Broken Circle

by Amy McKinley

  In the distance, a door slammed, and footsteps pounded to the beat of her throbbing head. She didn’t move. Before they arrived and crested her line of sight, she fixated on the top of the stairs. It was empty. The dark void above held its secret close. Who pushed me?

  Pain separated into dull aches and sharp stabs, differentiating their location on the bruised map of her body. The throb of her ankle, the rhythmic pulse of her head, and the ache in her back did nothing to distract from the warmth spreading between her legs. God, no.

  Tears welled, only to spill in a continuous cascade down her face. Her mind raced, replaying her flight down the stairs, and she tried to determine if she’d imagined being pushed. I’m not safe here. Again, she flicked her gaze to the top of the steps. Inky darkness met her strained vision.

  What seemed like hours must have been mere seconds, or maybe minutes. The footsteps she heard racing materialized.

  “Liv!” Alex halted at the upstairs landing, Juan Carlos not far from him. Horror pulled Alex’s features tight as he flew down the steep flight. She cast her gaze between the two, afraid to move. A thunderous cloud hovered over Juan Carlos’s face before he shuttered his expression to hide the raging emotions.

  In a slow blink, she lost sight of Alex until he kneeled by her side. Feather-light touches trailed along her arms, legs, neck, and face. She pleaded with her eyes for him to tell her everything would be all right. The baby. Please don’t let anything have happened.

  She shut her eyes, blocking the sight of the terror she’d glimpsed briefly on his face before he yelled for someone to pull a car around.

  The sterile antiseptic smell permeated Liv’s foggy awareness, and she cracked open her swollen eyelids. Big mistake. Bright light forced them closed and she waited for the sensation of glass shards to subside before she tried again. The sounds and scents told her she lay in a hospital bed. In fuzzy bits and pieces, the events from the night filtered through her brain, and she sucked in a shaky breath.

  They’d arrived at the hospital after her fall down the stairs where they’d ushered her in, past rows of beds filled with patients in the hallway. Hospitals in South America were very different than in the States. By some miracle, or the frightening presence of Alex’s family, she’d been given a private room. For the room alone, she was grateful.

  Alex’s tight grip on her hand linked them, if only physically. She inhaled his spicy cologne, momentarily comforted by his presence. But she couldn’t sense the one she desperately needed. It should have been too early to tell, but she could. She knew, just as she’d sensed it was a girl. It never stood a chance. “Our baby’s gone, isn’t she?”

  “Shh, babe. I’m here.” With one hand, Alex scrubbed his face, his eyes wild. “Shit. I never wanted…” Audibly, he swallowed, and his hoarse voice sought her. “I tried to keep you away, to protect you. But with the baby’s pending arrival, I had no choice.”

  His gentle touch made the tears roll faster down her face, and she melted into his careful embrace. The caress of his lips on her forehead and the slide of his fingers through her hair nearly undid her. Underneath her heartache festered a deep anger for whoever had pushed her. She wouldn’t share that detail with him. He’d blown her trust. He’d kept this part of his life secret.

  Processing his regret-filled words didn’t matter right now. What did was the moment of grief they shared. This was the man she’d fallen for, the man she needed, and the man who held her heart.

  The other one was a virtual stranger. Sheltered, she hadn’t seen that side of his life—his work persona. That had to be what it was. Content to live only in the world they’d created, she let him have his other identity. Or maybe it was him that defined the separate lives.

  For now, she sank into the comfort he offered. The rest of their problems could wait. They needed to leave this terrible place.

  She craved their life back home, where she could heal and recover. This…this was a nightmare.

  Sleep pulled her back under, welcome arms where she sought their baby in the in-between. She floated in a gray mist until a nurse shook her from slumber with a gentle prodding as she checked her vitals. Liv’s gaze lurched to Alex’s, fear and despair barely held back. Her free hand fluttered to him, and he gripped her with reassuring strength. In silence, she waited for the nurse to go, for the all-too-ugly reality to go fuzzy again. When the door shut with a soft click, she shifted closer to Alex, needing his warmth and shared grief over their loss. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t confirmed the loss. The emptiness in her soul was answer enough for her.

  Nothing was broken. She should have been grateful. She wasn’t. “How much longer?”

  “Shh, Liv. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” He motioned for her to move over, and he joined her in the hospital bed. Lying on his side, he pulled her close, and she burrowed in. They stayed like that for some time. Hours may have passed. Time didn’t mean much. As long as he was with her, the caring man she’d married, there would be some way she could crawl out from the dark hole she found herself in.

  When he shifted, Liv’s eyes popped open. “Don’t leave me here, Alex.”

  “Relax.” His hand rubbed her back, and he pressed a kiss to her head. Pulling back, he cupped her cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  Her lower lip quivered. “Physically, I’m sore but fine. The lights hurt, and I’m a little dizzy. I—I miss her, Alex. Even in that short time span, I loved her the moment I learned of her existence.”

  Air brushed along her cheek as he sighed. “One day, we’ll try again. When we’re both ready.”

  I was ready.

  Shifting, she pulled back so she could scrutinize his face. “Did you truly not want our baby? Even after you said all those things to me, the time alone, the beach, and cruise.”

  “Liv, every part of you is a gift. It does not matter if I wasn’t ready to begin a family, I’d welcome a baby into our lives because she or he would come from you. You’re the best thing in my life. Always.”

  The truth swirled in the dark depths of his eyes, but she let it go, mentally exhausted. Over their few years together, she’d loved what they had. Not now.

  Whatever she’d wanted, he provided. And he had seemed to instinctively understand she wanted a soul mate, a partner, someone to lean on. Even if, for her, their relationship had begun as a rebellious and impulsive act, it had morphed into a dream, nothing like the empty, businesslike one her parents lived. All her life, she witnessed her parents’ effort in climbing the political ladder, instead of focusing on their lackluster commitment to their marriage and friendship. She even questioned their love for one another. With Alex, that was the one thing she never second-guessed.

  But this place… “Alex, I want to go home. Now. Let’s leave straight from here.”

  His features shuttered, and she shivered from the sudden chill.

  “At the very least, let’s go back to your mom’s.”

  “Liv, it’s too late.” The seriousness of his tone twisted her body into a mass of anxiety and, beneath that, simmering anger. “Why were you out of our room? I told you to stay there, to wait until I came back. What made you leave?”

  Whatever they were planning or involved in, her being detained sent heightened jolts of alarm through her. “I was worried and not feeling very well.” Her gaze searched his. The man she knew receded, and the mask of the stranger, the one she’d only caught glimpses of this past month, returned. “I want to get out of here, Alex. Let’s go home, forget about this place, whatever it is. Please, just take me home.”

  Silence met her plea, and the slight narrowing of his left eye told her he wasn’t happy about something, or that he was lying.

  With slow, deliberate movements, Alex raised the sheet higher on her chest, tucking her in. “Did something happen that caused your fall? Did you hear anything while you were out in the hallway?”

  “No. Nothing. Should I have?” Her eyes narrowed as every nerve in her body screamed to keep what had hap
pened, and what she’d learned, a secret. It would only stir the pot even more and cause her trouble if he knew.

  “Why can’t we leave, Alex?” she demanded. Though from his closed expression, she sensed she wouldn’t get an answer. The silence told her enough—he planned to stay. She did not.

  Feeling sick from what had happened and the bone-deep loss she’d suffered, she stayed vigilant while staring into the cold gaze of her husband, a man she now understood she truly did not know. But she did realize one thing—if she wanted to survive, she had to leave.

  Chapter 10

  Alex leaned over and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you comfortable, Liv?”

  “I’m fine.” She’d barely moved from the hospital bed. It’d been two days so far, and she really wanted to leave.

  “I’m going to talk to the doctor again, look into your release for tomorrow, and check in with my dad’s men.” At her nod, he left, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

  She moved the bracelet up and down on her wrist, her fingers smoothing across the stone. Alex had put the bracelet back on her, making it clear once more that she was not to remove it. She wasn’t sure why he was so adamant about his grandmother’s brooch staying on. Maybe having her wear the jewelry gave him a connection to something good in his past. Perhaps it was the only thing that helped him through seeing his father and brother.

  Shifting, she pulled her purse onto the bed and rifled around inside the big bag, pushing her sketchbook, pencils, and wallet aside until she found her phone. She needed to text Rachel, see if she’d heard anything yet.

  Liv: Hey, Rach. Did you find out anything at the precinct?

  Rachel: No. No one has information about Alex being undercover.

  Liv: Rach! Did you tell them? What if he is and we just blew his cover?

  Rachel: Liv, I love you, but get your head out of your ass! Something isn’t right. Please tell me you left.

  Liv’s fingers tightened on the phone, contemplating her words before she sent them.

  Liv: I love him, Rach.

  Rachel: Sweetie, I get it. I do. But you have to leave. What you’ve told me sounds really bad. Please get out of there, or I’ll have to tell the chief.

  She’d begun to doubt Alex too the more they were around his dad, brother, and the entourage of machine gun–toting men. That killed her, but love didn’t just go away. They’d been there for each other; he was her everything. Even if Alex were guilty, how could she just abandon him?

  Rachel: Liv, you still there?

  Her friend was right. There wasn’t any point in denying she had to get away. Still, the thought of Alex being a part of his father’s organization didn’t sit well with her, and she clung to the idea of him working undercover. Rachel had to be wrong. Even so, Liv wasn’t crazy.

  Liv: Yeah, I’m here. I’ll leave tonight. Please don’t worry, I’ll be okay and will text you when I’m safe.

  Rachel: Be careful! Please text me as soon as you can. If I don’t hear from you, I’m calling the chief and the FBI.

  Liv: Love ya. Will text when I’m alright.

  Rachel signed off with a kissy face, and again, Liv deleted all messages. She shoved her phone into the zippered pocket so she could find it more easily next time, set her purse on the bedside table, and rested against her pillow.

  Alex’s involvement with Juan Carlos blew her mind. She just couldn’t wrap herself around that reality. Since Juan Carlos was his father, maybe that was why Alex had originally gone into law enforcement—to stop what he knew was happening, what he’d most likely seen firsthand growing up. Liv had no idea how much exposure he’d had as a kid.

  But abandoning Alex? She chewed on her lower lip. In her heart, she couldn’t. If she stayed there, who knew what else would happen. She’d paid a terrible price.

  The whoosh from the door opening accelerated her heart rate, until she saw who it was. “Alex.”

  “Just me,” he reassured. “I spoke with your doctor, and you’re all set for release tomorrow.”

  “Where will we go?” If it was anywhere other than his mom’s or home, she needed to step up and follow through with her decision, with or without Alex.

  His lips pressed together in a stubborn line. “I’ve told you—we need to return to my father’s house. A few more days, at least. Then we’ll go home.”

  She tucked her clammy hands under her sheet, the bracelet catching on the edge. There was no way she was going back. “I don’t need all these things hooked up to me anymore, do I? It’s uncomfortable.”

  “No. I don’t see why you would. I’ll talk to the nurse about removing them in a little while.” A beat passed as he pulled a chair up to her bedside and took one of her hands from beneath the sheet to hold. “Don’t worry, babe. Everything will be okay. Just make sure you stay where I tell you. This will be over soon.”

  In small increments, her heart broke. No, it was just beginning. Her gaze traveled over Alex’s handsome features, losing herself for a few moments in his warm brown eyes. She dropped her gaze to the firm lips she’d kissed a hundred times. The visceral memory of him was deeply imprinted on her psyche, and she clung to the hope that he was truly on her side. She would give him that, even though she couldn’t do as he asked and return to his dad’s. She would stay vigilant and make her escape.

  Chapter 11

  A loud clang from the hallway disturbed the relative quiet and dragged Liv from sleep. Awake, she blinked in the inky darkness, waiting for the tiny room to take shape. Soft light leaked under her door.

  Hospitals were difficult to get a good night’s rest in with staff moving in the hallways and coming in at all hours to check vitals. Not that she’d slept well since her introduction to Alex’s father and the family business. Why had he brought her around them? If this was a job to him, if he was working to break their organization wide open, she shouldn’t have been there, and he should have told her. Whatever he planned to do, she would no longer be a part of it. The cost of their baby’s life had proved to be too high.

  Disgust at her blind naivety where Alex was concerned churned in a nauseating mix in her stomach. While there was a chance he did work undercover and had to maintain the façade even to her, the likelihood of it was small. At that point, she was not one to risk her safety. Too much had been sacrificed in the small amount of time since she’d been introduced to his other world.

  She was running out of time; her stay in the hospital was drawing to an end too fast. In the morning, the doctor would discharge her. On the outside, she would heal well enough, in time. With her womb cleaned, the bleeding had stopped. So they’d pronounced her well, despite her bruised body and soul.

  The minor sprain to her ankle, not to mention the concussion and a myriad of bruises, would fade, and she no longer needed to be under observation. Even so, they watched her. Armed men stood outside her door—for her protection, Alex had said.

  Who would protect her from them?

  Now she understood Alex’s need to keep his work and family separate from their lives, but the secrets surely would’ve found them at some point, like now.

  The frightening part of his job did not belong in bed with them. He told her that over and over. One mistake, and she stepped in the serpent’s lair, inviting them into their bed.

  Air wheezed from her strangled soul as her plan formed.

  If he weren’t willing to leave with her, then she would go on her own. When he settled whatever business he needed to, maybe she would welcome him home…if he was innocent. Her doubt had amplified since overhearing him and his father talking.

  Now she would run.

  Alex sat softly snoring in the chair next to her bed, a fraction of the loving and caring man she’d married. Tomorrow, he would take her back to her prison, his father’s house. Tomorrow, she would slowly die. Tomorrow could never materialize in that manner.

  Tonight, she would escape.

  With careful movements, she took inventory of her surroundings.
Her purse, thankfully, was next to Alex on the small table. He kept it close. There was money in there. Not a lot, but some. And she had her jewelry on. Thank God!

  Clothes were her next order of business. Before she had closed her eyes for the night, the nurse had taken her off the pulse and heart rate monitor, which would have alerted them if she’d removed it. Only an IV remained. In gradual movements, she sat up. She pushed the covers back and slid her legs from the bed. No one stirred. Alex’s snoring continued, so she stepped with care over to the unit. Her pulse raced as she pressed the power button so there would not be any alarms. Clamping her lips tight, she peeled the tape back. With shaking fingers, she pulled the IV from her arm then quickly grabbed Kleenex and pressed it against the small wound.

  Dropping the IV, she sucked in air to chase the dizziness and nausea away. Alex stirred. Frozen, she kept him in her sights, afraid to move a muscle lest she fully wake him. Sadness clung to every beat of her frantic heart.

  The sound of light snoring roused her from immobility, and on silent feet, she made her way to the wardrobe across the room. A dull throbbing ache from her ankle worried her that she wouldn’t be able to run if she needed to. It was a chance she would have to take. The cabinet gave a soft click when she opened it, and she glanced over her shoulder, relieved when she saw her husband still slept.

  The usual noise of the busy hospital filtered through the walls, but the door remained closed, unbroken light spilling beneath. Could it be her guards weren’t right outside her door?

  She didn’t have a clue when the next shift would be in to take her vitals and couldn’t make out the foreign words on the whiteboard. As fast as she could manage, she dressed in her clothes that, thankfully, were folded on a shelf in the cabinet. She would have to exchange them as soon as possible for something else, especially since blood stained the once pristine fabric.