by M. O. Kenyan
“I’m sure Duchess Delacroix can explain that. Isn’t that what they called you in Monte Carlo before you returned to the states?”
“That’s exactly what they called her, Catalella,” DJ chipped in.
“We could also call the other two business men you married fraudulently. I’m sure they would want back the fifty percent of their properties you took away from them.” Catalella pushed the call button on the conference phone and Darcy answered. “Have we got Ava’s ex-husbands’ numbers?”
“On speed dial, Miss Ross.”
“On speed dial. Darcy is so efficient,” DJ said in a dramatic tone.
“Too efficient.” Catalella turned towards Rich when she heard him try to mask a chuckle with a cough. Catalella pushed the annulment papers at Ava then shouted, “Sign…now!”
“You can’t do this,” Michael yelled as shock left his system and rage began to settle in.
“It’s my client’s right to be free of this serial bride. This is the thing—she could stand trial here and go to prison, then have the French government deal with her when we are done. Or she could sign these papers and disappear from our lives,” Catalella summarized.
“DJ, will you let her do that?” Ava pleaded.
Catalella shot DJ a questioning glance. She noticed how he shifted nervously in his chair. Was there something going on between Ava and DJ? Was that the reason he always looked guilty whenever he was in her or Rich’s presence? What the hell was going on?
“Sign the God damn papers, Ava,” DJ barked before getting up and rushing out of the room.
“Ethan?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Catalella snorted. “Sign the papers.”
“Michael, what should I do?”
“Sign the bloody papers and don’t call me again.” Michael also stormed off, leaving the French chit on her own.
“Do you have somewhere to live?” Catalella asked, the softer side from her mother pushing her father’s ruthlessness aside.
“A hotel.” Ava sniffed.
“Oh dear God.” Catalella heard Rich grunt. “Sign the papers and I’ll settle you with a hundred thousand.”
“You will…are you serious?”
The light was back in Ava’s eyes and Catalella realized what kept the little chit going. What the hell had she done with all that money she had falsely gotten from her other husbands? Catalella’s eyes scanned her clothes and her jewelry, recalled the car she had arrived in, and deduced where it had gone to. All Ava knew was fun. She didn’t have a mind for business, just for luxury.
“He will, as long as you leave the country immediately,” Catalella echoed.
“Or we could just try getting back together.” Ava twirled her fire-colored hair in her fingers and Catalella’s stomach clenched in disgust.
“Don’t push it.” Catalella shoved the papers and a pen at Ava as Rich took out his check book. When they had both finished signing Catalella held the check back. “If you try to cash it when you’re in this country I will cancel it.” Ava gave her a weak nod and Catalella let her have the money.
They watched in silent wonder as the chit swung her hips from side to side as she left the conference room, her body wrapped in a mere rumor of a dress. When Rich turned to face her, Catalella didn’t expect the intensity in his eyes. Flames licked behind their aqua blue and he held her gaze as he moved closer to her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a deadly firm voice.
“Before you get cross with me remember I am the mother of your children.” Catalella was trying to lighten the mood but her remark only got her an angry grunt. She drew in a deep breath that seemed to tremble out when she exhaled. “I didn’t want to spoil your mood. Ever since that night you asked me to marry you, you’ve been so happy.”
“If you had given me the information I would have taken care of it.” Rich’s tone was warmer.
“I know, but I wanted to take care of you.” She leaned in toward him and laid her forehead against his. “If we’re going to spend a day short of forever together I need you to know that this relationship will be fifty-fifty. I take care of you and you take care of me.”
“You just don’t want to lose control, Catalella.”
“Not being in control scares the shit out of me. It reminds me of when I was sick.” She leaned back so that she could see the honesty in his eyes. She took his hand and put it on her belly. “I don’t have control over when our babies are going to come, or of how my heart seems to beat out of my chest when I’m near you, or the way everything in my world freezes the second you kiss me, and that sigh my body makes when you hold me. I can’t control the fear I feel when I think about what the doctors told us, or when you tell me you love me or when I want to tell you that I love you.”
“I understand everything else but I don’t understand why you’re afraid to tell me that you love me.”
“Because when I say those words I can’t take them back. Our lives will change forever because of those three words, and I want to be on strong ground when I finally tell you. Those words are important to me.”
“They’re important to me too, and I’ll wait until you are finally ready to tell me. And when I hear them I will be the happiest man in the world. Until then I’ll tell you every day how much I love you.” He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you, Catalella.”
“Thank you.”
“So why aren’t you wearing my ring? Don’t you want anyone to know?”
Catalella cringed when she saw the pain cloud Rich’s face. Of course she wanted everyone to know. “If you would let me I would climb on top of this building and tell the whole of New York how lucky I am to be loved by you and to be the girl who’s going to marry you. But, like the clothes, the ring doesn’t fit. My finger was so numb I thought it was going to fall off.”
“I’ll get you a new one.”
“No need. I don’t want a replacement—that one is special to me. I only need one engagement ring and one man.”
Rich threw his head back as he laughed. “If I catch you with anyone else I’ll kill him. Come on, porky, let’s go home.”
“I want to talk to DJ first.” Catalella was worried about what she was going to find out, but she had to know. DJ’s little sister had been her best friend growing up, and DJ had been the only one she could talk to when it came to their similar passion for law. After she got sick and Daniela disappeared to her vices, he was the only one she could rely on to keep her mind off the illness. For the longest time she fancied herself in love with him. It wasn’t hard for her mind and heart to turn to him when all she got from Michael was a cold brick wall.
“I think we need to talk to DJ together.”
Catalella nodded. Maybe DJ could relate to Rich in some male way that she couldn’t.
* * * *
They found DJ in Catalella’s office, his face clouded with guilt. He stared at the ground for the minute that they spent in her office in silence, his hands occasionally raking through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” DJ finally said. “I met her in Paris…I didn’t think much of it at first. But then she started telling me these stories about how her first husband mistreated her. I played into her claws. I was so freaking blind.” DJ roared in anger as he kicked Catalella’s desk. “She made me feel so—”
“Wonderful, like you were the only man in the world, like you were capable of doing anything, even flying,” Rich added with a sympathetic nod. “She manipulates people, DJ. I don’t blame you for being taken in by her. Forget about it. Don’t let it destroy you.”
“She’s not worth it,” Catalella echoed.
“You don’t understand—because of her I let the best thing in my life slip away.” DJ gave Catalella a weary smile when she cupped his face in her hands. “I was in love, Lella. She was beautiful and she made me feel whole, especially with everything that was going on with you. But I lost her.”
“I’m sure you can get her back.” Rich gave him a support
ive pat on the back.
“I’m afraid the only guy who was capable of raising people from the dead is Jesus, and he isn’t taking any phone calls right now.” DJ gave Catalella a quick kiss and shook Rich’s hand before he left her office, his head hanging with guilt and shame.
Chapter Twelve
That night Catalella lay in silence in the warmth of Rich’s arms. She had him next to her, his heart was beating, his love showered over her and she had been selfish enough to ask him to wait to marry her. DJ had waited and now the love of his life was gone and was never coming back. How could she reconcile herself with that if she wasted the time she had with Rich now? But she was scared, scared of being married again to a man who would abandon her later on in life for one reason or the other. Was the fear of disappointment worth more than the love and the life she could share with Rich?
“What did Michael mean when he said he had Lisette then you?”
“Long story.” Catalella was about to push it aside and try and start up a new topic. The Ross girls’ past with Michael was something she and Lisette had tried to erase from their family’s memories since the beginning. And now, five years later, they had succeeded. She didn’t want to have to fight with the past again, but Rich did deserve to know.
“I met Michael Mathews when I was sixteen going on seventeen and he was dating my sister.”
“I’m surprised AJ didn’t bash his face in the first time he was dating one of his sisters.”
“Lisette is headstrong, and when she met Reno she had to change. But when she made a deal for my freedom from Michael all hell broke loose—she promised to pay him to divorce me. But Michael tried to sleep with her. Michael tries to tell everyone that he was her first, but that’s a lie that Reno exposed.” Catalella grinned. “Lisette had to let go of her stubbornness. Reno gave her an ultimatum—either they dealt with everything together or they broke up. I, on the other hand, had a crush on Michael Mathews that he took advantage of. Before I knew it I was seventeen and married.”
Catalella grew nervous when Rich went still and quiet. But, after a few seconds, he finally spoke. “Didn’t your father try to get you out of it?”
“He did but I told him I wanted to be married. So he gave Michael a job once he graduated from college and he put him through Harvard Law. I was getting into college and soon everyone was distracted by my illness.”
“I thought he left you when you got sick?”
“That was the second time. The first time he was the loving, caring husband. But what we didn’t know was that he was looking at getting a job at a different firm. A year later he finally got his new job when my cancer came back. He left as soon as he could.”
“You know I would never leave you for anything, right?” Rich tightened his grip on her and kissed her forehead.
“I know…besides, I would hunt you down.”
Rich laughed. “I’m glad to hear that. What did Reno do when he found out about Lisette and Michael? It’s obvious he forgave her, but he does kind of seem like a mild man.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Catalella grunted. “He almost put Michael in the hospital and I was Michael’s pound of flesh.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”
“I know. I hate that you got hurt.”
“If you promise to spend a lifetime making me happy, I’ll be all right.”
“I promise.”
* * * *
Catalella had gone to bed smiling the previous night, but when she woke up the next morning the only thing she felt was pain that seemed to rupture inside her. It felt like there was a knife slicing through her, and hands trying to rip her belly open. Her head dug into the pillow as her body arched and a painful, blood-curdling scream erupted from her throat. Something was terribly wrong, Catalella realized when a chill feeling claimed her heart.
* * * *
Rich rushed through the halls. Tears clouded his eyes and he wandered about the maternity ward, looking for Catalella’s room number. AJ had called him only fifteen minutes before to tell him that Catalella had been rushed to the ER. It wasn’t his words that chilled Rich to the bone—it was the way he said I think this might be it. Rich refused to accept that. This wasn’t it. Somehow Catalella and his babies would find a way to make it through this episode. When he spotted AJ and Katherine he knew he had finally found the hospital room.
“Rich, we need to talk to you,” AJ said.
“Not now. I just need to see her.” Rich gasped as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I need to lay my eyes on her. I don’t need to touch her. I need to make sure—”
“Sure, of course,” AJ said warmly as he opened Catalella’s door. “She’s resting and the babies are doing well. Your family is fine, Rich.”
Rich collapsed against the wall and finally let himself take a deep breath. “What happened?”
“She was in pain and there was a little blood,” Katherine said.
“Did she have a miscarriage?” Rich asked, the panic back in his voice.
“No, but she did start having contractions. We gave her something to stop the contractions and it seems to be working.” Katherine responded warmly.
“So what aren’t you telling me?” Rich looked back and forth from AJ and Katherine. There was something they wanted to tell him but seemed too scared to do it. “I won’t bite, I promise.”
“Catalella is a week away from her seventh month. I think you should convince her to deliver the distressed baby before the other one goes into distress,” Katherine said. “The other twin would have a better chance if we delivered the distressed one.”
“I can’t choose between my children, which one goes, which one stays.” Rich shook his head. “What guarantee can you give me that the one that is delivered will survive?”
“None. I can’t tell you what will happen to the baby after we deliver it. But what I can tell you is that by not performing this surgery we could be risking all three of their lives. What if she bleeds out next time?”
“She won’t.”
“She’s here, Rich. She’s in the hospital. You need to tell her to do what is right for all four of you,” AJ urged.
“What the hell is that?” Rich walked past them and into Catalella’s room.
He watched her as she slept. Besides the IV in her hand and the hospital gown she didn’t look like there was anything wrong with her or the babies. She was perfect and dear God, how he wished everything else was.
* * * *
Catalella woke up from her heavy sleep. She felt groggy and tired, like her body had been through a battle and she was barely winning the fight. She remembered what had happened but the feeling of her babies kicking inside her reassured her that everything was all right. She felt a tight squeeze on her hand and she knew that Rich was by her side.
Catalella reluctantly opened her eyes and looked into his terror-stricken face. Something wasn’t right and his continued silence alerted her. “I’m sorry,” She managed to croak out.
“Why?” Rich cleared his throat and wiped away a stray tear.
“I should have stayed in bed like I was supposed to. If something happens to our babies it’ll be my fault.”
“Hush, nothing is going to happen. All three of you are fine.” Rich stood up and leaned over to kiss her forehead.
“What did Katherine say?”
Rich didn’t answer. He continued to avoid her eyes but his eloquent shrug spoke volumes. Just then DJ entered the room, his face as panicked as Rich’s.
“Hey, little bird, what happened to you?” DJ asked.
“The Mexican food I got at the deli didn’t agree with me.” Catalella shot him a weary smile. “Rich, do you mind asking Katherine to come in here?”
“Not at all.” Catalella watched as Rich walked out, his shoulders drooping, his legs dragging each other forward.
“Don’t you think I should have gone out to get Katherine and he should have stayed here?”
/> “I think he needs a break from the reckless woman who almost cost him his children’s lives,” Catalella muttered.
“I’m sure that’s not how he feels,” DJ reassured her.
“He’s scared, and watching me lying in this bed isn’t helping. He needs a breather. Besides, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Whatever you need.”
“When will the annulment go through?”
“I talked to the judge and I explained your circumstances, so it should be done by the end of the week.”
“Just seven days?” Catalella asked in disbelief.
“It helps that I forwarded the request two months ago. It isn’t how it’s done, but your dad and mine helped find an old friend from college who could help.” DJ shrugged. “He was the one who found out about the other husbands. No property is being divided, plus Ava was served with the papers a while ago, but her agreeing to it helps speed up the process.”
“Thank you, DJ. Now I need you to do one more thing for me.”
* * * *
“The contractions have stopped, Catalella. We might be able to keep the baby inside you for a while but not to full term,” Katherine warned.
“I’ll be seven months in a week. The babies will have a better chance then, won’t they?” Catalella asked, hoping for favorable answer.
“Yes, but there will always be a risk with premature babies,” Katherine explained, then added, “That’s why I think you should deliver the one baby now, and give the other one a chance at full term.”
“They were created together. They have always been together. I don’t know, Kat.”
“I can’t imagine what you and Rich are going through with this decision, but you need to make the right choice.”
“What the hell is that?” Rich roared from the corner. He had sat and watched silently, but now he was a bundle of rage that wanted to erupt. He stormed out of the room and immediately Catalella felt more relaxed.