Tell Bella I hope she’s feelin’ better.”

  “I will.”

  “Bye.” Jenny got in the Toyota and took off.

  He sighed, looking at Lucy. “Where’d your mom go, Luce?”

  The puppy wagged her tail and leaned against him.

  “Let’s get you some breakfast.” He walked to Bella’s, opening the door Jenny had left ajar, and stepped into the cozy space he hadn’t been in since Sunday. It smelled like her: perfume, shampoo, and the scent that was simply Bella. “Want some grub?”

  Lucy hurried over to her bowl in the kitchen.

  He chuckled, following behind. “You definitely have a healthy appetite, and you actually seem to understand every word I’m saying, which is kinda weird.” He scooped food into her bowl from the half-empty container and glanced at the new list started on the fridge, noting that Bella already jotted down that Lucy needed more kibble. She’d been busy—work was crazy for her right now, but she was still as organized as ever. There were several things written down that she needed to do, stuff they would have divided between the two of them just a few days ago, but he’d left her to deal with life on her own—something he wasn’t particularly proud of. He’d handled this entire situation poorly, losing his cool like a complete jackass. But then again, he’d never been crazy about a woman whose family had killed his.

  Walking over to the cupboard, he grabbed a cup and set it under the Keurig, like he’d done at his own house just minutes ago, then reached in the refrigerator for milk and snagged a spoon from the drawer, pausing when he recognized how easy it was to make himself at home. For a little while, this had been theirs. So much had changed, yet this place was exactly the same: lush green plants thriving in their pots, candles burned down a little more than they had been before, a toy waiting to be wrapped with cheerful paper—the small glimpses of Bella’s life he’d been a part of for too short a time.

  He scrubbed at his jaw and leaned against the counter, waiting for Lucy to finish up while he debated whether he wanted to be here when Bella got back. Maybe she needed some space, or maybe she would walk through the door the same way she had last time—pale, sick, and exhausted.

  They had their problems. He and Bella were certainly at a crossroads, but he couldn’t just leave her. He didn’t want to leave her—at least not until he knew everything was okay. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to ask her what exactly was going on. He’d avoided that option all along, hoping she would share voluntarily, but maybe it was time to lay everything out on the table and go from there. Making his decision, he sat down at the table with his coffee and stared out the window as the sun made its way up for the day.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Bella clutched the steering wheel as she sat in her driveway, staring at her house through the windshield. She needed to get out of the car and go inside, but she didn’t want to. Sitting here like this seemed better—easier. Unlike anywhere else in her life, she had complete control when she was in the driver’s seat. At this point, not a whole lot seemed to be up to her, certainly not anything of importance. Dad’s health was rapidly declining despite their best efforts, and Reed was gone.

  Taking a deep breath, she unfastened her seat belt and got out, far from ready to face the day. She walked to the door and twisted her key in the lock, stepping into the entryway, where Lucy waited to greet her. A rush of emotions swamped her as she crouched down, wrapping her arms around her puppy. “You’re here. I’m so glad you’re here.” Pressing her face into soft fur, she surrendered to the horrid sense of helplessness and fear she’d been forced to endure since early this morning. She let her tears fall, purging the worst of the dread, cherishing the silent support of her best friend.

  Lucy let loose a sympathetic whine.

  “It’s going to be okay.” She stroked Lucy’s sides as she clung to her. “Everything’s going to be all right,” she reassured the dog, even when she didn’t believe it. Sniffling, she kissed her puppy on the neck. “You give the best hugs.” She kissed her again and lifted her head, rushing to her feet when she realized Reed was standing in the kitchen, watching her. Their gazes locked, and she took a step in retreat when her first instinct was to run to him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw Jenny.”

  She swallowed, refusing to acknowledge the way the sexy scruff along his jaw and his tired eyes made her pulse pound. “You should go.”

  “We need to talk.”

  She shook her head even as she yearned for him to pull her against him and make everything okay again. “Please go.” She turned and hurried upstairs, huffing out an exasperated breath when Reed’s footsteps followed close behind. “I don’t have time for this right now.”

  “You’ll have to make time.”

  She tossed a glare over her shoulder, welcoming the heady rush of anger that consumed her as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. For the first time in twelve hours, she wasn’t afraid—she wasn’t in pain. Riding high on her fury, she ya
nked her shirt over her head, hoping that getting naked would help Reed take the hint that she wasn’t doing this today.

  He reached around her and twisted off the faucet.

  She turned it back on. “I have to go to work.”

  He shut it off again. “I want you to tell me what’s going on.”

  Narrowing her eyes for the second time, she went after the front clasp on her bra.

  He grabbed her wrist, halting her movements. “Tell me what’s going on, Bella.”

  Her breath rushed in and out as she held his gaze, fighting to suppress the raw emotions bubbling just below the surface.

  “Please.” He loosened his grip on her arm and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “Please.”

  The flash of rage vanished as they stared at each other, leaving her as vulnerable as she’d been moments before. She pulled away from him and moved toward the bedroom, stopping and clutching at the doorframe when he caught her with two gentle hands on her waist.

  “Please, Bella,” he said next to her ear.

  She stood rigid, squeezing her eyes shut as he caressed his thumbs along her skin. “He’s—he’s dying,” she choked out, unable to keep her secrets any longer.

  “Who?”

  “My father.”

  “What?” He turned her to face him.

  “He has colon cancer.” She sniffled and wiped her cheeks.

  “People survive that.”

  She shook her head. “He’s stage four. They gave him six months, but I’m afraid he might not last that long. He’s getting weaker. They admitted him this morning with pneumonia.”

  He sighed as sympathy filled his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I didn’t want anyone to know.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “I just…I didn’t.”

  “You didn’t have to deal with this alone.”

  “Yes.”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  She nodded and covered her face with her hands, crying quietly with the relief of finally being able to say everything out loud. “Every time I visit him, he looks worse—paler, thinner. I’ve been trying so hard to keep him healthy with juices and good food, but it’s not helping. I thought the extra measures were going to let me keep him longer…”